Best Sustainability Grants in Africa

The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation provides grants to early-stage social entrepreneurs working on scalable solutions to pressing social and environmental issues. By supporting organizations with innovative approaches and proven impact, they aim to uplift underserved communities globally. The foundation offers operational support, funding of up to $300,000 over three years, and fosters a collaborative community among its portfolio organizations. They focus on candidates demonstrating measurable impact and sustainable growth potential.

The Gerda Henkel Foundation's Patrimonies funding initiative supports projects aimed at preserving historical cultural heritage, particularly in crisis regions. It encourages collaborative development with the Foundation, focusing on scientific research in history, archaeology, and art history. With a flexible approach, the initiative responds quickly to urgent needs while fostering long-term academic networks. The Foundation also promotes educational opportunities for young scholars and emphasizes the importance of local involvement and sustainable practices in funded projects.

IDEA WILD offers small equipment grants to empower conservation professionals worldwide, enhancing their ability to conduct essential biological research and conservation education. With over $300,000 in equipment distributed annually, the program prioritizes projects that demonstrate strong conservation impacts. It focuses on supporting professionals in developing countries, where a grant can significantly impact conservation efforts. Since 1991, IDEA WILD has supported over 4,500 projects in 100 countries, fostering biodiversity and sustainability through innovative management practices.

The Peter J. King Family Foundation Grant supports organizations dedicated to enhancing children's health, education, and welfare, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. Priority is given to initiatives in the Saint Paul, Minnesota area, followed by the Twin Cities metro region and Africa. Grants are evaluated based on long-term sustainability and the number of beneficiaries, with a clear emphasis on impactful contributions rather than program funding gifts.

The Sachs Family Foundation Grant aims to enhance the quality of life for economically and educationally disadvantaged individuals and families. The Foundation supports self-sustaining charitable organizations focusing on economic and educational opportunities, particularly in low-income communities in the U.S. and developing countries. Grants are available for various initiatives, including education, housing, and job training, with a keen interest in programs that demonstrate clear potential for sustainability.

Save the Rhino International (SRI) Grant aims to protect critically endangered rhinos through strategic funding and collaboration. With a focus on key populations like black, Sumatran, and Javan rhinos, SRI emphasizes law enforcement, biological management, and stopping illegal markets. They support field programs that meet specific eligibility criteria and prioritize sustainable financing mechanisms. SRI's efforts aim for the long-term recovery of these species, ensuring their survival and promoting international awareness and support for rhino conservation.

 

Skees Family Foundation

The Skees Family Foundation, a 501(c)3 private charitable foundation (EIN#83-0411607), works with nonprofits (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) serving families in need around the world.

The Skees Family Foundation — family helping families — extends self-help to youth and families to end poverty worldwide. We support organizations in the U.S., Africa, Asia, Central and South America, India, and the Pacific to promote job creation and economic development. We value love in action to create equal opportunity for all. And as a diverse multigenerational group with limited time and funds, we believe that we — and you — can change the world for good.

Mission: Skees Family Foundation works to end global poverty by partnering with community-based organizations to create fulfilling jobs and build job readiness through vocational or entrepreneurial training.

How We’re Different

We approach grantmaking in ways that differ from many funders, in ways intended to minimize the power imbalance between nonprofits and funders:

