SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund

Posted by on August 11, 2006

[posted from RFP Bulletin]

SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund Accepting Applications
Deadline: December 1, 2006

The SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund (<a href="http://www.swbg-conservationfund.org/">http://www.swbg-conservationfund.org/</a>) is currently accepting grant proposals from organizations and individuals.

The fund has no set minimum or maximum grant amount. In the past, however, the fund has supported projects ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 for a one-year term. The fund will consider multi-year proposals, as many worthy conservation and research efforts require multiple years to achieve results and positive impact.

The value/utility of major capital investments such as construction of a new facility and computer network infrastructures is long-term. The fund is unable to support such investments that would outlive the specific project/initiative that the fund is being asked to support.

The fund will consider proposals involving government-managed lands, sites, and programs. As with all proposals receiving fund support, the project must have broad community/constituency support and be based on legitimate scientific and conservation principals. When reviewing such proposals, the fund’s board will be interested in government-supplied matching funds.

While the fund recognizes and supports the critical importance of ex-situ efforts such as endangered species breeding programs and conservation awareness/education, its primary focus is to support conservation efforts directly benefiting wildlife in their native ranges (in-situ). For this reason, the fund is unable to help underwrite the captive breeding efforts of other animal management facilities. The fund will consider ex-situ conservation education proposals that demonstrate significant positive and sustainable impact. Contingent on the policy recommendations/limitations outlined above concerning in-situ/ex-situ projects and capital investments, the fund will consider grant proposals from other zoo and aquarium association (<a href="http://www.aza.org/">http://www.aza.org/</a>) or alliance of marine mammal parks and aquariums (<a href="http://www.ammpa.org/">http://www.ammpa.org/</a>) accredited institutions.

Grant applications are accepted year-round. The board of directors will meet once a year each spring to review all grant applications and award funds. All applications must be received in an electronic format (i.e., via email or on a CD) by December 1 of the previous year. Visit the fund’s Web site for complete program guidelines.

RFP Link: <a href="http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10003815/swbgconservation">http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10003815/swbgconservation</a>

For additional RFPs in Environment, visit: <a href="http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_environment.jhtml">http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_environment.jhtml</a>