About

Overview

Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a UK fundraising and grant-giving charity, which supports conservation leaders working in their home countries across the Global South. Over 30 years we have channelled £21 million to more than 200 conservationists in 80 countries.

We offer long term, laddered support to courageous changemakers leading local solutions to the global biodiversity and climate crises; they are acting on the latest science and igniting projects with passion. Through these award winners we support work rooted in communities that creates lasting benefits for wildlife, landscapes and people.

Mission and objectives

Mission:

Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) is a fundraising and grant-giving nature conservation charity offering recognition, training and grants to support the work of proven grassroots conservation leaders across the Global South.

Objectives:

  • Find, recognise and fund grassroots conservation leaders across the Global South.
  • Champion and repeat fund effective winners.
  • Support the replication and growth of effective conservation solutions.
  • Raise awareness of the work of winners and spread the message that we can all make a difference to conservation.

Impact

WFN has channelled £21 million to over 200 conservation leaders across 80 countries. Read our 30 year impact report.

Whitley_Fund_For_Nature_Conservation_Charity_Impact

History

“I set up the Whitley Awards in 1993, with a determination to send funds directly to the local leaders who are best placed to bring about long lasting and effective nature conservation.  We seek to cut out the high overheads of conservation charities in the West, and to sidestep the process of parachuting well-meaning outsiders into other countries to ‘solve’ their problems for them. We have found and funded extraordinary leaders, many of whom have become internationally recognised.”

Edward Whitley OBE, Founder

Highlights from the charity’s history include:

1994

The first Whitley Award, worth £15,000, is awarded to marine conservationist Amanda Vincent.

1998

The Rufford Foundation joins the Whitley Awards programme, sponsoring two major awards.

1999

The Rufford Foundation and Whitley Awards Scheme together establish the Rufford Small Grants to provide upcoming conservationists with the opportunity to pursue smaller scale nature conservation projects. In April, HRH The Princess Royal becomes patron of the Whitley Awards Scheme.

2000

The Whitley Laing Foundation is created as a stand-alone charity and sets about the task of raising further funds for distribution.

2001

The Whitley Award for People and Environment is introduced following support from WWF-UK.

2003

The Whitley Laing Foundation has grown in size and is able to offer significantly increased levels of Continuation Funding. The first ever Friends Award is awarded following generous support from individuals.

2004

The Whitley Laing Foundation gives away an annual total of more than £1 million for the first time.

2005

The charity becomes the Whitley Fund for Nature. Sir David Attenborough becomes a Trustee.

2010

The total funding awarded by WFN since 1994 passes £6 million, supporting the work of over 120 conservationists in 70 countries.

2011

WFN celebrates 10 years of partnership with WWF-UK.

2012

The amount raised by WFN since 1994 passes £10 million.

2016

The Whitley Fund for Nature raises a record annual total of £1.9m.

2018

WFN celebrates its 25th anniversary.

2020

In response to increasingly urgent, interlinked environmental crises, WFN begins funding nature based solutions to climate change.

2021

For the first time the charity awards over £1 million in Continuation Funding, supporting Whitley Award winners to scale up successful conservation solutions.

2022

A match funding campaign, to mark the 2022 Whitley Awards, helps WFN reach a grant-giving milestone: over its 29 year history the charity has now awarded £20 million of support, to 200 conservationists across 80 countries.