Free Rivers Fund Grants

The Free Rivers Fund (FRF) supports initiatives and direct action in defense of free flowing rivers. We provide grants for activists and conservation groups that work to protect rivers from dams and development. No matter if you have been an organization for several years already or if you are just starting out with no results to show yet – we are looking forward to receiving your application: If you are fighting for free flowing rivers: please apply!

Requirements and Application procedure

Requirements

To apply for a FRF grant you just need a river and a plan of how the money will be used to help this river become or stay free flowing. This could be either action towards undamming rivers (removing existing structures that prevent a natural flow in a river bed, natural transport of sediments and barriers to migrating fish), or action to preserve free flowing rivers (fighting against new dams or hydropower projects).

Anyone can apply: You do not need to be a registered non-profit organization but you must have a clear plan or already be in action to protect rivers in some capacity. Sadly, we currently cannot process applications from Africa.

What we fund: projects that have the general aim to preserve or reinstate a river in it’s free-flowing state. As long as that general goal is met – the kind of project or action is up to you. In the past we have funded: costs for lawyers & legal fees, protests, equipment to conduct research, photography, film & art projects & equipment, travel costs and much more.

We do not fund: Clean-Ups, general research projects, general renaturalisation and reforestation projects and any projects that have not the general aim to preserve or reinstate a river in it’s free-flowing state. 

Funding

The Free Rivers Fund cannot give out money directly to the grantees. This is due to our legal structure and the only way to give grants to people and projects that are not registered non-profits. Instead, the Free Rivers Fund pays bills & expenses for the projects. There are several possibilities for you to get your funding, please find more detailed information in our info sheet for applicants and grantees.

The total amount of funding depends on the total incoming donations and the number of eligible applications. We favor the projects that are most urgent and/or where the grant possibly makes the biggest difference. Generally you can expect between 1000€ and 2000€.

Application Procedure

Application opens each year on November 1st. To apply, please fill out the online application form before January 10th 2026. The initiatives will be chosen by our committee and will be announced by the end of January 2026.  We are trying to support you as non-bureaucratic as possible – therefore the online application form is short – please only stick to this form. If we have questions or need more info, we will contact you!

What we want from you

We want you to get your work done and save your river, so we’re trying not to cause unnecessary effort for you. However, we do have an obligation towards our donors to keep them updated where their money is going. All we ask you to give us one update during the period of your Free Rivers Fund grant – yes. ONE. We will share this trough our (social) media channels, so please make sure you send one decent picture and a summary of max 4 sentences about what you are doing, your actions, your river, and how your project is going. That’s all we ask for!

Application is open Nov. 1st 2025 – Jan. 10th 2026.

Questions?

Please contact us!