Two grant opportunities for grassroots and civil society organisations just opened, and at Youth Works Hub we've paired them together because they speak to the same kind of work: local groups using storytelling, ecosystem-based solutions and community organising to respond to the climate crisis. Neither is aimed at individuals. Both are built for registered organisations, community coalitions and grassroots movements already doing the work on the ground and looking for the funding to take it further.
The first, from the Pulitzer Center, is a microgrant of USD 2,000 to 4,000 for civil society groups in the Global South, particularly Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, that use Pulitzer Center-supported journalism to deepen public understanding of the challenges facing rainforests, oceans and the climate. The second, from UNEP, offers up to USD 30,000 to registered NGOs in the East African Community and the South Caucasus for ecosystem-based, community-driven solutions to climate change in mountain regions. Read the full details below before deciding which one fits your organisation.
The Pulitzer Center microgrant ranges from USD 2,000 to USD 4,000 over a maximum six-month implementation period. The UNEP Mountains ADAPT grant offers up to USD 30,000 per project, plus capacity development and training support, with the first round funding up to 15 projects across the two eligible regions. Neither grant is open to individuals; both require a registered organisation to apply.
In This Batch
- 🌍 Global · Other · 📅 06 Sep
- 🌍 Global · Other · 📅 15 Sep
What's in this batch:
2 Grants for Climate and Civic Action Organisations
🌍 Global Grants
1. 🌍 Pulitzer Center Global South Civil Society Microgrants
📅 Deadline: 06 September 2026
Grants of USD 2,000 to 4,000 for civil society groups in the Global South using Pulitzer Center-supported journalism to spark community action on rainforests, oceans and the climate. Projects must meaningfully use at least one Pulitzer Center-supported reporting project or journalist as a central part of the work, and fall under one of three focus topics: rainforest degradation and the rights of Indigenous communities, ocean health and marine governance, or the intersection of climate and labour. Supported activities include community engagement and knowledge sharing, creative expressions such as digital campaigns and public performances, and public dialogues bringing together affected communities, journalists, decision makers and academia. The grant does not fund straight journalism projects, direct advocacy or lobbying, or for-profit initiatives. Applicants should be grassroots organisations, community educators, civil society coalitions or youth movements with a track record of civic engagement work in the Global South and the operational capacity to manage international grant funding. The maximum implementation period is six months, running from September 2026 to March 2027, and applications go through the Pulitzer Center's online submission form with a project description, target audience, methodology, timeline, budget and supporting documentation.
2. 🌍 UNEP Mountains ADAPT Small Grants
📅 Deadline: 15 September 2026
Grants of up to USD 30,000 for locally registered NGOs in the East African Community (DRC, Somalia, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania) and the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) to design and implement ecosystem-based, community-driven solutions to climate change in mountain regions. This first round will fund up to 15 projects, and successful organisations also receive capacity development and training support to implement their proposed solution. Eligible activities include restoring ecosystems, rainwater harvesting, climate-smart agriculture, disaster preparedness and diversifying incomes while preserving natural resources, with a strong preference for grassroots, community-based, youth or women's organisations. Only formally registered organisations can apply, with an official registration certificate and a non-personal bank account to receive funds; individuals are not eligible. Applications are submitted through an online form covering organisational capacity, the climate challenge being addressed, the proposed nature-based solution with gender considerations, and beneficiary details, and are reviewed by regional selection committees in the East African Community and the South Caucasus, with selected proponents notified in the third quarter of 2026 and implementation running for 12 months from the fourth quarter.
Both grants reward organisations that are already embedded in their communities rather than newcomers looking to start from scratch. The Pulitzer Center microgrant is the more accessible of the two in terms of funding size, but demands a genuine connection to its supported journalism; the UNEP grant offers substantially more funding but comes with a narrower geographic scope and a heavier emphasis on formal registration and reporting requirements.
At Youth Works Hub, we list grant opportunities like these alongside our usual volunteering and career listings because funding for organisations is just as important to the youth and civil society sector as individual opportunities. If your organisation works on climate, environment or civic engagement in the Global South, East African Community or South Caucasus, read the full eligibility criteria on each listing carefully before applying, since both grants set clear boundaries on what they will and will not fund.
Looking for something for yourself rather than your organisation? This week Youth Works Hub also lists fully funded ESC volunteering placements across 12 countries → ESC Volunteering
