Forest Basin Fund (15.651)
Forest Basin Fund (Assistance Listing 15.651) is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $31.9 million in 21 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $1.5 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $1.5 million. Half of the 21 awards fell between $599,873 and $2.4 million, and they ranged from $188,730 to $5.0 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$31.9 million
- Grant awards21
- Typical award$1.5 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$2.5 million
- Size rank1,165 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants (discretionary)
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $1.1 million in fiscal 2021 to $2.5 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1165th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 10 largest recipients received 104% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 2 states and territories.
What the program funds
The Central Africa Regional Program supports projects in Central Africa that strengthen capacity, target key threats to wildlife and their habitats, and build a better evidence base for conservation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) prioritizes strengthening capacity for wildlife protection, including the professionalization of park staff, protected species management, and wildlife law enforcement. USFWS provides tools and technologies for measuring, evaluating, and improving the effectiveness of site-based protection and wildlife conservation. The success of USFWS efforts depends on building the capacity of Central African governments and field partners to professionally manage and protect their national resources. USFWS works closely with governments, other U.S. agencies, international donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), wildlife colleges, communities, and a range of other partners to ensure a strategic, results-based approach to wildlife stewardship in Central Africa. Through a competitive process, USFWS provides support where it is needed most and can be applied effectively. Long-term goals of support include: (1) improving site-based wildlife conservation in priority population strongholds in Central Africa; (2) ?increasing individual and institutional capacity for more effective wildlife protection at the local, national, and regional level including the professionalization of protected area staff; and ?(3) directly addressing regional and emerging pressures on wildlife including the unsustainable regional trade in wildlife products, transhumance, and zoonotic disease.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Past notices
Of 2 notices posted under this program since 2021, most went up in July (1) and September (1).
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Federal, State and local government agencies; non-profit, non-governmental organizations; and public and private institutions of higher education, or any of the stated associate entities on behalf of an eligible individual.
What the money can and cannot pay for
No new funding for this program is expected. Assistance Listing will remain active to allow Bureau to close all currently open awards and report any associated amendments to government-wide systems that require the identification of an active number as a key reporting element. Funds provided under this program will not be used for: the purchase of firearms or ammunitions; buying of Intelligence information or paying informants; gathering information by persons who conceal their true identity; law enforcement operations that prompt suspects to carry out illegal activities so they may be arrested (entrapment); or any activity that would circumvent sanctions, laws or regulations of either the U.S. or the country in which the activity would occur. Funds may not be used to provide material support or resources to individuals, entities, or organizations of countries that have been identified by the U.S. Department of State as state sponsors of terrorism. These funds may not be used towards training U.S. Federal Government personnel. Program will fund projects that link directly to the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking: Implementation Plan. (https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/nationalstrategywildlifetrafficking.pdf). Funds will not go towards projects that support the government of a country determined by the U.S.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Variable amounts. Generally $50,000 or less. Higher amounts may be requested.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: Strengthening the capacity for long-term conservation of elephant, chimpanzee, and other protected wildlife in Mbam & Djerem National Park, Cameroon.Fiscal Year2026: No new projects were funded in FY26.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Forest Basin Fund (15.651) awarded $31.9 million across 21 grant awards, an average of $1.5 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildlife Conservation Society | New York | 6 | $12.8 million |
| Agence Nationale Des Parcs Nationaux | 2 | $9.9 million | |
| African Parks Network | 4 | $5.6 million | |
| Noe | 1 | $1.5 million | |
| Zoologische Gesellschaft Frankfurt Von 1858 E.V. | 2 | $1.3 million | |
| World Wildlife Fund, Inc. | District of Columbia | 1 | $745,276 |
| Dla Piper UK LLP | 1 | $598,440 | |
| Center for International Forestry Research (Cifor) | 1 | $398,477 | |
| Ecole Pour La Formation Des Specialistes de La Faune de Garoua | 1 | $271,000 | |
| Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management | 1 | $188,730 |
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 32% of the money.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 11 | $21.9 million | 68% |
| Nonprofits | 10 | $10.4 million | 32% |
By state
1 state has a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. It is New York.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 7 | $11.9 million |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $745,276 |