SAVE THE TIGER FUND in partnership with PANTHERA

2010 Request for Pre-Proposals
Due Date: March 5, 2010

Save The Tiger Fund (STF) is a partnership program between the ExxonMobil Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) established in 1995 focused on the conservation of wild tigers. Major funding for STF is provided by ExxonMobil Foundation and NFWF administers the program. This year, STF is pleased to be partnering with Panthera to increase critical support necessary to stem the loss of tigers in several key landscapes through a co-funding mechanism. STF provides support to projects that clearly demonstrate measurable outcomes in terms of protecting wild tigers and their population recovery.

In spite of investments and conservation efforts from many organizations to date, recent reports indicate that tiger populations are declining in all the tiger range countries (TRCs), leading to further range collapse. The two most critical threats to tigers are continued poaching of tigers and their prey driven, at least in part, by market demand for tiger parts, products, and derivatives. The continued loss of tiger habitat is also a key concern. Tiger populations in landscapes once considered examples of tiger recovery are now trending downwards. For example, several core tiger reserves in India and elsewhere have been rendered "tigerless"; and forests outside of reserves, once strongholds, have lost tigers. A lack of strong enforcement, even where good laws are in place, is clearly one of the most important reasons for continued loss of tigers. The current global estimate of wild tigers is about 3,500 and the risk for continued decline is severe.

Protecting core populations of tigers and their prey is immediate and critical. The eminent tasks are to stop the continued killing of tigers, their prey, further loss of their habitat, and generate strong political will for cooperative conservation actions. Range wide recovery of tigers will begin with strict protection of core tiger breeding areas (usually protected areas) as the base for population recovery in the landscape. No one entity can do this alone. Powerful collaborative national and international measures are essential to recover and stabilize tiger populations.

The current declining trend in tiger populations all across their range does not leave us much time and requires prioritizing those actions that are most urgent in order to protect the remaining populations. Save The Tiger Fund is partnering with Panthera in co-funding tiger conservation projects that adhere to a comprehensive tiger conservation strategy and protocol and address urgent actions to save tigers in core sites of mutual interest. The protocol specifically includes the measurement of existing tiger populations, the mitigation of critical threats to those populations, and monitoring. Most tiger core sites share many of the threats facing tigers and urgent conservation actions are necessary. Given the mutual interests between STF and Panthera, proposals from some areas will be shared and co-funded by STF and Panthera. Monitoring and reporting of such co-funded projects will be shared by the two funding partners. Projects focused on protection of tigers and stopping their continued killing in high priority core tiger habitats in the key landscapes with measurable positive results in the immediate term will receive priority consideration for funding. Other donor partners will also be invited to address the urgent actions to stop the continued decline of tiger population from core habitats. (Please note that, in addition to this partnership on select projects and sites, Panthera also funds other tiger work at other sites. For more granting information on Panthera, see www.panthera.org)

Our goal is to secure core tiger population in the wild and enable them to recover and flourish, while empowering local people to live in balance with natural resources and providing tangible benefits to them whenever possible. STF is particularly interested in enhancing direct protection of core tiger and prey populations and critical habitat; strengthening and improving law enforcement, patrolling, information gathering to stop direct poaching; strengthening protected area management; reducing tiger-human conflicts; reducing the pressure from buffer zone with consideration of larger-landscape management; in measurable ways.

To learn more about STF, visit www.savethetigerfund.org.

Proposed Project Start Dates: Projects should anticipate beginning work by September, 2010.
Anticipated Award: Between $15,000 and $150,000*.
(*Awards from the STF-Panthera partnership can be eligible for up to double this funding.) Duration of Activity: 24 Months.

Applicants with multi-year programs beyond the length of 24 month duration must continue to re-compete for STF funding after the end of each grant award. STF makes no guarantee that it will continue to fund the projects with additional awards and encourages applicants to seek a wide array of donors to ensure long-term funding possibilities.

STF will prioritize currently available funding for proposed activities that best meet its conservation priorities as identified below. Proposals not meeting all the priorities and requirements outlined in this funding announcement will not be considered.

