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Overview

The Global Climbing Initiative's Environmental Grants support locally led projects that protect climbing environments and promote responsible stewardship of climbing areas. These grants fund community-driven initiatives that conserve natural resources, improve the sustainability of climbing, and strengthen local capacity to care for crags and surrounding ecosystems.

What are environmental projects?

Environmental projects help ensure that climbing can continue in healthy natural environments for generations to come. They address environmental challenges associated with climbing through conservation, restoration, stewardship, education, and sustainable recreation.

Strong projects protect climbing areas while fostering a culture of environmental responsibility within the local climbing community. They are community-led, respond to locally identified needs, and demonstrate clear environmental benefit.

What this grant supports

We fund locally led projects with clear, measurable environmental outcomes.

Examples include:

Trail construction and restoration
Crag cleanups and habitat restoration
Erosion mitigation
Stewardship education and Leave No Trace initiatives
Waste management or sanitation improvements at climbing areas
Other projects that improve the long-term sustainability of climbing environments

Eligibility criteria

Projects must be:

Related to climbing (indoor or outdoor)
Led by a local climbing organization with demonstrated climbing-related impact
Proposed by a local leader of that climbing organization
Located outside of the continental United States, or led by an Indigenous community within the U.S.

Additionally, eligibility is subject to compliance and risk considerations.

Organizations may not receive funding in the same grant category in consecutive grant cycles. Previous grant partners are welcome to apply in a different category or after sitting out one cycle and will be evaluated equally alongside all applicants.

Grant details

Grant amount: Up to $1,000 USD in the Environmental category
Project leadership: Local climbing organization
Project period: Six months (see current cycle dates)

How applications are evaluated

Because we receive more applications than we can fund, we prioritize proposals that demonstrate:

Strong alignment with the goals of the Environmental Grant category
Local leadership and community stewardship
Clear environmental goals and measurable outcomes
A realistic implementation plan
Capacity to successfully complete the project
Long-term environmental benefit beyond the grant period
A realistic, well-reasoned budget focused on direct project activities
Alignment with GCI's values and commitment to locally led, community-driven work

Funding guidelines and restrictions

Budgets should be realistic, clearly itemized, and directly connected to project activities.

Grant funds cannot be used for:

Projects located in the continental United States (unless led by an Indigenous community)
Projects that are not locally led or are not clearly connected to climbing
Projects that are not centered on environmental stewardship or conservation
Research, academic projects, conferences, or white papers
Social media or public awareness campaigns
Political campaigns or advocacy
Land acquisition, easements, or endowments
Salaries, stipends, or general operating costs
T-shirts, branded merchandise, participant swag, or similar promotional items
Proposals without a clear scope, implementation plan, or timeline

Additionally:

Budgets should prioritize direct conservation and stewardship activities rather than organizational overhead or compensation for project team members. Projects whose budgets primarily compensate team members for their time are unlikely to be funded.
Organizations that primarily seek climbing gear should apply for our Gear Distribution Program instead. Limited equipment purchases that are essential to implementing the proposed grant project are permitted, but should not represent the entire grant budget.
For skills-based courses, certifications, and similar training programs, participation should be offered at no cost or at a reduced cost whenever possible.

Grant partner requirements

Grant recipients are required to:

Attend a grant finalist meeting
Sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU), code of conduct, and photography agreement
Name us as a supporter/sponsor in any public communications (such as social media) related to the project
Within 60 days of project completion, grant partners must provide:
- 1-2 page project summary
- Folder of quality photos
- Qualitative and quantitative metrics
- Quotes/testimonials from the project team