地球環境基金の情報館

Grant Application Form

Note: Domestic representatives of overseas organizations need to submit forms in Japanese. Please go to our Japanese version of website to download necessary application forms. However, you can see translated Grant Application Form if you click on the following link.

• *Page1, 2-1, 2-2, 3, 4 and Power of Attorney(PDF,133KB)

Introduction

Environmental issues such as climate change, depletion of the ozone layer, desertification and deforestation of tropical forests continue to challenge modern society. Unsustainable consumption of natural resources in both developed and developing countries threaten not only the supply of the resources themselves, but also entire ecosystems. Likewise, the effects of these problems are not confined to immediate boundaries or regions, and cannot be solved by a single country, government, corporation or individual. Therefore, every effort to achieve a sustainable coexistence with our natural environment must be carried out in the contexts of international collaboration for the protection of our global environment.

The Japan Fund for Global Environment (JFGE), a division of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan (ERCA) was established by an initial endowment from the Japanese government together with contributions from the private sector, including individuals and private corporations. The interest accrued from these funds is then used to provide support for non-governmental organizations (NGO) and non-profit organizations (NPO) programs aimed at conservation of the global environment.

Application acceptance period

The JFGE Grant program provides financial support for environmental conservation projects conducted by NGOs. Applications are accepted from January 4-25, 2010; those received after January 25 will not be reviewed.

Organizations eligible for the Grant

NGO and NPO in Japan or overseas that satisfy all the requirements below are eligible to apply:

1. The organization must possess an Articles of Incorporation or its equivalent bylaws;
2. The organization must possess a well-established body that makes decisions for the organization and implements the project for which the grant is requested;
3. The organization must possess an accounting structure capable of bookkeeping and self-auditing;
4. The organization must possess an office that serves as a base of their activities, and
5. The organization must be deemed to have the capacity to execute the project for which the grant is sought, judging from its previous activities and achievements

Activities eligible for the Grant

Eligible activities are those that contribute to global environmental conservation and are undertaken by organizations as stipulated above. Activities are classified into three major categories.

1. Environmental conservation activities implemented in developing areas by Japanese non-governmental organizations
2. Environmental conservation activities implemented in developing areas by overseas non-governmental organizations
3. Environmental conservation activities implemented in Japan by Japanese non-governmental organizations

Notice: The JFGE identifies developing areas as countries on the List of Recipients of Official Development Assistance approved by the Development Assistance Committee, which is available at: “DAC List of ODA Recipients used for 2008, 2009 and 2010 flows”

In accordance with this stipulation, projects to be implemented in Korea and Russia are not eligible for the grant.

Additionally, project areas are divided into the following 10 categories. Please refer to Table 1 for further details.

1. Nature protection, conservation and restoration
2. Forest conservation and tree/grass planting
3. Anti-desertification
4. Promotion of environmentally sound agriculture
5. Prevention of global warming
6. Development of a society with an environmentally sound material cycle
7. Air, water and soil conservation
8. Comprehensive environmental education
9. Comprehensive environmental conservation activities
10. Other environmental conservation activities

Additional requirements are as shown below.
Projects that fall under categories a and b must perform either:
(1) Actual implementation of afforestation, wildlife protection, prevention of pollution or other activities on project sites in developing areas with the participation of the local communities or NGO;
(2) Provision of knowledge that local communities or NGO in a developing area require to implement practical activities such as afforestation, wildlife protection, and prevention of pollution; and
(3) Conducting surveys and researches or holding international conferences to promote the activities listed in (1) or (2).

Projects that fall under category c must perform either:
(1) Tree and grass planting, recycling and other activities that are carried out with the participation of a wide range of citizens;
(2) Environmental conservation promotion and education activities are implemented for the benefit of a wide range of citizens; and
(3) Research activities that promote the activities listed in (1) or (2) above.

Activities not eligible for the Grant

Projects that meet the above conditions but fit into one of the following categories are not eligible for the grant.
(1) Projects that are carried out as part of policy measures of a national administrative body of either Japan or the nation where the projects are to be implemented
(2) Projects that are in effect carried out in the interests of a specific business operator
(3) Projects for which the funds provided by the grant are expected to be recovered through loans, advances, or investments
(4) Projects whose purpose is political or religious propaganda
(5) Projects that are to be funded by sources other than the JFGE Grant, such as subsidies or grants from a national government or government agencies
(6) Projects that extend financial aid or grants to other organizations
(7) Projects that are deemed inappropriate for NGO

Grant types

Two types of grants are available for fiscal year 2010, Type A and Type B. Type B is only available to organizations that have not previously been awarded the JFGE Grant. Only one grant type is allowed per organization. Grant characteristics are shown below.

