Latin America Regional Grant Program

The Latin America Regional Program provides technical and financial support to projects that deliver measurable conservation results for priority species, habitats, and ecological processes across landscapes with high biodiversity value in Mexico and Central and South America.

Pursuing an evidence-based approach, we publish strategic geographical and thematic priorities and application guidelines in a Notice of Funding Opportunity. All proposals go through a rigorous and competitive evaluation process. Once project support is confirmed, we engage in a partnership with the grantee, providing technical support as needed, communicating on a regular basis, and playing an active role in monitoring and evaluating the project's success. This helps ensure that our limited funding is effective and enables us to improve the impact of the Latin America Regional Program through adaptive management.

Background 

Latin America is the single most biologically diverse region of the world and of critical importance to wildlife conservation efforts in the Western Hemisphere and globally. The United States and Latin America share a great number of species that largely depend on the region’s unique landscapes for their survival. The region’s ecosystems provide important environmental services and reduce the severity of climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.

Learn more about climate change
impacts. Protecting wildlife and their habitats in Latin America is critical for regional stability, security, and economic prosperity.

Latin America Regional Grant Program Requirements

Project activities should take place in Latin America in eligible geographies. If work is to be conducted in the United States, the proposal must show a clear impact on biodiversity conservation in Latin America to be eligible. Project activities that emphasize data collection and status assessment should describe a direct link to management action, and explain how lack of information has been a key limiting factor for management action in the past. Proposals that do not identify how actions will reduce threats or that do not demonstrate a strong link between data collection and management action will be rejected. Please note that local government endorsement is required for all proposals. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with relevant government authorities prior to preparing applications for Service funds. Due to other grant programs supported by the Service, the Latin America Regional Program WILL NOT FUND projects related to marine turtles, freshwater turtles, or turtles (Marine Turtle Conservation Fund) or neotropical migratory birds (Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund).

Thematic Eligibility

For all countries, regions and landscapes under the Geographic Eligibility section below, proposed projects should include one or more of the following three themes, 1) Sustainable Resource Use, 2) Wildlife Trafficking, and 3) Human-Wildlife Conflict, to conserve priority species and ecosystems by implementing activities that will measurably: (i) curtail the drivers of deforestation and habitat degradation; (ii) strengthen management of protected areas, community forests, and indigenous territories; (iii) foster habitat restoration; (iv) promote alternative livelihoods; (v) reduce impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on conservation goals; (vi) promote climate change adaptation and resilience; and (vii) mitigate threats to key wildlife.

Geographic Eligibility*

Mexico geographic eligibility and species of special concern: 

  • Northern Mexico: jaguar, ocelot, Mexican gray wolf, Mexican prairie dog, and migratory bats species
  • Central Mexico: monarch butterfly and migratory bats species
  • Mayan Forest (Yucatan peninsula and Greater Lacandon system): jaguar, macaw species, tapir, and peccary
  • Western Mexico: jaguar and migratory bat species

Central America geographic eligibility by region and country: 

  • Maya Forest: Guatemala and Belize
  • Rio Plátano - Tawahka - Patuca – Bosawas: Honduras and Nicaragua
  • Rio Indo Maíz: Nicaragua
  • La Amistad:  Costa Rica and Panama
  • Darién Gap:  Panama
  • Underserved regions needing conservation action: El Salvador

South America geographic eligibility by region and country: 

  • Gran Chaco:  Eastern Bolivia, western Paraguay, northern Argentina
  • Patagonia:  southern Argentina and Chile
  • Tropical Andes (including Amazon regions):  Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru



*Priority will be given to projects from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Eligibility 

Applicants under this program can be: multi-national secretariats, foreign governments, U.S. and foreign non-profits, non-governmental organizations, community and indigenous organizations, and U.S. and foreign public and private institutions of higher education.

U.S. non-profit, non-governmental organizations with 501(c)(3) Internal Revenue Status (IRS) must provide a copy of their status determination letter received from the IRS.

Individuals are not eligible to apply under this Notice of Funding Opportunity. In addition, tuition for individuals and field expenses for projects carried out in support of masters, doctorate degrees, and post-doctorate research are not eligible under this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Process

See the Notice of Funding Opportunity and sample budget table for full details on the application requirements and process for applying. Applicants must apply by 11:59PM ET, May 02, 2022, through GrantSolutions.gov (search for funding opportunity F22AS00273). Please send any queries to latam@fws.gov.

PROPOSALS DUE BY 11:59PM ET, MAY 02, 2022