GDF Conservation and Communities Fellowship 2025

Applications are now open for the 2025 Global Diversity Foundation (GDF) Conservation and Communities Fellowship.

An online and in-person programme for Global South leaders and organizations working at the frontline of conservation. The Fellowship is a 7-month, online and in-person programme for 24 community-based conservation leaders from the Global South. It is a unique learning experience designed to grow your mentoring, leadership, and practical knowledge and skills and to build a long-lasting community of practice. The CCF will strengthen your capacity and that of your organization in fundraising, project design, and evaluation.

Eligible Criteria

• The fellowship is open to applicants from the Global South who are leaders in local civil society or grassroots organizations whose work focuses on the intersection of biodiversity conservation and community livelihoods.
• Successful candidates will be highly motivated individuals who show commitment to bringing about positive change and who can demonstrate their leadership potential and capability. They are able to critically assess their personal and organizational challenges and are capable of clearly articulating their learning requirements and needs.

Benefits | GDF Conservation and Communities Fellowship 2025

Fellows will receive training, facilitation, and peer support in four streams:

• Mentoring, led by The Human Edge, trains fellows in the art of mentoring to enhance their management and relationship-building through a process of individual and relational growth.
• Leadership, led by Common Purpose, enhances fellows’ ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and build communities of cooperation and collaboration to deliver conservation outcomes.
• Capabilities & Capacities, led by the GDF Team and CCF Alumni, focuses on technical skills, including proposal writing, project management, and team management.
• Communities and Conservation, led by the GDF Team and CCF Alumni, offers a space for critical dialogue and debate around policies, practices, and public discourses on the topic of community-based conservation.

Application Timeline

• Application deadline:Midnight (BST) on 13 June 2025.
• Shortlisted participants’ announcement: 25 July 2025
• Final participant announcement: 10 August 2025.
• Program start: 11 November 2025.