FUNDING ALLOCATION GUIDELINES
To determine how it will allocate funding towards various grantees and projects, there are a number of factors for the SVGCF to consider, including its priorities for allocating funding, potential criteria to use to determine how to select projects, how programmatic funding will be distributed among different goals and activities, proposed eligible and non-eligible recipients and projects, and potential types of projects and grants to fund. This section describes how the SVGCF will consider these factors and allocate funding to selected grantees and projects.
CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY OF GRANTS AND SITES
Guidelines and criteria for the ranking of grants and project sites are important tools for the SVGCF to use in its allocation decision-making. Each year, the SVGCF Board will work to determine priority ecosystems, PAs and sites to be supported. The SVGCF will continue to refine the high-level guidelines and criteria for ranking grants and sites each year. Initial criteria the SVGCF will adopt include the following:
Current ecological condition of the site
Consider the ecological status of sites and weigh the benefits of protecting healthy ecosystems and/or enabling degraded ecosystems to recover.
Presence of endangered and rare species
Consider the importance of endangered and rare species to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ national patrimony.
Urgency for taking actions in the site
Consider critical threats and pressures facing the site and the need to take action immediately to prevent further ecosystem degradation and worsening site conditions.
Ecological connectivity
Ecological connectivity Consider the role of the site within the larger ecosystem.
Social capital associated with site
Consider the level of stakeholder interest and engagement, as well as resources available from community groups, NGOs, and other groups.
DISTRIBUTION OF PROGRAM FUNDING
To allow for the funding of a variety of grant topics that address the various goals and outcomes, the SVGCF will distribute its programmatic funding as follow:
General Programmatic Allocation
100% in Year 1 and 2; 90% after Year 3. This funding will be split among the identified grant-making goals and decided upon each year by the SVGCF Board. During Year 1, the SVGCF may prioritize grant-making focused on one goal or ecosystem.
Innovation and Opportunity Allocation
Up to 10% starting in Year 3. This funding will be used to support innovative projects and programs (e.g., ground-breaking research, policy analysis and development, new strategies for education and outreach, and/or pilot projects) in support of the vision, mission and goals of the SVGCF. If the SVGCF does not use the Innovation and Opportunity Allocation within six months of the start of the calendar year, it will consider reallocating these funds to the General Programmatic Allocation.