Header photo: Araripe Manakin © Ciro Albano
Worldwide, many animal and plant species are struggling. The main cause is the increasing demand for land, food, and raw materials. Agricultural expansion, land clearing for cattle pastures, logging, and other human activities are important drivers of deforestation and nature degradation. Globally, 28 percent of the assessed plant and animal species are listed as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[1]The IUCN Red List of Threatheted Species™
The solution: safeguarding and connecting habitats
The good news: there is a solution to this problem. Safeguarding and reconnecting the habitat of these species in strategic places is an effective tool to protect nature. By creating corridors between isolated pieces of habitat, monkeys, elephants, and parrots and other species’ populations, can migrate safely and become healthy again.
The Land Acquisition Fund therefore enables local nature organisations around the globe to secure key ecosystems by purchasing or long-term land leasing, or by setting up Other Effectively Managed Areas (OECMs). By protecting, expanding, and (re)connecting the habitat of endangered and vulnerable species, these species have a second chance. Since its foundation in 2001, the fund has enabled the safeguarding of over 64,000 hectares of threatened nature.
Direct, trust-based support to local NGOs
Each year, an increasing number of nature organisations from Africa, Asia, and Latin America apply for funding. If their proposal is approved, the local organisations use the funds to establish a protected area. In some cases, the funding enables these organisations to create privately managed reserves under their ownership. In others, the land becomes part of the national protected area system, or the funds help secure community land rights and establish an OECM. We believe local grassroots organisations need to have direct, trust-based support to protect the nature they are deeply passionate about. With deep knowledge of the area and strong connections in the local community, they are best suited to safeguard the habitats of endangered species.
Working together with local communities
The projects supported by the Land Acquisition Fund do not only benefit animal and plant species. By working together with the communities in the area, the partners of the Land Acquisition Fund ensure the long-term conservation of species and their habitats, as well as benefits for the people depending on these ecosystems. Not only do these people often depend on ecosystems for their livelihoods, but they also possess a wealth of traditional knowledge.
Become a partner: apply for funding
The Land Acquisition Fund invites local conservation NGOs and CSOs from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to submit proposals.
The application deadline for 2026 closed on 1 May. The next call for proposals will be launched in January 2027.
‘We help passionate conservationists in realising their dreams, like protecting an endemic, endangered species or saving a threatened ecosystem, to which they have a unique connection. It is amazing to see the extreme joy of local conservationists when a species, such as the harpy eagle or Persian leopard, returns to the project area.’
- Marc Hoogeslag, coordinator of the Land Acquisition Fund
Local conservation heroes
Supporting the right people in the right places is what makes all the difference for endangered species. We therefore support the work of – often young – conservationists with a ‘fire in the belly’. The fund also provides direct support to organisations in countries where other donors are reluctant to go, such as Venezuela, Iraq and Iran.
‘We help passionate conservationists in realising their dreams, like protecting an endemic, endangered species or saving a threatened ecosystem, to which they have a unique connection. It is amazing to see the extreme joy of local conservationists when a species, such as the harpy eagle or Persian leopard, returns to the project area,’ shares Marc Hoogeslag, coordinator of the Land Acquisition Fund.
Read more about the initiatives supported by the IUCN NL Land Acquisition Fund:
A global network
The Land Acquisition Fund is more than a fund alone. For us, it is important that the local conservation heroes can continue their work in the long term. That is why the Land Acquisition Fund team invests in strong, lasting relationships with the partners. We do this by connecting them with other funds and partners, for example by organising exchange events. In this way have built a global network of local conservationists and international donors over the past decades.
An example of a network partner is Conservation Connect, a central reference for donors and conservation projects worldwide, to connect and increase impact.
Guidelines for privately protected areas
The IUCN NL Land Acquisition Fund and American Bird Conservancy developed practical guidelines for people managing these reserves. The manual is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Other relevant resources
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