The GEF Small Grants Program
The Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Program (GEF SGP) finances community-led initiatives to address global environmental issues through a decentralized, country-level delivery mechanism. It is usually supported by a country management team and a multistakeholder governance structure. GEF SGP is designed to mobilize bottom-up actions by empowering local civil society and community-based organizations, including women, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and other marginalized and vulnerable populations.
For the last 30 years, the GEF SGP has served as an important mechanism to deliver community-based grants supporting Indigenous Peoples, civil society organizations (CSOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs), to achieve GEF’s mission and mandate. GEF SGP 2.0 takes the GEF's mission to the next level by the addition of new implementing agencies that bring added expertise and knowledge to the GEF SGP.
FAO joins the GEF Small Grants Program Partnership
In January 2024, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) selected the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as a new GEF SGP Implementing Agency.
Countries and communities are increasingly looking for practical, locally-led solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. In support of this effort, the GEF invited FAO to join the GEF SGP family as part of the new “GEF SGP 2.0”, and to expand, diversify, innovate and optimize the delivery of resources to the beneficiaries, including agricultural and rural communities.
As a new GEF SGP Implementing Agency, FAO bring to the GEF SGP partnership its technical expertise, country presence and experience from past GEF investments to the partnership. FAO will help community-based and civil society organizations design and deliver locally led initiatives that strengthen resilience, enhance livelihoods, and deliver global environmental benefits.