I. Conservation Priority
II. Priority Areas
III. Funding Limits
IV. Proposal Submission Requirements
V. Proposal Content and Formatting
VI. Proposal Review Criteria
VII. Submission of Pre-proposals
VIII. STF Points of Contact

I. Conservation Priority

• Mitigate or eliminate the most critical immediate threats to tigers, monitor their success to make necessary adjustment in activities.
• Establishment of strong protection measures (e.g., anti-poaching patrol units and information networks that complement each other) to counter poaching of tigers and prey in close collaboration with the protected area management by facilitating the essential equipment, technical support, critical infra-structure;
• Establishment of a system of enforcement and monitoring protocol with a combination of on-the-ground patrol and database information to inform management for timely action, e.g., MIST & other comparable & suitable systems;
• Reducing retaliatory killing of tigers from human-tiger conflicts;
• Measurement and restoration of prey base;
• Establishment of a science-based, peer reviewed tiger and prey monitoring system in core tiger habitats

NOTE: suggested reading - Rabinowitz, A. 2009. Stop the bleeding: implementing a strategic Tiger Conservation Protocol. CAT NEWS 51: 30-31 http://www.panthera.org/documents/Rabinowitz_2009_Stop_the_Bleeding_Tiger_Conservation_Protocol.pdf

II. Priority Areas for STF (other sites may also be considered as priority sites by Panthera).

STF is focusing its investments in securing tiger populations in core habitats of high priority tiger conservation landscapes (TCL) through projects that foster wider collaborations. Applicants must clearly show how their proposed projects will address STF's primary outcomes in the following tiger TCLs:

1. Russian Far East Landscapes (TCL 2)
2. Terai Arc Landscapes of India and Nepal (TCL40-46)
3. Western Ghats Landscape of India (TCL 64-70)
4. Leuser Landscape (TCL 14) and Central Sumatra Landscape (TCL 5-9) of Indonesia
5. Taman Negara-Belum Landscape of Malaysia (TCL 16)
6. Tenasserims Landscape of Thailand (TCL 19)

Funding of Conservation Projects in other TCLs:

STF will also consider proposals on a competitive basis from other conservation landscapes through small grant funding (upto $30,000). These proposals must be exceptionally innovative, demonstrating a conservation impact that is both replicable and easily disseminated to other priority areas. These proposals will focus on at least one of the following objectives:

• Innovative activities in saving and recovering tiger populations in core habitats in other landscapes;
• Significantly reduce habitat loss, fragmentation, encroachment in protected areas in high priority tiger conservation landscapes;
• Fostering community engagement in tiger conservation;
• Development of near-term action plans to reduce consumer demand for tiger parts and products.

The locations of Tiger Conservation Landscapes are outlined in Setting Priorities for the Conservation and Recovery of Wild Tigers: 2005-2015 available at: www.tigermaps.org or www.savethetigerfund.org.

III. Funding Limits:

STF will consider proposals between $15,000 and $150,000 in its priority areas and smaller grants (up to $30,000) in other TCLs. However, conservation projects that are of interest to both STF and Panthera may request up to $300,000. Applicants are encouraged to contact STF in advance of submitting an application for joint funding to determine whether the project would likely qualify. All other funding available or being sought from other sources should be explicitly described to present a holistic picture of the project to the reviewers.

IV. Proposal Submission Requirements

All Pre-proposals must be submitted through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's online application system, via www.nfwf.org/easygrants.

V. Proposal Content, Formatting and Template:

1. Contact Information: Enter the details of the organization requesting the grant, and the primary contact person.
2. Project Information
   1. Project Title: Give it a short, descriptive name that helps distinguish it from the competition. Project titles serve as an introduction of the project to a general audience and should be able to succinctly convey project activities.
   2. Two Sentence Project Summary: Provide a concise two sentence description of the project. Avoid acronyms or abbreviations.
   3. Proposed Grant Period: Projects should generally begin activities between August and September 2010 and be completed within one- to two-years.
   4. Total Amount Requested: Between $15,000 and $150,000 for STF and may go up to double the STF funding limit for joint funding between STF and Panthera.
3. Outcomes and Indicators: The application guidelines detail the Foundation's use of Outcomes and Indicators for evaluating your project. A concrete implementation plan with well-conceived objectives and indicators that are specific, measureable, achievable, relevant and reliable, time-bound and trackable, establish baselines, and at least one impact indicator per activity.
   1. Activities: The term "activity" means an output, effort, and/or associated work products related to a goal and objective that will be produced or provided over a period of time or by a specified date. Outputs may be quantitative or qualitative but must be measurable during an assistance agreement funding period.
      
      According to the definitions above, expected activities from the project(s) funded under this solicitation may include, but are not limited to, the following:
      • Patrolling system established
      • Monitoring to detect illegal activities
      • Strengthening legal actions and law enforcement
      • Emergency response team for tiger-human conflicts
      • Establishment of informant networks
      • Tiger and prey monitoring system
      • Regular occupancy survey and distribution pattern for appropriate management interventions
      • Training and capacity building
   2. Outcomes: The term "outcome" means the result, effect, or consequence that will occur from carrying out a program or activity that is related to a programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes may be environmental, behavioral, or programmatic in nature, but must be quantitative. They may not necessarily be achievable within an assistance agreement funding period.
      
