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SMALL GRANTS FOR
BIG OCEAN OPPORTUNITIES

RAPID OCEAN CONSERVATION (ROC)
GRANTS

The Rapid Ocean Conservation (ROC) Grants Program is a project of the Waitt Foundation. ROC Grants provide small grants with a quick turnaround time for solutions to emerging conservation issues and ocean protection in support of island nations. 

 

Priority is given to projects in countries with Blue Prosperity Coalition partnerships. This includes the Azores, Bermuda, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Maldives, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu. 

 

This complements the Waitt Foundation’s existing major grants program and is responsive to conservation opportunities, supports higher-risk ideas at a low financial cost, and engages with small, local NGOs on a global scale.

Please read through this entire page and review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) before submitting an application. The link to the online application can be found at the end of this page.

Please send any questions about ROC Grants to rocgrants@waittfoundation.org.
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FEATURED
GRANTEES

Ocean Alliance: SnotBot 

Drones for whale research

ROC GRANT
CRITERIA

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ELIGIBILITY

EVALUATION CRITERIA

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Location - Project must support island nations. Priority is given to projects in countries with Blue Prosperity Coalition partnerships. This includes the Azores, Bermuda, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Maldives, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

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Focus – Project must support sustainable fishing and/or Marine Protected Areas. Refer to the "Program Focus" section on this page. Funds cannot be used for event sponsorships.

 

Project Duration – 6 months

 

Experience – Applicant must possess commensurate level of experience and expertise with respect to the proposed project.

 

Affiliation – Applicant must maintain affiliation with an academic institution or NGO for the duration of the grant project.

 

ROC Grants should constitute the sole or primary source of funding for the proposed project, not serve as complementary funding for larger, more costly projects.

Funding Urgency – How quickly the project needs to begin for maximum effectiveness.

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Conservation Impact – Magnitude of ecological, socioeconomic, and policy benefit.

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Scale of Impact – Geographic area and likeliness of applicability/replication elsewhere.

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Feasibility of Implementation – Based on socioeconomic and public policy context.

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Organizational Capacity – Adequate human capital size and expertise to execute project.

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FUNDING

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GRANTING CYCLE

Proposals for grants up to $20,000 will be reviewed on a monthly rolling basis. Project funds will be distributed within 2 weeks of funding decisions.

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Proposals are reviewed monthly on a rolling basis, although some applications may take additional time to evaluate. There are no deadlines for submitting an application.

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PROGRAM FOCUS

Grants will fund projects related to the Waitt Foundation's mission of supporting sustainable fishing and marine protected areas (MPAs). This includes sub-themes of:

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Scientific Research – Includes natural science or social science projects. 

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Policy – Includes opportunistic projects around unique public policy windows, such as preparation of policy analysis and support of experts’ efforts to inform decision makers on upcoming government actions.

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Management – Includes enforcement and infrastructure support.

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Communications – Includes raising public awareness and engaging stakeholders, including advertising by a 501(c)3 group around a public policy moment. 

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HOW TO APPLY

  1. Review our ROC Grant criteria on this page (including budget sample). For a sample listing of projects funded to date, please visit the ROC Projects Spotlight page.

  2. Read through our FAQ page.

  3. Prepare to submit three separate documents: 1) a budget for how grant funds would be used, 2) project timeline and 3) proof of non-profit status as part of your application. Applications without a budget will not be considered.

  4. Submit an application through our website by clicking the "Apply Now" button at the bottom of this page. You will be redirected to the grant application portal to create an account.​

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PLEASE NOTE

  • Please make sure you have read through this entire page and our ROC Grants FAQ page before submitting an application or question.

  • We require all grant applications to be submitted via our website. The Waitt Foundation does not accept proposals by email, mail or fax. Please note that this application is part of a larger two-stage system, however, ROC grants applicants are only required to complete the first stage.

  • An automatic email will be sent when your application is submitted. Please check your spam folder to ensure you have received it.

  • Due to the nature of this program and level of funding, the Waitt Foundation does not allow for indirect costs/administrative fees.

  • Please send any questions about ROC Grants to rocgrants@waittfoundation.org.

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