Expense limits for salary/compensation and indirect costs:
A maximum of 10 percent of the total grant may underwrite salaries of principal investigators and other supporting staff. A maximum of 5 percent of the total grant amount may underwrite indirect expenses such as administrative, utility, facility and maintenance costs. There may be exceptions to these limits, based on the specific nature and need of the project.

Grant amounts:
The Fund has no set minimum or maximum grant amount. In the past, however, the Fund has supported projects ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 for a one-year term. We encourage organizations to simultaneously seek additional funding from other sources if necessary to complete the objectives of the project. The Fund will consider multi-year proposals, as many worthy conservation and research efforts require multiple years to achieve results and positive impact. All projects receiving a grant award should expect a site visit by a Fund representative. Grant awards must be accepted and funded by April 1 of the following year.

Capital expenditures:
The value/utility of major capital investments such as construction of a new facility and computer network infrastructures is long-term. The Fund is unable to support such investments that would outlive the specific project/initiative that the Fund is being asked to support.

Who should apply:
The Fund accepts online applications from 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations based in the U.S., non-U.S. based non-profit organizations, governmental entities, accredited universities and research centers, and AZA- or AMMPA-accredited institutions. Applications from individuals not affiliated with any of the entities listed above will not be accepted. In addition, applications are discouraged from university/college students working on projects as part of a degree (e.g., research for a thesis). As with all proposals receiving Fund support, the project must have broad community/constituency support and be based on legitimate scientific and conservation principals.

Support of in-situ and ex-situ conservation projects:
While the Fund recognizes and supports the critical importance of ex-situ efforts such as endangered species breeding programs and conservation awareness/education, its primary focus is to support conservation efforts directly benefiting wildlife in their native ranges (in-situ). For this reason, the Fund is unable to help underwrite the captive breeding efforts of other animal management facilities. However, the Fund will consider ex-situ conservation education proposals that demonstrate significant positive and sustainable impact.