Projects: How we fund?

TOFT PROJECT FUNDING & PARTNERSHIP

This season (2010) Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT) is seeking to take the campaign further with the aim of seeking specific projects or initiatives that can both enhance conservation efforts in buffer or corridor regions of protected areas and help community integration and enterprise within the tourism sector.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF LODGE PARTNERSHIPS?

TOFT does NOT aim to be a conventional NGO funder.

All project proposals put forward must have the support of, and be sustainable through, collective or individual lodge partnership and where necessary purchasing support. (i.e. There is a mutual benefit, financial or otherwise, to these partnership)

Furthermore each project can be started by initial TOFT funding, specific advice or help from TOFT members or TOFT marketing and membership support.

All lodge partners involved in such projects will gain the benefits of such relationships in terms of useful services or new experiences to offer their clients, but also count towards enhanced PUG rankings.

WHAT ARE THE PROJECT REQUIREMENTS?
All proposals must prove to have one or more of the following criteria :

• Long term chance of being sustained through ongoing lodge or private enterprise use, support or product purchase (not through continued TOFT or other NGO funding)
• Have an inherent ‘value’ in terms of local employment, training and enterprise opportunity to the village or greater community
• Can directly or indirectly benefit long term conservation of the park through active park support, awareness and education
• Offers tangible benefits or services to parks, TOFT members and tourism services, or communities without compromising the environment.

AMOUNT OF STARTER FUNDING?

Funding support can be considered from as small an amount as US$100 to larger amounts of up to US$5000 in the first year of funding from December 2007.

A total of US$10000 of TOFT funding has been set aside for projects starting in early 2010, and some consideration will be given to project from all six Tiger reserves within which TOFT works.

Funding is generally given as one off payments to project applicants at the start of the project and overseen and accountable to the TOFT representatives in each park and the new TOFTindia Committee in Delhi.