Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests of Tanzania and Kenya ...

Experience, particularly in the GEF, shows that small grants can be cost effective. Small grantsshould be made available through CEPF for community-based organizations and NGOs workingto save Critically Endangered species and threatened sites in this hotspot. The intention is not toduplicate or compete with existing small grants programs on conservation issues, but to seeksynergies and leverage funds for NGOs, community-based organizations and institutions oflearning. Small grants programs incur high administration costs (per grant dollar) because of theburden of dealing with several small projects at once. Costs are also incurred because thebeneficiaries are usually less well established than those receiving large grants and require closermonitoring and guidance on the ground. CEPF will evaluate the possibility of partnering with anin-region organization to host its small (>10,000 per grant) grants program.A focus on the threatened sites and species in this hotspot will be a mandatory criterion forfunding and selection of proposals will be made on the strength of this focus and the likelihoodof positive impacts. In order to ensure a wide distribution of the available funds over these sitesand species, the ceiling on grants for any one proposal will be $10,000.4.1 Support targeted efforts to increase connectivity of biologically important habitat patchesin the hotspot. Community-based organizations should be encouraged to engage in efforts toincrease small-scale connectivity. It is widely recognized that project ownership at thecommunity level is a key factor in project sustainability. There may also be opportunities for thecontribution of labor, for corridor establishment and maintenance, to be accepted as payment inkind for other community development projects. Any such arrangement will require thatappropriate monitoring systems are in place to ensure that all obligations are met.4.2 Support efforts to increase biological knowledge of the sites and efforts to conserveCritically Endangered Species in the hotspot. Small grants programs can be extremely useful andcost-effective in supporting low-cost research. There are a number of universities in Kenya andTanzania with active postgraduate programmes in biology and conservation. Small grant supportfor field research by postgraduate students within the hotspot will bear dividends in terms of bothcapacity building and new knowledge. Small grant support should also be given to projects thatdirectly reduce threats to Critically Endangered species.5. Develop and support efforts for further fundraising for the hotspotAlthough fundraising was not seen as a priority theme by the 12 March workshop in Dar esSalaam, it is prudent to plan ahead. Most of the larger grant-dependent institutions now have fulltime Resource Mobilization Units (RMUs) or Project Development Departments. These havebeen very successful in obtaining funds in an increasingly competitive environment and inpreventing funding gaps for projects that need long-term financing. Efforts to secure long-termfunding can be greatly enhanced through:• coordinated, centralized and choreographed project marketing and improved investorrelations;• centralized information centres for resource mobilization and proposal development;• training and institutional development in resource mobilization, proposal development andwriting and project marketing; and• strategically intertwined and targeted resource mobilization and public awareness.61