      Expected outcomes from project(s) funded under this solicitation may include but are not limited to the following: Possible indicators include, but are not limited to:
      • Patrolling efforts - distance patrolled and number of patrol days
      • Number of illegal activities identified - encounter with poachers and/or poacher's camps and their trend analysis over time
      • Number of arrests made & illegal equipment, snares, weapons confiscated
      • Cases taken to court and/or successful prosecutions
      • Tiger conflicts resolved
      • Number of intelligence information leading to arrest or action that stop tiger killing - before the damage is done
      • Tiger and prey density and/or population estimation
      • Relative abundance indices and distribution
      • Number of local leaders or protected area staff trained
      • Hectares of habitat area restored and/or protected
   3. Project Location
      Please include the country, region, protected area, and geographical coordinates where the project will occur.
   4. Permits and Approvals: Provide information on the governmental permits and/or approvals that are required for the proposed project, and their status.
   5. Budget: Please provide a proposed budget for the Grant Amount Being Requested from NFWF in the format below and from Panthera, if applicable in a separate column. Do not include matching contributions in this section. The proposed budget should be realistic for meeting the objectives of the project.
      
      Note that no part of the budget (neither NFWF funds nor match) may include:
      • General administrative overhead, indirect costs, contingencies or miscellaneous costs
      • Advocacy/lobbying
      • Fundraising
      • Litigation
      • Terrorist activities
      • Activities in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
   6. Matching Contributions
      Matching funds may include both cash and in-kind contributions. Indirect costs and overhead may not be used as match.
      1. Federal Match: Enter the amount of funding received or expected from U.S. federal funding sources to be used implement that activities of this project.
      2. Non-federal Match: Enter the amount of funding received or expected to be used from all non-federal sources including: funds contributed from the applicant or partner organizations; foundations; in-kind contributions of equipment, goods and services, or volunteer time.
   7. Financial and Narrative Uploads
      Organizations that did not receive STF funding prior to the NFWF fiscal year ending in September 30, 2009 must be prepared to demonstrate the financial and accounting requirements by submitting copies of 1) the most recent external financial audit, and 2) proof of non-profit/non-governmental status of the country in which the organization is registered.
      1. Financial: Organizations must submit documents demonstrating its financial solvency and non-profit or governmental status.
      2. Organizations incorporated in the United States must submit the following financial documents:
         1. IRS-990
         2. IRS A-133 Audit (If the organization has received more than $500,000 of U.S. Federal funds in the previous year.)
         3. Recent independent GAAP Audit
         4. IRS Letter of Determination
      3. Foreign National Organizations:
         1. A letter from the relevant national government agency describing your non-governmental or tax-exempt status.
         2. The organization's most recent external financial audit
         3. Governmental agencies applying for funds should describe their authority to conduct the work described in the project proposal
      4. Project Narrative:
         Please provide a two-page narrative that elaborates on the outcome(s) summarized previously; how progress will be measured; the strategy (activities) for achieving project outcomes, including the status of their planning and implementation and how that strategy is appropriate for addressing priority conservation needs in the specific project location.

   VI. Proposal Review Criteria

   STF will conduct a formal competitive review of all proposals submitted in response to this Request for Proposals. A review panel will evaluate submissions based on STF priorities and the evaluation criteria described in the Proposal Evaluation Criteria section. Please note that the proposals are evaluated based on their contribution to protect and increase tiger population in core tiger habitats - the ultimate measurement of a successful project.

   Grant proposals should aim to accelerate adoption of best practices that are known to be effective at reducing threats to tiger populations or habitat, but have not been fully implemented throughout the region or within a specific tiger conservation landscape. Barriers to implementation may be social, cultural, economic, political, and technical, as well as due to lack of professional acceptance or general lack of awareness.

   The proposal should aim at working in close partnership with the appropriate government management agency with their matching in-kind and other contributions (e.g., man power for patrolling, monitoring, other law enforcement activities, equipment, etc.) to strengthen their capacity gradually rather than making them reliant on external resources.