• No Restrictions: Unrestricted funding shows trust and respect for our partners. They know where the money is most needed, and we don’t have the burden of keeping track of specific projects.
• No Applications: All the information we need is found through our own research. This helps us keep our workload lighter by not having to go through hundreds of applications, and it provides our new partners a welcome surprise, with infinite return on investment. 
• Limited Reporting: We have calls once a year with our partners to discuss how they’re doing and their plans for the future. We don’t ask for written reports – we talk to our partners and create enduring relationships. 
• Multi-Year Grants: Two to six-year grants give us the opportunity to build relationships with our partners and for them to have the security of longer-term funding.
• Storytelling Assistance: Through our Seeds of Hope blog and the My Job social mission project, we tell the stories of our partners. We get to shine a light on their work, and they get a bit of free promotion!
• Funding Channels: Our partners are often challenged in finding their next level of funding. In response, we are creating a network of funders to help guide our partners toward their next grant. We can pass on our knowledge about individual organizations, as well as receive recommendations from other funders, saving everyone a lot of time.
• Direct Impact Investments: For many of our partners, the ability to scale rests on access to capital, and we often maintain relationships through direct impact investments. This allows us to stay in touch with our partners and invest in someone we trust, while giving them access to affordable debt and a reasonable return to the Skees corpus.
• 100% ESG Market Investments: Beyond impact investments, the remaining majority of the corpus is invested with an Environmental Social Governance screen, ensuring our corpus is working for good. This helps us increase our impact substantially while avoiding investments that are working in contradiction with our mission, all while maintaining strong returns to support our grantmaking.

Mission-Aligned Grantmaking

Our mission-aligned grants are focused on organizations whose primary work is outside of the United States. We do this for two reasons:

• Given our relatively small grantmaking budget, funding international programs allows each dollar to go further than it would in the U.S, enabling our foundation to have greater impact with our limited resources.
• We support organizations without geographic limitations through our discretionary board and family grants, both in the U.S. and abroad, that our family members are connected to and passionate about.

These grants are typically distributed every three years, and go out at the start of the new year.

Catalyst Grants

Catalyst Grants are three-year grants, distributing $25,000 in year one, $15,000 in year two and $10,000 in year three. These grants are for organizations that have demonstrated some success with their models and are ready to work at a broader level by scaling or deepening their programs. Catalyst Grants are focused on organizations with an annual budget of less than $500,000, but groups with budgets of up to $1 million are eligible.

It is our hope that Catalyst Grants truly serve as a catalyst for organizations ready to scale, which our foundation views as critical to long-term change. Although the funds are for general operating expenses, we encourage these organizations to invest in expanding and deepening their programs in a self-sustaining way.

By allocating a large proportion of our annual grantmaking budget to a few nonprofits through our Catalyst Grants, we aim to have a more meaningful impact on our Catalyst partner organizations and the issue areas in which they work. 

The Stray Dog Institute Grants aim to transform food systems by providing funding and support to nonprofits focused on animal welfare, environmental advocacy, and food justice. With grant amounts typically ranging from $2,500 to $10,000, the Institute prioritizes pragmatic solutions that foster dignity, justice, and sustainability. By addressing systemic issues in food production, they promote a compassionate approach that respects both people and animals. This initiative seeks to create a sustainable future for all stakeholders in the food system.

The Tingari-Silverton Foundation Grant supports transformational initiatives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Targeted towards Australia-based NGOs and select international organizations, the foundation seeks projects that yield significant social impact. Organizations must demonstrate innovative approaches and measurable outcomes. Notably, grants are not available for individuals or for-profit entities. This opportunity is ideal for those ready to revolutionize their communities through impactful solutions.

The Pulitzer Center's Work/Environment Reporting Grants are now open for applications, focusing on the impact of climate change on workers and employment sectors. This initiative seeks compelling stories that highlight the challenges faced by vulnerable workers as temperatures rise, alongside innovative solutions being explored by companies. We encourage diverse voices and collaborative proposals that reflect the complexity of climate-related labor issues, aiming to inform the public and drive meaningful dialogue.

What is a One Young World Scholarship?

One Young World scholarships open doors for extraordinary young changemakers to join the One Young World Summit and global Community, fully funded. These fully funded leadership scholarships cover travel, accommodation, and meals so your ability to make an impact is never limited by financial constraints.

From worldwide initiatives to regional programmes, we offer scholarships for young changemakers and scholarships for social impact leaders working on today’s most urgent challenges.