Expenses covered by the Grant

Expenses incurred in the implementation of a grant project that are eligible for coverage are listed in Table 1.
Certain grant-eligible expenses are limited. For example, the upper limit of honorariums paid to outside lecturers is 20,000 yen per lecture per person. If an organization has paid an honorarium that exceeds the ceiling, the JFGE will reimburses no more than 20,000 yen, with the difference to be borne by the grantee.

Expenses not covered by the Grant

The expenses listed below are not eligible for coverage by the grant.
(1) Personnel expenses for directors and full-time staff including wages, office rents (including utilities and water charges) and expenses necessary for routine operation of the organization (including the publication of house organs).
(2) Contributions or endowments offered to individuals or organizations.
(3) Eating and drinking expenses

Payment procedure for the Grant

In providing the grant, the JFGE employs a “reimbursement” procedure. Grant money is paid only after the organization has commenced the project and submitted receipts for expenses incurred in project execution. Thus, it is necessary for recipient organizations to separately secure funds to cover the initial expenses required for project implementation.

Application method for overseas organizations

Overseas organizations are required to have a Japanese representative to apply for the grant on their behalf. The representative should be an individual living in Japan or an organization with a main office in Japan, have experience in environmental conservation activities with overseas organizations, be able to communicate with overseas organizations in the local language, etc.
The representative will serve to communicate between within the organization and the JFGE, to prepare the required documents in Japanese on behalf of the organization, and to respond to questions from the JFGE. Additionally, the representative is responsible for transferring paid money from the JFGE to the organization.
Expenses incurred in the capacity of representative can be included as project expenses.

Other requirements

Documents to be submitted

• A4-size paper must be used. Use recycled paper wherever possible.
• For a project that extends over two or more fiscal years, please attach a description and planned income and expenditure for the activities during fiscal year 2010 in all columns except “Annual Plan” on Page 2 of the Application.

• If the account has not yet been settled, please submit a plan or projection.
• Organizations in existence for less than three years may submit available data.

• For site-specific activities, such as nature conservation, surveys and afforestation, please include a map of the project site.

• The JFGE will confirm receipt of the Application by stamping the postcard with its seal and mailing it back to the applicant. Confirmation of receipt cannot be given over the phone.
• Print the name and address of the person to whom confirmation should be sent (or the representative in Japan if the applicant is an overseas organization) on the front of the postcard, and the name of the organization and project title on the back.

• The Power of Attorney must bear the signature of the representative of the organization. If, however, the original signed Power of Attorney has not arrived in time for submission, the JFGE will accept a faxed copy as a temporary measure, in consideration of the time required for communications between the representative in Japan and the overseas organization.

Table 1. Project Areas

Table 2. Categories of Grant-eligible Expenses

Note: A ceiling is set for certain unit costs paid. In such cases, the portion that exceeds the limit must be borne by the grant recipient.

Table3. Maximum Amount per Item and Important Notes

Awarding policy

JFGE Grants are awarded following deliberations by the JFGE Management Council and Grant Committee. Prospective organizations should fill in application forms after careful review of the general considerations listed below.

Considerations in examining Applications

• For projects that involve practical activities: The project is planned with some consideration as to how its operations, benefits can be continued after completion of the project, and the activities are carried out with the participation/cooperation of local communities.
• For projects aimed at knowledge dissemination and raising awareness of environmental issues: Both the target and the method of distributing materials must be appropriate and effective. In addition, the effects of the project must also be considered through proposed activities such as the accurate estimation of the number of participants at seminars and symposiums and conducting of follow-up reviews.
• Research and study projects: The project contributes to practical research activities and raising the awareness of environmental issues.

Criteria for Application rejection

• Projects with activities that are part of the normal functions of the organization.
• Projects that are implemented for profit of particular organization.
• Applicants that are deemed to lack financial necessity as grant recipients.
• Projects with proposed research activities judged insufficient for contributing to practical applications or in raising awareness.
• Projects deemed to be inadequately prepared due to the lack of a concrete implementation plan.
• Multi-year projects whose final objectives or contents differ significantly from the initial proposal
• Projects that are deemed to lack urgency or necessity.
• Projects unrelated to environmental conservation.
• Project with excessive outsourcing of survey work and webpage design and construction.
• Projects implemented to enforce policy by Japanese or other overseas governmental agencies, or for the benefit of specific businesses.
• Projects involving the use of loans, financing, or investments.
• Projects with activities considered to be political or religious propaganda.
• Projects that are financially supported by the government or government-related agencies.
• Projects that offer financial aid to other organizations.
• Projects that appear inappropriate to activities implemented by NGOs.

• Practical activities are limited to an extremely small area (excepting the conservation of rare species)
• Provision and dissemination of knowledge or awareness raising activities are targeted at a small number of citizens.

• The organization compromises its independence by complete reliance on local counterparts in carrying out the project.
• The system to ensure continuous operation and benefits after the completion of the project is deemed inadequate.
• The project does not satisfy local people’s needs.
• There is no or little participation of or cooperation with local communities.

Reference material

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