   Proposal Evaluation Criteria:

   An advisory team of experts will review, evaluate and score projects based on the following criteria:

   Practical Solutions

   1. Ability to increase collective knowledge about the most sustainable and cost-effective conservation strategies. 25%
      • Innovation (15%): Extent to which the project moves beyond commonplace solutions to achieve greater participation in conservation and accelerated reductions in threats to tiger populations.
      • Dissemination (5%): Demonstration of a clear strategy for sharing the expanded collective knowledge of cost-effective, sustainable conservation strategies with others engaged in wildlife restoration in South and South East Asia.
   2. Ability to sustain results beyond the term of the grant. 30%
      • Socio-Economic Sustainability (20%): Extent to which the project accounts for existing human and development pressures on tiger populations and habitat.
      • Partnerships (10%): Existence of strong and effective stakeholder stewardship and support (e.g. effective working relationships among public, private, and non-profit organizations).
   3. Extent to which conservation strategies and approaches are technically sound, cost-effective, and ready for on-the-ground application. 45%
      • Environmental Results (25%): Extent of environmental outcomes to be achieved by the project. Outcomes should be timely, measureable, and realistic based on the assumptions and activities indicated in the methodology of the project.
      • Methodology (15%): Should clearly define
      • Budget (5%): Clearly presented and reasonable budget that identifies the resources necessary to feasibly conduct the project.

   VII. Submission of Pre-proposals

   All pre-proposals must be submitted by March 05, 2010.

   In order to provide applicants with timely feedback, STF will inform applicants of the panel's decision to invite or not invite full proposals and may request revised proposals and/or budgets based on feedback from the reviewers.

   Pre-proposals will be submitted online through our EasyGrant application process. This submission process helps STF ensure a fair review of all submitted applications.

   When you are ready to begin the application process, go to www.nfwf.org/EasyGrants to register in our new Easy Grants online system. Enter your applicant information and then select Save The Tiger Fund from the list of programs and follow the instructions. Once you begin, you may save your application in progress and return later to complete and submit your pre-proposal.

   Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application on http://www.nfwf.org/easygrants. Some applicants who have done so in the past and experienced difficulties were not able to meet the deadline. STF strongly recommends submitting your proposal early to avoid submission delays. We recommend that organizations, particularly first-time applicants, submit applications online no later than one week before the deadline to avoid technical difficulties that could result in an application not being considered.

   If you experience technical difficulties with the online application process contact info@nfwf.org for assistance.

   Note: Please be sure to allow info@nfwf.org and as a trusted sender for your email service to insure that you receive system and award notifications.

   Selected pre-proposal applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal by mid March 2010 with a due date of about a month. A specific date will be communicated to the applicants at the time of invitation.

   Project Expectations:

   • Projects must be able to demonstrate real, measurable conservation results in protecting core tiger population and recovery. Applicants must include information on anticipated outputs (i.e. activities and/or associated work products performed or conducted during the proposed funding period) and outcomes (i.e. results, effects, consequences of a recipient's actions) for their projects.
   • Projects should be ready to begin implementation within six months of the grant award.
   • Projects must be complete within the time frame stipulated upon receipt of grant award.
   • Projects should be technically sound, feasible and carried out by qualified individuals and organizations. Applicants are encouraged to provide documentation of technical assistance.
   • Projects must have the necessary permits and documentation if government approval is required to implement the project.
   • Applications must be submitted by authorized representatives of the organization applying for the grant. Having proposals submitted by the organization's headquarters helps to avoid possible technical problems.

   General Procedures for Recipients

   After project selection, STF staff will work with applicants to prepare grant agreements and other necessary paperwork, all of which will now be conducted electronically using NFWF's Easy Grants online system. Additional information about the grantee's organization and its finances may be solicited during this time. Please note that preparation of grant agreements will take approximately 4 to 8 weeks after receipt of the additional information by the Foundation. Once grant agreements are finalized, funds will be advanced to qualified grantees based on immediate cash needs of the project; some awards may be made on a reimbursable basis. Grantees will be expected to submit interim and final financial and programmatic reports. Additional information on the grant process will be provided to successful applicants after project selection.

   Please review the guidelines of this Request for Proposals carefully. For additional information, please contact Anna Gering (Anna.Gering@nfwf.org) via e-mail or at (202) 857-0166 or to Mahendra Shrestha (Mahendra.Shrestha@nfwf.org).

   Resources:

   Save The Tiger Fund's funding priorities, described in Setting Priorities for the Conservation and Recovery of Wild Tigers: 2005-2015, may be viewed at http://www.savethetigerfund.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Full_Reports.

   VIII. STF Point of Contact:

   Applicants that have programmatic questions related to this announcement should contact STF prior to submitting a proposal.

   For further question please contact:
   Mahendra Shrestha
   Director, Save The Tiger Fund Program
   Mahendra.Shrestha@nfwf.org

Request for Proposal - STF (Adobe PDF File)