Snowchange opens Oceans-Wide Relief, a small grants programme for the marine Arctic and Pacific communities. It will be available also in 2022.
Marine communities are often the guardians and recipients of system change under way in the Arctic and the Pacific in terms of climatic (sea level rise, storms, tidal surges, coral reef die off events, human-induced ecosystem changes) and biodiversity shifts (species on the move, marine regime shifts).
Therefore we open “Oceans-Wide Relief“, a small grants programme, for the regions – We welcome applications from
- Grassroots Indigenous Organizations: grassroots Indigenous organizations who are continuously working for the collective rights of the Indigenous Peoples, and for the advancement of their self-determination. Priority is given to organizations who have lesser or no access to funding mechanisms.
- Indigenous Communities: Certain communities may also receive support upon the endorsement/recommendation of the ally and partner organizations.
- Indigenous Leaders/Individuals: In particular cases, individuals may also be granted support upon the recommendation of the region. For example, circumstances where individual is under political persecution for being a human rights defender; part of the community’s traditional authority; considered as a community change agent.
Sea ice off Iqaluit, Nunavut.
Arctic Marine Support
We welcome applications on the Marine Arctic Seas grants up to 10,000 USD / grant due to the high cost of living and transportation (fly-in communities, remoteness).
The principles of support include
- Support for actions that revitalise Indigenous ways of knowing, culture and language in coastal communities
- Allow for rapid action to respond to crisis, such as storm surges, coastal erosion events, sea ice anomalies or other hazards for Indigenous health and well being
- Allow for transition into permanent sustainable communities, such as a solar panel powered nomadic camps
- Allow for well justified equipment and gear purchases to allow traditional harvests in safe manner.
Ultimately the grants are however assessed as articulated by the community needs.
Pacific Support
Indigenous and local communities in the Pacific are eligible to apply. The guiding principles of the small grants programme will aim to
- Restore the collective coastal lands and access and resource rights where applicable
- Support community-based protocols for maintaining biocultural systems, food security and gendered ways of knowing the Pacific
- Support the sharing-gifting traditions of the region
- Support inter-community cohesion and exchanges
- Restore and directly reserve a portion of the small grants to support revitalization of traditional navigation and Starlore of the Pacific peoples
- Proliferation of technology and solutions to make Indigenous governance and coastal tenure more visible
- Implementation of Indigenous/tribal rights through traditional institutions
Ultimately the grants are however assessed as articulated by the community needs. We consider the Pacific Sea community small grants in the range of 3000-8,000 USD / grant.
Grants will be available for 2021 as long as funds remain. A new call will open in Spring 2022 for the next season. We accept applications on a rolling basis.
In order to apply, please send one page free form application, which includes contact information, rationale, and grant use proposal to
