Our Grants
Caring for the Environment
Funding goal
Real and lasting impact on young people's lives through supporting them to participate in and lead environmental projects.
Funding outcomes
- Young people gain new environmental knowledge, skills and networks
- Advance youth-driven approaches to environmental challenges
- Young people pursue opportunities to participate in the green economy
WHY ‘Caring for the Environment’?
We have consistently seen and heard that young people are experiencing anxiety, concern, and a sense of responsibility as our environment changes, and associate environmental issues with fear for the future.
We know young people are eager to be part of solutions. They know their tomorrow is dependent on caring for the environment today.
Changes to the environment are particularly evident to young people living in rural and regional communities, as they watch the impact these changes are having on their communities. Given VFFF has a long-standing commitment to supporting rural and regional communities to drive change and take control of their futures, where possible we will focus on supporting young people living in these regions.
Our belief is that when provided with the right information, tools, platforms and guidance, young people can plan and take effective action on environmental issues in their own way. In the process of taking action, young people develop the skills, confidence and networks to become the leaders of the environmental change that is needed.
The opportunity we see is to build the capability of young people in Australia to turn their environmental concerns into action.
We aim to support initiatives that help young people gain new environmental knowledge, skills and networks, which in turn will enable young people to play an increasingly important role in creating a nature-positive future. We will seek to advance approaches to environmental challenges that are identified and driven by young people themselves.
The following are examples of the types of activities that VFFF supports in this focus area to achieve funding outcomes:
- Advancing local, youth-focused approaches to conservation, biodiversity and land care
- Encouraging the development of youth-led ideas and solutions to environmental challenges
- Increasing young people's knowledge and engagement in environmental issues
- Building capacity of young people to organise and act on environmental issues
- Supporting youth involvement in the transition to a greener economy.
VFFF does not accept unsolicited applications.
“Much of the good things we have are despoiled by thoughtless waste… It is not too late for Australia to preserve most of its natural beauty and its native animals if only we can start conserving and replacing without any further delay.”
Sir Vincent Fairfax
Along the Scouting Trail” in Scouting in NSW newsletter, July 1968
Current Grants
Multi-year Grants
Bush Heritage - Seeding the Future: a pilot program which seeks to grow the capacity of Bush Heritage to support aspiring conservationists and improve their career outcomes by providing practical on-the-job experience and mentorship at a leading conservation not for profit
Co-Exist Australia - supporting Co-Exist to transition from a wholly volunteer-run organisation to a staff-led operation, with strong foundations for growth
Earthwatch Australia - support to develop and deliver the Agents of Change for the Environment program
Taronga Conservation Society - supporting the expansion of the Youth at the Zoo (YATZ) program at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo
WWF-Australia - towards identifying, incubating and providing initial funding to 2-3 innnovative regenerative solutions that focus on and/or benefit young people
Exploration Grants
Australian Land Conservation Alliance (ALCA) - towards the design and development of learning modules and a Learning Management System to be integrated into a sector wide internship platform
Biodiversity Council - to support the development of a youth strategy for the Biodiversity Council, including budget for engagement with both BehaviourWorks and YLab.
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