Almost every project at Rainforest Trust begins with a concept note. These are short documents that provide essential information about the applicant, the proposed project, and the anticipated protected or conserved area that would be created through the project.

The process is simple by design. Applicants submit concept notes through a form on our website. Once submitted, these concept notes are reviewed by members of the Rainforest Trust Strategy Team in the Conservation Department. During this review—which usually takes 1-3 months—our Strategy Team looks for evidence that the proposed project fits our funding criteria and that the partner organization has the resources to undertake the proposed project. The Science & Monitoring Team also supports this process by providing additional information about the habitats and species the project seeks to safeguard, any existing threats or potential conflicts the project may encounter in the region, and the potential for carbon storage in the proposed protected acres, among other things.

A concept note is approved only if the Strategy Team is sufficiently convinced the proposed project has a reasonable chance of success, and that success would support impactful conservation through land protection in a tropical or subtropical region.

If a concept note is approved, our Strategy Team works directly with the applicant to develop a full application for the proposed project. This application is much more detailed than the concept note—and often 4- or 5-times the length of a concept note—and contains additional information about the species that will be protected, the Indigenous and local communities that may benefit, and the plans for long-term maintenance and sustainability within the proposed protected area.

During application development, the Rainforest Trust application leads work closely with the applicant to develop the strongest possible application. Working together, we gather information about land ownership, concessions, and tenure status in and around the proposed protected area. Where necessary, we also research any potential legal restrictions or challenges, the established process for achieving protected status, and the best form of protection to pursue for the proposed project. Because every project is unique, these best practices may vary from one project to another.

Application development is also when we review proposed budgets, map files, and other supporting materials. During this 3-9+ month process, we also conduct due diligence to determine the applicant’s existing capacity, and whether this will be sufficient to undertake the proposed project or if consultants or capacity-building support will be necessary.

At all stages, we work with applicants to address any areas of concern and to help build and strengthen their capacity for the proposed project and any future projects.

Once complete, the application will be presented to the Rainforest Trust Board of Directors for their consideration at the next Board Meeting. These meetings typically occur three times a year.

Before the Concept Note         Know the Lingo

We ask all applicants to confirm their eligibility before submitting a concept note. There are two parts to this step.

First, the applicant must be a legally registered, nongovernmental organization (NGO) with prior authorization to conduct work in the country where the proposed project is planned. Second, the proposed project itself must meet several criteria, including:

• The proposed project must seek to create or expand a protected or conserved area in a tropical or subtropical region;
• The protected or conserved area must safeguard one or more:
  • population(s) of endangered or critically endangered species, and/or
  • large area(s) of high-integrity forest(s), and/or
  • habitat or habitat(s) important for mitigating global climate change;
• The project must be able to demonstrate support from relevant local and Indigenous people, and/or local, regional, or federal governments, and that it has or will follow Free, Prior, and Informed Consent practices;
• The establishment of protection through the project will reduce or eliminate threats to biodiversity in the protected area and, where possible, will safeguard carbon storage;
• Long-term sustainability will be achieved through a management plan already in use or to be developed through the project; and
• Resource extraction is or will be managed for sustainable use.

See the full list under Project Selection Criteria.

Conservation work at Rainforest Trust and elsewhere relies on a number of terms that may be unfamiliar to many readers. These terms are shown with italics in the article, and are defined here.

Applicant
The applicant is the organization that submits the concept note and application to Rainforest Trust. Applicant can also refer to the primary contact at the applicant organization.

Application Lead
The application lead is a Rainforest Trust representative from the Strategy Team of the Conservation Department. This individual works with the partner to prepare their application materials

Concept Note
The concept note is a short document submitted by the applicant that briefly explains the proposed project and its expected outcomes.

Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)
Rainforest Trust strives to obtain Free, Prior, and Informed Consent for all projects. This process ensures that Indigenous and local communities are provided accurate information about the proposed project(s) prior to the start of any work, and that they have the right to freely (eg. without coercion) grant or withhold consent for the proposed project(s).

High-Integrity Forest
A high-integrity forest is a forest that maintains a high degree of natural structure, composition, and function. These forests are often of great value to biodiversity conservation. Rainforest Trust relies on the Forest Landscape Integrity Index to identify high-integrity forests in our projects.

Partner; Partner Organization
The partner or partner organizations is the organization that submits the concept note and application to Rainforest Trust. Partner can also refer to the primary contact at the applicant organization.

Science & Monitoring Team
The Rainforest Trust Conservation Department has three separate teams: Strategy, Programs, and Science & Monitoring. The Science & Monitoring Team harnesses the best available scientific data, analyses, technology, and advances in conservation science to support, improve, and monitor the conservation impact of Rainforest Trust’s work.

Strategy Team
The Rainforest Trust Conservation Department has three separate teams: Strategy, Programs, and Science & Monitoring. The Strategy Team reviews incoming concept notes to determine which would be a good fit, and works with partner organizations to finalize application materials for accepted concept notes.