About Organisation
The Free Rivers Fund (FRF) was founded by kayaking activists Dan Yates (UK), Rok Rozman (Slovenia), and Bernie Steidl (Austria), each engaged in protecting free-flowing rivers in their home regions from the threats posed by hydropower projects. Their experiences showed how crucial financial support is for grassroots campaigns and how challenging it can be to raise funds while also dedicating time to conservation work. With this in mind, FRF was established to provide accessible funding to small, independent initiatives working on river protection.
The organization emphasizes simplicity and accessibility, ensuring that activists and community groups can apply for funds without navigating lengthy and complex application processes. By offering financial assistance, FRF enables grassroots projects to focus on immediate conservation efforts instead of administrative hurdles. Over time, FRF has grown into a dedicated supporter of grassroots river protection initiatives, playing an essential role in global efforts to defend free-flowing rivers from ecological damage. Its mission is rooted in amplifying the voices of small-scale activists, making it easier for them to initiate and sustain impactful actions that safeguard rivers and prevent environmentally destructive projects.
About the Grant
The Free Rivers Fund Emergency Grant was introduced to address the need for quick, flexible support for grassroots initiatives working against proposed dam projects. While FRF previously had only one application cycle per year, the Emergency Grant was created to respond to urgent circumstances when immediate action is required, such as when communities must mobilize at short notice to prevent a dam construction project.
This grant is designed specifically for newly formed projects and grassroots movements that are at the very start of their conservation journey. The funding helps cover essential costs of initiating a campaign, ensuring that groups can begin their advocacy work without delay. By offering this quick-response funding option, FRF ensures that activists can seize critical moments to protect rivers without being held back by lengthy fundraising efforts.
The Emergency Grant highlights FRF’s commitment to empowering direct action at the grassroots level. Whether it’s a single activist, a small collective, or a recently established group, the grant provides timely financial backing to help them protect rivers under threat. Unlike the regular FRF annual grants, the Emergency Grant specifically targets projects that need immediate resources to launch urgent, dam-prevention efforts.
Who can Apply?
The Emergency Grant is intended for grassroots activists and newly formed initiatives that require urgent financial support to respond to proposed dam projects. Applicants must demonstrate that their project is focused on direct action to prevent dams and protect rivers. This ensures that funds go toward immediate, impactful activities aimed at defending free-flowing waterways.
Eligible applicants include:
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Individuals who are independently initiating campaigns.
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Informal groups that come together to address a local or regional river threat.
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Newly formed organizations without an established history but with a clear mission to stop dam construction.
Key eligibility requirements include:
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The project must be new and not part of an established organization. Established NGOs or formal institutions are advised to apply during FRF’s regular grant cycle instead.
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The initiative must be directly tied to preventing a proposed dam rather than general conservation activities.
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Applicants must be able to articulate their issue and intended actions clearly, even if they are at the very early stages of forming a campaign.
This focus ensures that the Emergency Grant supports those most in need of quick-start resources to take immediate, decisive action for river conservation.
How to Apply?
To apply for the Emergency Grant, applicants need to send an email summarizing their issue and project goals to the Free Rivers Fund. The application should outline the urgency of the dam threat, the project’s intended actions, and why immediate funding is required. The process is intentionally simple and designed to minimize administrative burdens, allowing applicants to focus their energy on river conservation efforts rather than complex paperwork.
Application Deadline
The deadline to apply for the current cycle of the Emergency Grant is 25 September 2025. Applications submitted after this date will be considered in the next review cycle.
Last Date To Apply