We partner with civil society organisations, governments, businesses, universities, and philanthropies to make these fully funded leadership scholarships possible — ensuring the brightest minds have the platform they deserve.

Our Scholars

Our scholars demonstrate proven leadership ability, creating change in their communities. Many of our scholars are changing the world at the grassroots level, some are top-performing industry professionals, while others are paving the way politically in their countries.

Leading Scholarship 2026

One Young World's flagship scholarship, ensuring that remarkable young leaders from every country in the world are able to attend our annual Summit.

If you are a young leader who is devising meaningful strategies to build a more sustainable world, One Young World is looking to bring you to our next annual Summit.

The Leading Scholarship is designed specifically to identify and support outstanding young leaders from countries that are often under-represented at global forums and decision-making spaces.

Ensuring that the Summit is accessible to remarkable young leaders from almost every country in the world is pivotal to the mission of One Young World.

Scholarships provide the opportunity for exceptional young people to attend on the merit of their proven leadership and ability to create change in their home country.

Apply to attend the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa from 3 - 6 November via our flagship Leading Scholarship.

What could the Leading Scholarship mean for you?

• Tap into a global network of over 20,000 potential collaborators from 196 countries.
• Gain access to exclusive Ambassador opportunities, such as speaking events, regional networking opportunities and mentoring sessions.
• The chance to wave your country's flag at the Opening Ceremony.
• Gain greater visibility for your work and be heard by world renowned experts and leaders.
• If you are ultimately selected for a Scholarship and require a visa to enter South Africa to attend the One Young World Summit 2026, you will be required to pay the visa fee yourself.
  • The costs of the visa as well as any further costs associated with the visa application (including travel to and from the visa application centre) fall on you as the participant.

The U.S.-Africa Strategic Investment Program aims to enhance America's national interests by fostering private sector-led growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Focusing on Critical Minerals Investment and Commercial Diplomacy Acceleration, this initiative encourages market-based solutions that attract foreign investment. Projects must provide measurable benefits to sub-Saharan countries, promoting sustainable economic growth and increasing investment from high-quality U.S. and U.S.-aligned companies, while creating favorable conditions for U.S. commercial participation.

The New England BioLabs Foundation Grant focuses on supporting nonprofit organizations that enhance biocultural diversity and ecosystem services in regions such as Central America and West Africa. Projects should aim to conserve biological diversity, sustain traditional knowledge, and promote local economic vitality. The foundation prioritizes community-led initiatives, especially in coastal communities along Massachusetts' North Shore. Those interested must first submit a letter of inquiry, adhering to specific guidelines before proceeding with full proposals.

The Interledger-NextGen Higher Education Grant aims to nurture a talent pipeline for inclusive digital financial systems by collaborating with educational institutions. This initiative focuses on developing open payment technologies and enhancing digital financial literacy among students. With funding up to USD 50,000 for projects lasting 12 months, the grant supports educators in creating innovative programs that prepare students for careers in open-source and fintech. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, making it accessible to universities worldwide.

The Ørskov Foundation is offering the Dr Neville Suttle scholarships for graduate students from low-income countries, focusing on sustainable land use and poverty alleviation. Applications for 2025 are now open, with a deadline of December 31, 2025. Grants of up to £2,500 will support online or in-person training costs. Eligible students must demonstrate university support and commitment to relevant training. This initiative aims to promote education and sustainable practices in developing regions.

The Small Cat Action Fund, managed by Panthera, aims to support in situ conservation and research for various small cat species. It provides crucial funding for projects focusing on the ecological needs of these felids, excluding the larger cat genera. Eligible species include the Caracal, Ocelot, and Lynx, among others. The fund particularly emphasizes field conservation efforts and local personnel support, fostering biodiversity and sustainable habitats for these important species.

