Billion Baby Turtles Grant Opportunities

(Vea en Español Aqui)

Billion Baby Turtles supports sea turtle conservation organizations that work to protect sea turtle hatchlings around the world. The funds go primarily towards paying local residents to patrol important turtle nesting beaches, protecting turtles that come up to nest, and ensuring that the eggs are protected. To date, we have helped save more than 10 million hatchlings at more than 60 nesting beaches around the world.

Funding Priorities:

  • Nesting beach conservation projects. We do not fund environmental education, advocacy, scientific research, or beach cleanups (learn more about our Sea Turtles & Plastic campaign here).

  • Grants are only available in developing countries (US, Europe, Japan, & Australia are not eligible though territories of these countries are eligible.)

  • Preference is given for beaches that have immediate threats to nesting populations (primarily illegal harvest of adults and eggs).

  • Preference is given for endangered or critically endangered species or populations/RMU’s (hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, greens, Eastern Pacific leatherback).

  • Preference is given to projects with strong local community participation, either managed directly by local communities or ones with significant local employment and strong community outreach.

General Fund: This fund supports nesting beaches of any sea turtle species. Read below for more information and to download an application. This fund is currently closed, but you are welcome to contact us here and share information about your project for future consideration.

Berman New Initiative Fund: A partnership with the Berman Memorial Fund to support early stage turtle nesting beaches in developing countries. Grants are up to US $10,000 per year for three years. This fund is currently closed.

Emergency Fund: Urgent support for projects impacted by natural disasters, accidents, or sudden loss of income. This fund is currently closed but contact us here if you have an urgent need.

*Please note: we only accept one proposal at a time per nesting area from an organization (except for established partners) and we don’t fund one project from more than one of these funds.

General nesting beach grants

Grant requests are up to US $10,000 per season but please note that most grants are between $2,000 - $5,000. These funds are open to all sea turtle species though preference is given to the more endangered species and populations (hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, Eastern Pacific leatherback, and green.) We are not currently accepting proposals for our general fund.

Feel free to contact us here with the basic information about your project (location, species, and average numbers of nests and hatchlings per season) and we will contact you if funds become available in the future.

Emergency Fund Grants

These funds are available to sea turtle projects that have recently faced a sudden loss to facilities due to natural disaster, accidents, or other urgent situations. Also eligible are projects that have faced an unanticipated sudden loss of income due to the loss of a major funder. Please note that urgent conservation issues such as intense illegal collection are not considered under this type of grant. If you have this type of situation, you can apply for the General Nesting Beach Grants listed above.

Priorities: Projects in developing countries (no US, Europe, Japan, or Australia though territories are eligible). Projects that support (in significant numbers) species that are listed by the IUCN as critically endangered or endangered (hawksbills, Kemp’s ridleys, greens, and Eastern Pacific leatherbacks)

How to apply: This grant is currently closed but contact us here if you have an urgent need.