The Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) is pleased to announce a $10-million, five-year initiative to reduce species extinctions. Funded by Rainforest Trust and matched by $2-million in project funding from American Bird Conservancy (ABC), this initiative will focus on the protection of AZE sites, which hold the world’s most threatened species, those assessed as Critically Endangered or Endangered by the IUCN Red List and restricted to only one site on Earth. AZE sites comprise a sub-set of Key Biodiversity Areas that are in most urgent need of conservation due to the high threat status of the species they hold.

BACKGROUND: While a recent study showed the effectiveness of protecting AZE sites to avoid extinctions, 36 percent of AZE sites have no protected area status at all. The AZE Initiative therefore seeks to expand the effective conservation of AZE sites globally through the establishment and expansion of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs).

GRANTS: Grants will be awarded to non-profit conservation organizations to 1) establish or expand public or private protected areas and OECMs at AZE sites or 2) conduct research at unprotected or partially protected AZE sites to inform and improve protection approaches. Protected area and OECM establishment or expansion includes designation as a national, state, regional or municipal protected area; designation as a private protected area; or recognition of indigenous or local community ownership and management with the formal stipulation that the indigenous or community lands will be managed for conservation. The establishment or expansion of protected areas and OECMs must have endorsement from project stakeholders, including local communities, and obtain Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of any impacted communities. Research grants can focus on 1) investigating the presence, location, or abundance of an AZE trigger species or 2) exploring public and/or private land protection options for an AZE site, including the determination of existing land tenure.

TO APPLY: This grant applies to AZE sites in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, Oceania and Africa. For more information on current AZE sites, please consult the current AZE site map. Grants will be awarded based on the grantees’ ability to implement their proposed project and their experience working at the site and/or with the AZE trigger species. Applications must be in English and budgets in US dollars. Only proposals focusing on current AZE sites and species will be considered.

The first step in the application process is to complete and submit the concept note (application can be downloaded below). Successful concept note authors will then be asked to submit a full application for consideration.

Proposals will be considered on a rolling basis. To submit concept notes, or if you have any questions, please contact the Alliance for Zero Extinction at aupgren@abcbirds.org.