Quick question: What do a rainforest in the Amazon, a rice farm in Southeast Asia, and a public health clinic in rural Tanzania have in common?
They can all get funded by the same foundation.
The Conservation, Food, and Health Foundation is one of the most accessible and flexible funders for NGOs working across the Global South. They are not asking for 100-page proposals or multi-year financial audits. They want seed money for pilot projects that solve real problems.
And here is the best part: they accept applications twice a year. If you miss one cycle, the next one is just around the corner.
Let me break down exactly how your organization can get a piece of this $25,000–$50,000 pie.
What Makes This Foundation Different?
Most major foundations prefer to fund projects with a proven track record. They want to see a track record, years of data, and a team of PhDs. That is great for big universities. It is terrible for small NGOs on the ground.
The Conservation, Food & Health Foundation takes a different approach. Their entire mission is to provide seed money to help promising projects, organizations, and individuals develop the track record they need to attract major foundation funding in the future.
Think of them as the venture capital firm of the social impact world. They take risks on early-stage ideas that bigger funders won’t touch.
Grant Details: What You Get.
Let’s get straight to the numbers.
Important: The foundation will only consider one proposal per organization per calendar year. So you need to make that one proposal count.
The Three Funding Pillars.
The foundation’s name tells you exactly what they fund. Here is how they break down their grantmaking:
1. Conservation
They fund projects that protect biodiversity and preserve natural resources. Priority areas include the following:
- Mitigating the adverse effects of climate change
- Building scientific and technical capacity of local conservation organizations
- Partnering with indigenous communities and local people
- Increasing engagement between scientists, local communities, and decision-makers
Example project: A community-led effort to map and protect mangrove forests in the Caribbean that also involves local fishermen in data collection.
2. Food
They fund projects that improve food production and agricultural systems. Priority areas include the following:
- Developing affordable approaches to control pests and diseases affecting local food crops
- Promoting indigenous food sovereignty and knowledge systems
- Building capacity for self-sufficiency and climate resilience
- Addressing challenges of uptake and scalability through extension and education
Example project: A pilot program training smallholder farmers in Kenya to use drought-resistant indigenous grains instead of imported maize.
3. Health
They fund public health projects that address problems affecting the quality of human life. Priority areas include the following:
- Applied research on local health challenges
- Training and technical assistance for community health workers
- Projects that generate local solutions to regional health problems
Example project: A pilot initiative training women in rural India to produce and distribute low-cost oral rehydration salts for childhood diarrhea.
Eligibility: Who Can Apply?
This is one of the most inclusive foundations for Global South organizations. Here is who qualifies:
Eligible Applicants
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
- Nonprofit organizations
- Civil society organizations (CSOs)
- Community-based organizations (CBOs)
- Colleges, universities, and academic institutions
Geographic Eligibility
The foundation supports organizations based in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Important for Western NGOs: If your organization is based in a high-income country, you can still apply but you must be working with local partners in the eligible regions. And they will not fund salaries for executive directors of U.S. and European-based organizations.
Geographic Exclusion
The foundation does not fund projects in post-Soviet states or Balkan states.
What They Will NOT Fund (Read This Carefully)
Knowing what a funder won’t fund is just as important as knowing what they will. The Conservation, Food, & Health Foundation does not typically fund:
- Overhead or indirect project costs
- General operating support
- Direct food, health, or other humanitarian aid
- Eco-tourism projects
- Buildings and capital improvements
- Projects ultimately intended for private gain (all intellectual property developed with the grant must be public)
- Salaries for Executive Directors of U.S. and European-based organizations
- Project expenses incurred before the grant is awarded
- Government agencies or religious organizations (they can be partners, but not direct grantees)
Pro Tip: Since they don’t fund overhead, ensure that your direct project costs are clearly separated from indirect costs in your budget. They pay for the work, not the office rent.
2026 Application Deadlines.
The foundation has two grant cycles per year. Here are the upcoming deadlines for 2026:
Cycle 2 (Spring 2026)
Cycle 1 (Fall 2026)
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Concept Note Deadline | December 22, 2026 |
| Full Proposal Deadline (if invited) | January 15, 2027 |
Note: The foundation has a two-phase application process. First, you submit a short concept note. If they like it, they invite a full proposal. Do not submit a full proposal unless invited—it will be rejected.
How to Apply: Step-by-Step Guide
The application process is designed to be simple. Here is your action plan:
Step 1: Verify Your Organization’s Eligibility (30 minutes)
- Confirm your organization is registered as a non-profit/NGO in an eligible country
- Confirm your project fits one of the three pillars (Conservation, Food, or Health)
- Confirm your project is a pilot or seed project (not an ongoing program)
Step 2: Review the Foundation’s Key Priorities (1 hour)
The foundation prioritizes projects that have the potential to:
- Advance the field
- Build local capacity
- Promote replication
- Influence public opinion and policy
- Affect systems change
- Benefit people beyond the immediate project
Your concept note must address at least three of these priorities.
Step 3: Find the Online Application Portal
All applications are submitted through the foundation’s online grants management system:
https://cfhfoundation.grantsmanagement08.com/
Step 4: Submit Your Concept Note
The concept note is short—typically 3–5 pages. It should include:
- Project summary (1 paragraph)
- Problem statement (1 page)
- Proposed solution and methodology (1–2 pages)
- Expected outcomes and impact (1 page)
- Preliminary budget estimate (1 page)
Do not include detailed financial audits or lengthy appendices at this stage.
Step 5: Wait for Invitation
The foundation reviews concept notes and invites approximately 20–30% of applicants to submit complete proposals. If you are invited, you will typically have 4–6 weeks to submit the full proposal.
Step 6: Submit Full Proposal (If Invited)
The full proposal will ask for:
- Detailed project narrative (10-15 pages)
- Comprehensive budget with justification
- Organization registration documents
- Key personnel bios
- Monitoring and evaluation plan
Insider Tips for a Winning Application
1. Show That You Are a Seed Project.
The foundation is explicit: they fund seed money, not ongoing support. Your application should explain how this grant will help you attract future funding from larger donors. Name the specific funders you will approach after proving your model works.
2. Demonstrate Local Leadership
The foundation loves projects that “advance local leadership.” If your project team includes expatriates or international consultants, explain why local capacity does not yet exist—and how you will train local leaders to take over.
3. Address an Under-Funded Issue
The foundation “prefers to support projects that address underfunded issues and geographic areas.” Do not apply with a project on malaria or HIV/AIDS—those are well-funded globally. Instead, focus on neglected tropical diseases, indigenous food systems, or under-studied ecosystems.
4. Include a Replication Plan
The foundation wants projects that “promote replication.” In your concept note, explain how other communities or organizations could copy your model. Include a section on “scalability and knowledge transfer.”
5. One Proposal Per Year
Since you only get one shot per calendar year, do not rush. If your project is not ready for the June 2026 cycle, wait for the December 2026 cycle. A polished, tightly focused concept note is better than a rushed, scattered one.
