Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) finds and invests in exceptional grassroots conservation leaders, driving lasting change for nature, for people, and for our planet.
We are a grant-giving nature conservation charity, generously supported for more than 20 years by our Patron HRH The Princess Royal and WFN Ambassador and former Trustee Sir David Attenborough.
We believe that effective conservation requires sustained investment in those already driving change – local conservationists and communities rooted in the ecosystems they protect.
“The secret of the Whitley Fund for Nature is that they find exceptional grassroots conservation leaders. Whitley Award winners hail from all over the world and come from a range of backgrounds, but they all have in common a fierce commitment and determination to make a real difference to local people and wildlife in their home countries.”
— HRH The Princess Royal
By channelling resources and long-term support to those best placed to lead change, we’re helping to scale proven solutions and deliver measurable benefits for wildlife and communities.
OVER 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND IMPACT
Since 1993, WFN has channelled £26 million to over 230 conservationist leaders across 84 countries.
Take a look at our 30 Year Impact Assessment.
Explore our Awards
OUR VISION AND MISSION
Our vision
A world where people and wildlife thrive together on a healthy planet.
Our mission
To halt and reverse the loss of Earth’s biodiversity and wild places, working alongside local people to create a future where communities and wildlife thrive together on a healthy planet. We will achieve our mission by:
- Providing funding, recognition, and training to proven conservation leaders working across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and parts of Europe.
- Supporting the long-term growth and scale up of impactful conservation solutions backed by science.
- Raising the profile of conservationists’ work and their ability to effect positive environmental change.
Our values
Our values guide our actions and the way we interact with each other, our partners and our wider network:
- Act with integrity
- Be science-driven
- Work collaboratively
- Be ambitious
Integrity
We act with integrity in all we do, fostering a culture that is responsible, uplifting, transparent, inclusive, and unified in achieving our mission while holding ourselves to the highest standards. We are accountable to the conservation leaders we champion and to the supporters who make our work possible.
Science-driven
We support evidence-based conservation work globally that is informed by the latest science and founded on community involvement. We monitor and evaluate the impact of our activities, publish our results, and use them to drive our future actions.
Collaborative
We work collaboratively, actively seeking to partner and exchange learnings with others who share our vision. We foster collaboration among our international network of Whitley Award winning conservationists to enable the growth of proven conservation solutions and nurture their ability to effect positive change.
Ambitious
We are ambitious; a pioneer in the field of funding grassroots conservationists, we seek to continually move the dial for environmental protection. We actively listen and respond to the needs of our Award winners and think outside the box to catalyse impact on the ground. We aim high, celebrate conservation success, and remain optimistic about our future and the difference we can all make.
Our History
Whitley Fund for Nature was founded in 1993 by Edward Whitley, who was determined to directly fund the local leaders best placed to bring about lasting and effective conservation.
“We have found and funded extraordinary leaders, many of whom have become internationally recognised.”
— Edward Whitley OBE, Founder
1994
The first Whitley Award, worth £15,000, is awarded to marine conservationist Amanda Vincent.
1998
The Rufford Foundation joins the Whitley Awards programme, sponsoring two major awards.
1999
The Rufford Foundation and Whitley Awards Scheme together establish the Rufford Small Grants to provide upcoming conservationists with the opportunity to pursue smaller scale nature conservation projects. In April, HRH The Princess Royal becomes patron of the Whitley Awards Scheme.
2000
The Whitley Laing Foundation is created as a stand-alone charity and sets about the task of raising further funds for distribution.
2001
The Whitley Award for People and Environment is introduced following support from WWF-UK.
2003
The Whitley Laing Foundation has grown in size and is able to offer significantly increased levels of Continuation Funding. The first ever Friends Award is awarded following generous support from individuals.
2004
The Whitley Laing Foundation gives away an annual total of more than £1 million for the first time.
2005
The charity becomes the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). Sir David Attenborough becomes a Trustee.
2010
The total funding awarded by WFN since 1994 passes £6 million, supporting the work of over 120 conservationists in 70 countries.
2011
WFN celebrates 10 years of partnership with WWF-UK.
2012
The amount raised by WFN since 1994 passes £10 million.
2016
WFN raises a record annual income total of £1.9m.
2018
WFN celebrates its 25th anniversary.
2020
In response to increasingly urgent, interlinked environmental crises, WFN begins funding nature based solutions to climate change.
2021
For the first time the charity awards over £1 million in Continuation Funding, supporting Whitley Award winners to scale up successful conservation solutions.
2022
A match funding campaign, to mark the 2022 Whitley Awards, helps WFN reach a grant-giving milestone of £20 million of support.
2023
WFN celebrates it 30th Anniversary with the People for Planet Summit, culminating in the launch of the Ethical Conservation Movement.
2026
Over its 32 year history, the charity has awarded £26 million of support to more than 230 conservationists across over 84 countries.
