How We Decide to Accept or Reject an Application

When deciding whether or not to accept a concept note or application for financial support, we look at several factors to determine the proposed project’s suitability and likelihood of success. This process can be loosely broken into four separate parts: (1) The proposed project’s alignment with our mission to safeguard endangered wildlife, people, and our planet by creating tropical and subtropical protected areas in partnership with Indigenous, local, and international organizations; (2) Due diligence, especially of the applicant organization’s ability to manage the project; (3) Review of scientific metrics; and (4) Review of sociopolitical factors.

Below, we take a closer look at these four factors, as well as why we might elect to reject a proposed project.

Alignment with the Rainforest Trust Mission

Our work at Rainforest Trust is guided by our overarching mission: Protect threatened tropical forests and endangered wildlife through local partnerships by establishing protected areas where they are needed most. Every proposed project and protected area is considered with this in mind. In particular, we look to ensure that any approved project will reduce the risk of extinction for one or more species, protect many acres of intact habitat, and/or safeguard significant amounts of carbon within that habitat. Where relevant, we also select for projects that will benefit and can be accomplished in close partnership with Indigenous and/or local communities.

Due Diligence of Applicant Organization

One or more members of our Strategy Team will undertake a due diligence of the applicant organization’s capacity to determine their financial and technical resources, assess their ability to successfully manage and complete the proposed project, and identify any aspects within their organization that might need additional support from Rainforest Trust.

Review of Scientific Metrics

Whenever we consider a concept note, our Science & Monitoring Team collects and assesses a selection of scientific and quantitative metrics. These include the number of acres to be protected, the number of acres of High-Integrity Forest within the proposed protected area, the amount of carbon stored in the biomass and soil of the proposed protected area, what types of habitats are found within the proposed protected area—and especially if any of these habitats support threatened species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species—and the presence of high-priority species.

Review of Sociopolitical Factors

Beyond the quantitative and scientific metrics, we also assess the broader sociopolitical context for the proposed project. We review satellite imagery to estimate the ecological condition of the land and habitat, and also to see what human impacts may exist nearby, such as roads, agriculture, human settlements, or recent deforestation.

We also consider any insight our Strategy Team and other Conservation team members might have to share on the region, including its politics, potential challenges, and opportunities. This helps determine what sort of community engagement we can expect with the project, and if there might be any local support or resistance. Other factors include the economic needs and opportunities within the local communities, and what current or potential ecological threats might exist now or in the future due to human activity in the area.

Urgency is also important. For example, if the proposed project is not approved, is that land likely to be sold for agricultural or other human development within the next six months? Are there any high-priority species that are either restricted to the region, important to the health of the ecosystem or other species, or culturally important for any Indigenous or local communities? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” we then ask whether the proposed protected area would effectively mitigate any threats facing the habitat(s) or species.

When the Answer is “No”

Sometimes, a proposed project is not a fit for our organization. There are four broad reasons why we might reject a concept note: (1) The applicant’s organizational capacity does not appear to be sufficient to bring the project to successful completion. However, if the project is otherwise exceptionally strong, we will occasionally work with applicants to build their capacity. (2) The conservation argument for the proposed project is not strong. For example, if the landscape is already significantly degraded or if no highly threatened or high-priority species will benefit from the proposed protected area. (3) The sociopolitical risk is too great, such as in regions that are politically unstable where even the best of organizations might struggle to succeed. As with organizational capacity, however, we do sometimes choose to work in challenging regions if the expected benefits are significant enough. In these cases, we work closely with the partner organization to maximize the project’s chances of success. (4) The costs outweigh the expected benefits. For example, we may reject a project if it is extremely expensive, and the anticipated conservation successes do not justify the cost.

   Know the Lingo

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 bold text in the article, and are defined here.

Applicant; Applicant Organization

The applicant or applicant organization 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.

Concept Note

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

High-Integrity Forest

A high-integrity forest is a forest with minimal impact from human activity. 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.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species. Scientific research and analysis is used to determine the conservation status of individual species. The majority of our projects at Rainforest Trust seek to protect species with an IUCN Red List status of vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered which we collectively refer to as threatened.

Partner; Partner Organization

The partner or partner organization 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.