12/10/2025
11:00 - 12:00
IUCN Programme 2026-2029 Pavilion - R2
, Morning
Session with interpretation
Why attend
Hear directly from grassroots African CSOs—from North, West, East, and Southern Africa—supported by IUCN grant programmes and key donors. This interactive fishbowl session offers real-world insights into how small and medium grants unlock impact, shift power, and build lasting partnerships for locally led conservation.
Session Description
This session explores how small (€10,000–50,000) and medium (€50,000–150,000) grants can support the growth and long-term impact of African civil society organisations (CSOs) in conservation. Representatives from North, West, East, and Southern Africa will share grounded stories of how such funding helped them overcome structural challenges, strengthen their operations, and amplify local leadership for nature and communities.Through a dynamic fishbowl format, this session creates space for horizontal dialogue between CSOs, donors, and partners. Participants will hear first-hand experiences from the field and are invited to join the inner circle to react, share their own perspectives, and co-develop ideas for more accessible, equitable, and effective conservation funding models. The discussion will also reflect on donor practices and how funding strategies can better support grassroots actors across diverse African contexts.
Organised by
Headquarters
Partners
Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation
Eastern and Southern Africa Region
Headquarters
Comité national de l'UICN, France
Moderator
Small and Medium Grants for Big Impact: African CSOs and Donors in Dialogue
Speaker
Small and Medium Grants for Big Impact: African CSOs and Donors in Dialogue