2015 Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

Competitive Partner Grants

- Request for Proposals -

Introduction to Yellowstone to Yukon

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is pleased to announce that its Competitive Partner Grants program has been extended to its seventeenth year. In 2015, Y2Y will distribute $45,000 through this program. The Y2Y Competitive Partner Grants program is made possible through the generous support of the Woodcock Foundation. Y2Y also thanks those individuals who choose to direct their personal donations to the Partner Grants program.

Recognizing the threats causing biodiversity loss throughout the world, Y2Y is inspired by a vision of an interconnected system of wild lands and waters stretching from Yellowstone to Yukon, harmonizing the needs of people with those of nature.Y2Y’s mission is to connect and protect Rocky Mountain habitat from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the mountains of northern Yukon so that people and nature can thrive. This vision is guided by conservation strategies that marry leading-edge research with on-the-ground action. We carry out our work collaboratively with partners across the region, including environmental non-government organizations (ENGOs), government agencies, First Nations/Native American tribes, researchers, foundations, and businesses.

Y2Y uses its conservation strategies to identify Priority Areas – places within the Yellowstone to Yukon region that are either core wildlife habitat areas or large-scale corridors connecting core areas. We examine threats, opportunities, and capacities in these Priority Areas to determine where to focus our efforts. For more information on Y2Y’s vision, mission, and strategies, please visit www.y2y.net.

Competitive Grant Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, organizations and projects must meet the following requirements:

·  Applicants must be associations, groups, organizations, tribes, bands, partnerships or networks working within the Yellowstone to Yukon region in support of the Y2Y vision and mission. Individuals wishing to apply must find an eligible organization to sponsor their proposal. There is no requirement for organizations to have charitable status.

·  Only one proposal per organization will be accepted. While we will accept more than one proposal from those organizations that have separate chapters or regional offices as long as each chapter/regional office has its own budget and is responsible for raising part or all of its own funding, the funding process is very competitive and we are unlikely to fund more than one project from a single organization.

·  Collaborative or joint proposals from more than one organization working on the same project or initiative are strongly encouraged.

·  These funds are not intended to fund scientific or academic research, unless that work has been commissioned by an organization as being essential to advance a conservation campaign.

·  Priority will be given to projects that most align with Y2Y’s strategic priorities:

1)  Address the following threats or opportunities:

a.  promote new protected areas on public lands;

b.  protect habitat on or corridors across private lands;

c.  mitigate the impacts on wildlife of highways or railroads;

d.  reduce conflict and promote co-existence between humans and wildlife;

e.  restore degraded habitat for grizzly bears or other large mammal species;

f.  oppose development, activities, or policies that threaten the Yellowstone to Yukon vision; or

g.  promote policies that help to advance the Yellowstone to Yukon vision; and

h.  help to communicate the Yellowstone to Yukon vision.

2)  Are undertaken by small grassroots groups and/or organizations that might not otherwise be able to secure funding for their work;

3)  Will benefit significantly from Y2Y’s investment;

4)  Focus on co-operative efforts; and

5)  Focus on on-the-ground conservation actions.

·  Please note that organizations that have received a Y2Y Partner Grant for the past three consecutive years (2012, 2013, and 2014) are not eligible to apply this year.

·  As a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and a Canadian charity, Y2Y can support only projects that do not include direct lobbying (U.S.)/or political activity (Canada) components. If you are unsure about the definitions of “lobbying” and “political activity”, please consult the government agency that regulates charities in your country.

Grant awards will be limited to a maximum of $10,000. However, the majority of grants awarded will be less than $5,000.

Timelines for Y2Y’s 2014 Competitive Partner Grant program:

RFP announcement: January 30, 2015

Application deadline: February 27, 2015

Notification of decisions: End of March, 2015

Deadline for reporting: January 22, 2016

The application format can be found on the following three pages or on the Y2Y website. Questions should be directed to Ellen McKay at . Completed applications should be submitted by midnight MST, on Friday, February 27, 2015 to Ellen McKay at . You will receive an e-mail acknowledging receipt of your application.

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2015 Partner Grants Application Form

Please submit to by midnight MST, Friday, February 27th, 2015

Organization Information:

Applicant Organization:

Full Mailing Address:

Phone Number:

Fax Number:

Website Address:

Contact Person/Title:

Email Address:

Project Title:

Amount Requested:

Project Budget:

Organizational Revenues in 2014:

Organizational Budget for 2015:

Number of full time staff members:

Project Location (attach a regional map if available):

Proposal Narrative:

Please limit the narrative section of your proposal to no more than 3 pages.

1.  Please provide a brief description of your organization, including your mission statement. (300 words max.)

2.  Has your organization previously received a Partner Grant? If yes, for what year(s), amount(s) and project(s)?

3.  In which Y2Y Priority Area(s) will your project occur (see map below)?

4.  What are the overall goals of the program of which this project is a part (100 words max.)?

5.  What are the objectives for this project (bullet points, 100 words max.)?

6.  List the specific on-the-ground activities to be undertaken to achieve the desired objectives (300 words max).

7.  List the other organizations or agencies working on this issue in the same landscape. How you will collaborate with them (100 words max.)? Please provide letters of support from named partners or copies of collaboration agreements.

8.  What priority Y2Y threat or opportunity does your project address (100 words max.)?

9.  To whom and how will you disseminate the results of your project (100 words max.)?

10.  How will your project help to communicate about the Yellowstone to Yukon vision and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (100 words max.)?

11.  Please provide a project budget, using the budget template below. Be sure to indicate confirmed and potential revenues, sources of revenue, expenses, and how Y2Y’s funds will be used. Add rows or modify expense column line items as needed. Please make sure that your budget balances (expenses = confirmed and potential revenue sources, including Y2Y).

Project Budget

Expense Items / Description / Total Cost / Request from Y2Y
Salary/Benefits
Professional Fees, honoraria
Rent/utilities/telephone
Equipment/supplies/postage
Travel
Printing/photocopying
Publicity/promotion
Design/Production costs
Administration/overhead
Other (specify):
Total Expenses / $ / $
Revenue Sources / Confirmed / Pending / Contact Name, Email Phone
Cash Revenue:
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
In Kind/Other:
Total Revenue / $ / $


Yellowstone to Yukon Priority Areas Map 2015

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