Environment Grants

Environment Grants is sponsored by Kingfisher Foundation. Supports projects advancing leadership, capacity, and regulatory clarity for the management and use of environmental information in marine and freshwater systems.

Environment Grants - Kingfisher Foundation Kingfisher Foundation was founded in 1998 on the belief that people, businesses, and wildlife thrive when our planet’s oceans, lakes, rivers, and wetlands are healthy and resilient.

Our grants strive to foster resiliency in marine fisheries and freshwater systems by supporting projects advancing leadership, capacity and regulatory clarity for the management and use of environmental information enabled by modern technology tools. Every day people and public resource managers are making decisions about water and fisheries based on incomplete and outdated information.

At Kingfisher we envision a future where data informed decisions coordinated across environmental agencies measurably improve environmental outcomes. Fresh water and marine fisheries managers no longer rely on incomplete and outdated information. They can find, access and use trusted, quality data to implement adaptive management and monitoring programs responsive to the increased variability and challenges of climate change.

We target our support in three areas to help public agencies and resource stakeholders find, integrate and use the high quality information they need to understand, anticipate and work together to respond to accelerated changes in aquatic ecosystems. We invest in projects that: I.

Develop data governance structures Develop the often undervalued data governance structures including regulatory clarity and common understanding of how data will be collected, shared, integrated and used across agencies while protecting sensitive data and providing flexibility for different uses. We also champion new appropriations, legislation and rulemaking to facilitate investments in data governance structures.

Read “Data governance structures: Harnessing the data tsunami” II. Build connections and capacity We recognize and invest in organizations that serve as data connectors. These organizations build the relationships and expertise to work with multiple agencies and stakeholders to identify common data interests and support implementation in mutually beneficial ways.

Read “How do data connector organizations advance better environmental solutions? ” III. Use Data in decision processes We seek projects that rationalize and update decision processes to tap essential data, measurably improving environmental stewardship and priority outcomes while reducing reporting burdens and strengthening trust and accountability across a broad range of interests.

Read “Accelerating environmental actions through better data informed decisions” Successfully stewarding critical ecosystems through climate change requires shared understanding supported by high quality information. At Kingfisher Foundation technology and data are not our target innovation.

Instead the goal is information’s potential to expand understanding, enable new decision processes and communication channels for actions that improve environment outcomes.

We look for people and projects that can use small amounts of money to explore novel ideas and spark practical changes to increase the governance and use of high-quality information to solve the marine fisheries and freshwater challenges that matter most to agencies and resource users. We recognize that there are many organizations doing excellent work and these organizations commit valuable resources to writing inquiries and proposals.

Given our small team and very specific focus, we do not accept unsolicited proposals. We do not fund new technology development, production of new data or data platforms, scientific research, films, or books. Read all frequently asked questions.

Every day people and public resource managers are making decisions about water and fisheries based on incomplete and outdated information. Successfully stewarding critical ecosystems through climate change requires shared understanding supported by high quality information.