1. Purpose of the Grant
The Human-Centred Conservation Storytelling Grant supports the development and production of high-quality, publishable stories that explore conservation through a human-centred lens in African contexts. The grant is intended to commission experienced storytellers who can work independently and deliver work to professional editorial standards.
2. Eligibility
Applications are open to experienced journalists, writers, filmmakers, photographers, audio producers, and multimedia storytellers based anywhere in the world.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have professional experience in one or more relevant storytelling roles
- Be able to demonstrate prior publication or broadcast experience, or an established independent channel with a recognised audience
- Have a clear publication or broadcast pathway for the proposed story
- Propose a story with a strong African focus, grounded in African contexts, communities, or landscapes
- Be able and willing to submit at least three examples of previous work as part of the application
- Submit a proposed budget of USD 12,000 or less, aligned with the grant’s funding tiers
Only applications that meet all eligibility requirements will be considered.
3. Project Timeline Delivery
Stories supported through the Human-Centred Conservation Storytelling Grant are expected to be completed and published or broadcast by the end of October 2026.
Applicants should propose a realistic timeline that reflects this expectation. Applications proposing projects that cannot reasonably be delivered within this timeframe may not be considered.
4. Scope of Support
The grant supports costs directly related to the development and production of a specific story, including professional fees, travel, local logistics, research, translation, production, and post-production costs.
Funding may be used to support new story projects, as well as the completion or further development of stories that are already underway, provided that the grant funds are used for clearly defined future work and deliverables.
The grant does not provide retrospective funding for costs already incurred, nor does it support capital equipment purchases, organisational overheads, marketing or promotional activities, or costs unrelated to the proposed story.
5. Funding Structure
Applicants may apply for one of three funding tiers:
- Tier 1: up to USD 5,000
- Tier 2: up to USD 8,000
- Tier 3: up to USD 12,000
Budgets do not need to reach the maximum tier amount. All budgets will be assessed for reasonableness, proportionality, and alignment with the proposed story.
6. Payment Terms
Grant payments will be made in United States Dollars (USD).
Successful applicants must have access to a bank account that is able to receive international payments in USD. Jamma Conservation & Communities will not be responsible for delays, fees, or losses resulting from banking restrictions, intermediary bank charges, or currency conversion requirements imposed by the recipient’s financial institution.
Payment schedules and any conditions linked to disbursement will be set out in the grant agreement.
7. Application and Selection Process
Applications must be submitted through the designated online application platform by the stated deadline.
Applications proposing stories that are already underway must clearly identify the future work and deliverables that the grant would support, in line with the Scope of Support set out above.
Applications will be assessed based on:
- Eligibility and completeness
- Quality and clarity of the story proposal
- Alignment with the principles of Human-Centred Conservation
- Evidence of professional experience and editorial readiness
- Feasibility and realism of the proposed budget
This is a competitive process. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding.
8. Discretion and Right Not to Award
Jamma Conservation & Communities reserves the right, at its sole discretion:
- To select or not select any application
- To award fewer grants than anticipated, or no grants at all
- To withdraw, suspend, or cancel the grant process at any stage
- To decline to award funding for any reason, including where no application is deemed suitable
No obligation to award funding exists until a formal grant agreement has been signed by both parties.
9. Grant Agreement
Successful applicants will be required to enter into a written grant agreement with Jamma Conservation & Communities. The agreement will set out terms relating to deliverables, timelines, payments, rights, and responsibilities.
Funding will only be released once the agreement has been signed.
10. Intellectual Property and Usage
As a condition of accepting the grant, successful applicants agree to grant Jamma Conservation & Communities a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to republish, share, and otherwise use the funded story, in whole or in part, after it has been published or broadcast, for non-commercial purposes. This may include use on Jamma Conservation & Communities’ digital platforms, social media channels, reports, presentations, publications, or other communications and advocacy materials.
All uses by Jamma Conservation & Communities will include appropriate credit to the storyteller and, where applicable, the original publishing outlet.
Specific terms relating to intellectual property, usage rights, and attribution will be set out in the grant agreement. Applicants should not assume any rights or permissions beyond those explicitly agreed in writing.
11. Changes to the Project
Any material changes to the approved story, budget, timeline, or scope must be agreed in advance in writing by Jamma Conservation & Communities. Failure to do so may result in suspension or termination of the grant.
12. Confidentiality
Jamma Conservation & Communities will treat application materials as confidential and will use them solely for the purposes of assessment and grant administration.
13. Public Acknowledgement and Transparency
As part of Jamma Conservation & Communities’ commitment to transparency, successful applicants agree that their name, and a photograph (provided by the awardee or taken with consent) may be published on Jamma Conservation & Communities’ website and social media channels to acknowledge the awarding of grants.
This information will be used solely for the purpose of communicating grant awards and demonstrating accountability and transparency. No additional use of images or project materials beyond this acknowledgement will be made without further agreement.
14. Enquiries
Questions relating to the grant or application process should be directed to info@jamma.co
Jamma Conservation & Communities is unable to provide individual feedback on applications.