The EEP Africa Call for Proposals invites innovative early-stage clean energy projects in Southern and Eastern Africa. The Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund, supported by Nordic Development Fund and various countries, offers financial assistance to enhance clean energy access and development. Eligible applicants must demonstrate innovation, active project development, and local commitment. Grants range from EUR 200,000 to 1,000,000, requiring co-financing of 30-50% of the total project budget. This initiative aims to support sustainable development and job creation.

Young Health Programme

The Young Health Programme (YHP) is a global disease prevention initiative, aiming to provide education for young people to feel empowered to make informed choices about their health and catalyse a global, youth-led advocacy movement.

The programme operates in over 40 countries and partners with more than 60 non-profit organisations, including UNICEF and Plan International. The YHP combines community programmes, research, advocacy, and the development of young leaders, with a focus on underserved communities.

Since its launch in 2010, the YHP has directly reached over 23 million young people, trained over 1 million, and engaged more than 23,000 AstraZeneca employees, who have volunteered their time with more than 140,000 hours.

The YHP aims to prevent the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, diabetes, heart disease and respiratory disease, by addressing five main risk factors: tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol, and air pollution. Additionally, the programme tackles climate-health impacts to build healthier communities, recognising, as projected in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, that children born after 2010 will be the first generation to enter adulthood in a world where the average temperature will reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and are expected to experience a +2°C rise within their lifetime.1

AstraZeneca Young Health Programme Impact Fellowship 2026

AstraZeneca is looking for passionate, driven young leaders to join their 2026 Young Health Programme (YHP) Impact Fellowship. The Fellowship supports young advocates to create actionable change to: 

• Advance health equity – with a focus on acting early to prevent non-communicable diseases among young people, or supporting young people living with rare diseases.
• Take action on climate and nature – advocating for the mitigation of the harmful effects of climate change on the health and well-being of young people.
• Build health systems resilience – contributing to stronger health systems that prioritise earlier intervention to meet today’s needs and mitigate tomorrow’s disease burden.

Benefits

The selected Fellows will gain access to networks, funding and development opportunities, enabling them to drive a global health movement led by and for young people:

A fully-funded scholarship to attend the 2026 One Young World Summit in Cape Town, South Africa (3–6 November 2026) as well as access to the One Young World Ambassador Network and the Young Health Programme (YHP) Alumni group of other young changemakers working to improve youth health.

Structured learning and development offerings to enable them to scale their impact, including both self-directed and live learning. This includes access to the One Young World Academy, an award-winning mini-MBA programme, mentorship from AstraZeneca colleagues and professional training.

Each selected Fellow will receive a grant of either USD $10,000 or USD $50,000 (if selected as the Lead2030 winner** for Sustainable Development Goal 3, for which applicants will be automatically considered) from AstraZeneca, through their non-profit organisation. Fellows are expected to use the grant to implement a project focused on either (1) advancing health equity (2) taking action on climate and nature (3) building health systems resilience.

The International Foundation Grant is aimed at U.S.-based non-profit organizations working in developing countries to enhance health, education, and income levels for impoverished communities. While currently not accepting new applications, the foundation reviews proposals from previously invited organizations. The focus lies on holistic, community-driven projects in sectors such as agriculture, education, environment, and health. Partnerships with local entities are encouraged to ensure sustainable and impactful outcomes.

About Us

The Pulitzer Center has a bold vision: to be the venue for the world’s most innovative and consequential reporting, with journalism as the key element for mobilizing society through audience engagement strategies.

Founded in 2006 by Jon Sawyer, the Center is an essential source of support for enterprise reporting in the United States and across the globe. The thousands of journalists and educators who are part of our networks span more than 80 countries. Our work reaches tens of millions of people each year through our news-media partners and an audience-centered strategy of global and regional engagement.

We believe that people and communities who actively engage with systemic challenges will find solutions together. By supporting journalists as they conduct in-depth investigations, produce compelling stories, and engage diverse audiences, we create a ripple effect of world-changing impact. The result? Policy reforms, public awareness, and community empowerment.

