What is the Table Mountain Fund?
The Table Mountain Fund is an independent Trust, associated with WWF as the founder and operator of the Trust. The Fund is guided by its own funding directions and strategy, and is closely aligned to the work of the C.A.P.E. (Cape Action for People and the Environment) partnership.
This vision of TMF is to “be the premier fund to conserve and protect the globally significant biological diversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom”. More informally, the fund is referred to as the “Fynbos Fund”.
Who can apply
Organisations, not individuals.
What types of applications can be considered for funding?
Projects must address high priority conservation needs, be exemplary and catalytic and be aligned with the Deed of Trust and Strategy of TMF. The funding priorities are as follows:
- be aligned with the C.A.P.E. strategy and support the initiatives of the C.A.P.E. partners
- not duplicate existing initiatives
The type of activities that can be considered for funding include:
- protection of prioritised habitats: terrestrial, freshwater and marine
- conservation within the working lowlands & urban areas
- building environmental awareness as part of project partnerships
- control of alien invasives and the restoration of natural biodiversity
- applied or action research for biodiversity advantage
- enhancement of the global conservation status of the Cape Floristic Region
- capacity building
These funding priorities are arranged into 5 programmes, as follows:
- Stewardship (off-reserve conservation, focused predominantly on the highly threatened lowlands)
- Capacity Building
- Small Grants for Civil Society (supporting civil society action in conservation)
- Cape Peninsula and City Biodiversity Network
- Supporting delivery of the C.A.P.E. landscape initiatives (or mega-reserves)
What types of activities cannot be considered for funding?
The following activities are not supported, unless motivated otherwise:
- Production of videos and films and publication of books, excepting resource materials.
- Attendance at and travel to conferences / symposia etc. and the cost associated with staging these events.
- Bursaries and scholarships.
- Research not aimed at solving management problems and not linked to priority conservation needs or the objectives of The Table Mountain Fund.
- Core institutional support and the purchase of capital equipment and assets.
- Development of private conservation enterprises and/or private nature reserves, with the major aim of generating a profit.
- Salaries, except as an integral part of a project.
- Developmental projects without a core environmental component.
- Conduit agencies – TMF and WWF-SA – wish to co-operate with other bodies by means of capacity building and sharing expertise, and will therefore only fund primary agencies involved in environmental conservation.
- Funds from TMF are not to be accessed for the routine management needs of the Peninsula mountain chain, but only for projects of high conservation priority that are not addressed by existing management activities.
- Lastly, funds from the GEF portion of the capital of the Fund cannot be donated to SANParks for use in the Table Mountain National Park, as this has already been catered for by means of a GEF grant to SANParks. SANParks can however be a beneficiary for funding of projects in the rest of the CFR.
What is the size of the grants?
TMF supports small grants as one of its 5 programmes (Small grants for Civil Society), with minimum grant size of R5,000. TMF seldom funds projects exceeding R500,000.
What is the maximum length of projects?
Three years, unless strongly motivated otherwise.
How can I apply?
You need to submit a one-page concept outline of the project to tallan@wwf.org.za. All concepts received are screened, and if your concept is approved, you will be sent an application form. Read the detailed instructions for the application process here.
Contact Details
Tamaryn Allan
Project Administrator: Table Mountain Fund
Centre for Biodiversity Conservation
Kirstenbosch
Tel: 021 762 8525
Fax: 021 762 1905
E-mail: tallan@wwf.org.za
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