Adopt a Hectare Grant

About this grant

The Forest Conservation Fund (FCF) is a Switzerland-based non-profit that channels money from companies and individuals to community-led forest conservation in tropical forest landscapes. It addresses a gap in protection: less than 25% of forests sit inside protected areas, many protected areas lack funding for guards and wardens, and Indigenous communities often lack the legal and financial support to defend their territories. The page describes an 'insetting' model, in which a company or person protects an area of forest equivalent to the land needed to grow what they source (for example, cocoa, palm or coffee) in the same landscape. Donors contribute $40 per hectare annually, and FCF links those funds to conservation projects in their specific sourcing landscapes. Funding is released on a result-based basis. FCF uses satellite imagery and biodiversity monitoring to verify that forest remains standing, and it provides coaching on conservation management. Each project undergoes an annual financial audit, and FCF reports back to donors on how their money was used. Projects are vetted and approved by an independent Grants Committee against quality and conservation requirements. The page does not set out an application process, eligible project types or grant sizes for applicants. The 'Adopt a Hectare' call to action appears alongside the 'inset your company's forest footprint' messaging, so the programme as described here is primarily a corporate and individual giving mechanism rather than an open grant call.

Eligibility

The page does not state eligibility criteria for applicants seeking funding from FCF. It describes companies, consumers and individuals as the donors who fund the programme, and it refers to communities and suppliers as those FCF works with to become forest positive. Geographic and organisational requirements for project applicants are not specified.

How it's scored

The page states that all projects are vetted and approved by an independent Grants Committee based on strict quality and conservation requirements, and that funding is dispersed only on verified field results. It does not provide scoring criteria, weightings or panel composition.

Key requirements

• ✓Applicant must have a forest footprint or sourcing landscape to offset
• ✓Funding is result-based and contingent on verified field results using satellite imagery and biodiversity monitoring
• ✓Annual commitment of $40 per hectare for forest protection in tropical regions

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for Adopt a Hectare?

Eligibility covers organisations in GLOBAL; large-company, sme, nonprofit, individual. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Forestry funding supports afforestation, reforestation, sustainable forest management and avoided deforestation. Money flows from climate finance, nature programmes, results-based payments and corporate buyers of forest carbon. Calls typically require land tenure clarity, community engagement and a credible plan to monitor tree survival over time.