Africa Climate and Environment (ACE) Micro Grants

The second cohort of the Africa Climate and Environment (ACE) Micro Grants is receiving applications for outreach projects focused on Transparency and Governance in forest and ocean. Proposals should clearly and creatively integrate one or more Pulitzer Center-supported stories while targeting young professionals or communities. We are seeking proposals that create engagement on issues such as natural resource management, harmful corporate practices, corruption, and their impacts on biodiversity, Indigenous peoples, human rights, and climate. The initiative aims to strengthen public understanding and advocacy through storytelling, emphasizing accountability and sustainable environmental governance.

The Audi Environmental Foundation Scholarship, in collaboration with One Young World, empowers seven exceptional young leaders to attend the One Young World Summit 2025 in Munich. This scholarship targets individuals aged 18-30 who are addressing climate issues through innovative solutions, education, and advocacy for climate justice. Scholars will gain access to the summit, accommodation, travel support, and catering, fostering their impact in environmental protection and sustainable practices.

About Us

The Wenner-Gren Foundation is a private operating foundation dedicated to providing leadership in support of anthropology and anthropologists worldwide.

Our Mission

The Wenner-Gren Foundation is committed to playing a leadership role in anthropology. We help anthropologists advance anthropological knowledge, build sustainable careers, and amplify the impact of anthropology within the wider world. We dedicate ourselves to broadening the conversation in anthropology to reflect the full diversity of the field.

Global Initiatives Grant

General

Since the program’s launch in 2020, the Wenner-Gren Foundation has funded a small number of initiatives that meet a need not already addressed by our other programs. Global Initiatives Grants help support innovative projects that benefit the discipline as a whole by creating the conditions for anthropologists to do better work. Over the years we have awarded initiatives in which a small amount of money has had a wide and lasting impact, building capacity for the discipline to thrive.

We are eager to receive applications from individuals based in countries, regions, and communities where anthropology is disadvantaged or under threat. Our total budget for this program is modest, so the competition is fierce.

In the past, we prioritized projects aimed at building capacity by addressing specific themes, including the impact of Covid-19 on anthropology, the struggle for racial justice in the discipline, the ethical treatment of human remains, and supporting paleoanthropology in East Africa.

From 2026–2030, Global Initiative Grants will be making a single award giving priority to innovative projects in public anthropology that are designed to reach broad, general audiences. Applicants may draw on any combination of anthropological tools, theories, and methods to share disciplinary knowledge in ways that are accessible, pioneering, and socially consequential.

Successful projects will push public anthropology in new directions. Initiatives may take the form of targeted, high-impact interventions responding to emerging crises and opportunities, or longer-term efforts to create the infrastructure needed to sustain public engagement beyond the grant period. Proposals seeking to establish enduring programs must provide a detailed and realistic plan for ongoing financial, technical, and administrative support.

Award Money

One grant of up to $80,000 will be awarded each year. Funding is nonrenewable. There is no limit to the duration of the grant.

About the ICMM Young Leaders Scholarship

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) is a collaborative group of leading mining and metals companies whose purpose is to strengthen the mining industry's contribution to sustainable development and catalyse strong environmental and social performance across the sector.

The transition to a net-zero economy will be metal-intensive and it is vital that these critical materials are produced in a way that respects human rights, protects nature and isn’t carbon intensive. If managed responsibly, mining can be transformational – enabling social progress and sustainable development across local economies. Taxes, jobs, skills, infrastructure, and community services are just some of the ways that host countries have experienced the benefits of mining. We are committed to maximising these, while minimising any potential for harm to people or planet.

ICMM does not shy away from uncomfortable truths – the industry has caused harm to people and the planet. Our drive is to minimise this harm by providing the platform for leading companies to come together to solve some of the most urgent challenges the industry faces.

One Young World is the global community of 20,000 young leaders based in 190+ countries. Our purpose is to identify, connect, and elevate the next generation of global leaders from all sectors. One Young World believes in funding young leaders, and has to date, invested $3 million in direct grants in the work of its community.

