The Catalyst Fund 2025 Funding Round supports the advancement of collaborative landscape conservation and stewardship efforts across the United States by providing strategic, targeted investments in collaborative capacity. The Fund is administered by the Network for Landscape Conservation and is designed to strengthen the ability of Landscape Partnerships to implement long-term, community-grounded, and inclusive conservation initiatives. This year’s cycle includes a special opportunity to integrate climate-informed conservation planning through a pilot collaboration with the Land Trust Alliance’s Land and Climate Grant Program.

Strong applications will come from place-based Landscape Partnerships that demonstrate key characteristics such as long-term conservation goals, collaborative governance, community inclusiveness, and informed decision-making grounded in science, Indigenous knowledge, and social insight. Partnerships must be geographically specific, transcending jurisdictional boundaries and addressing interconnected conservation and stewardship issues at an ecological scale. Tribal-led partnerships are especially encouraged, with considerations given to their unique governance structures and knowledge systems. Non-Indigenous applicants supporting Tribal-led initiatives must include a letter of support affirming Indigenous leadership.

The Fund prioritizes support for Partnerships that are at pivotal development stages, particularly the transition from planning and vision-setting to implementation and action. Proposals should emphasize how a modest investment can significantly accelerate a Partnership’s progress, such as through coordination staffing, improved systems, governance models, or shared strategies. Proposals must align with the Catalyst Fund’s Collaborative Capacity Framework, which includes six structural elements (e.g., coordination capacity, decision-making structures) and three binding elements (inclusive culture, collaborative mindset, and meaningful relationships).

An optional aligned opportunity exists for Partnerships to apply for additional climate-informed planning funding of up to $20,000 through the Land and Climate Grant Program. This supplemental program is available to Catalyst Fund applicants who meet certain criteria, including having a Land Trust Alliance member land trust in good standing as fiscal sponsor. The climate grant supports development of conservation plans, strategies, and internal policies that reflect climate resilience goals. Successful applicants will also receive remote technical assistance.

Applications for the Catalyst Fund are reviewed based on their demonstration of collaborative capacity, stage of partnership development, and potential for durable impact. Applicants must be nonprofit entities or Tribes, with Tribal-led partnerships eligible for funding even in early stages of formation. Proposals are reviewed separately for the Catalyst Fund and the Land and Climate Grant Program, but applicants may use a unified application process for both.

For questions related to the Catalyst Fund, contact Sara at sara@landscapeconservation.org. For inquiries about the Land and Climate Grant Program, contact Kelly Watkinson at kwatkinson@lta.org.