Selected young leaders will receive:

• Full funding to participate in the One Young World Summit 2026 which takes place in Cape Town, South Africa from 3 - 6 November.
• Exclusive dialogue with ICMM CEO on the sidelines of the One Young World Summit.
• Lifelong membership of the One Young World Ambassador Community.
• Access to the One Young World Action Accelerator and expert-led mentor sessions to help turn their inspiration into action.
• Access to the One Young World Global Kickstart programme designed to provide delegates with enhanced leadership skills and principles alongside expertise around the Summit's main themes.

What is a One Young World Scholarship?

One Young World scholarships open doors for extraordinary young changemakers to join the One Young World Summit and global Community, fully funded. These fully funded leadership scholarships cover travel, accommodation, and meals so your ability to make an impact is never limited by financial constraints.

From worldwide initiatives to regional programmes, we offer scholarships for young changemakers and scholarships for social impact leaders working on today’s most urgent challenges.

We partner with civil society organisations, governments, businesses, universities, and philanthropies to make these fully funded leadership scholarships possible — ensuring the brightest minds have the platform they deserve.

Our Scholars

Our scholars demonstrate proven leadership ability, creating change in their communities. Many of our scholars are changing the world at the grassroots level, some are top-performing industry professionals, while others are paving the way politically in their countries.

The Pankaj Award to End Conflict

Recognising and funding young leaders who are creating unity in a world of deepening conflict and division.

This Award has been launched to recognise the young leaders who are tackling conflict at its roots and creating unity within and between communities torn apart by divisions.

Regent Global and One Young World will identify ten young leaders as finalists for the award, based on their demonstrated impact:

• Providing solutions to end or prevent conflict at a local, national, or regional level
• Increasing awareness and understanding between communities through dialogue and education
• Preventing the outbreak and escalation of violence within and between communities
• Empowering and protecting the rights of marginalised and oppressed groups
• Implementing sustainable peacebuilding measures to prevent the re-emergence of conflict

From the ten finalists, an independent expert judging panel will select the inaugural winner of The Pankaj Award to End Conflict. 

Benefits

• All finallists will receive:
• Funding from $10,000 - $100,000 to invest in their work to end conflict
• A fully-funded place to attend the One Young World Summit Cape Town, South Africa from 3 - 6 November 2026.
  • Travel to and from Cape Town (flights in economy).
  • Hotel accommodation in Cape Town in a private room between 2 - 7 November 2026 (inclusive).
  • All meals covered (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner on conference days).
• Lifelong membership of the One Young World Ambassador Community, a global network with 20,000+ members in 190+ countries. 

The Zayed Sustainability Prize: Global High Schools recognizes innovative sustainability projects by high school students from six regions worldwide, aiming to impact health, food, energy, and water sectors. The prize encourages student-led initiatives that foster sustainability and community involvement. Winning schools can receive up to $150,000 to implement their projects, promoting educational growth and long-term benefits for their communities. This award not only highlights creativity but also inspires future generations of leaders in sustainable development.

The KFAS: Al-Sumait Prize for Health recognizes groundbreaking contributions to food security, health, and education in Africa. This prestigious award, established in honor of Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sumait, seeks nominations for individuals or institutions that have made significant advancements in various fields, including sustainable agriculture and innovative health solutions. The prize aims to celebrate impactful research and initiatives that contribute to the continent's socio-economic development, with nominations open for the 2025 cycle.

The Solidarity Fund Grant, part of the Black Feminist Fund, aims to empower Black feminist movements by providing essential resources. Acknowledging the historical underfunding of these movements, the fund supports groups led by Black women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals. It focuses on solidarity efforts that foster collaboration and joint campaigns, enabling activists to drive social change. This initiative is crucial for advancing justice, self-determination, and equity within communities, ensuring that Black feminist visions are amplified and sustained.