THE CYCLONE GRANT

As you know, 100% of your Cyclone membership fee already supports vital research and conservation efforts around the world for manta and devil rays. Funding from The Cyclone is extremely valuable to the Manta Trust because, unlike most other sources of funding we receive, it is unrestricted. This means that we have the freedom to use your donations wherever they are most needed to benefit our work and the work of our Affiliate Projects. Here are just a few examples of the many things we use Cyclone funding for:

·         Launching new projects that are a priority for mobulid conservation efforts. Sometimes vitally important work for mobulid conservation can be difficult to fund because it is less glamorous or is just not a fit with any available grants. Cyclone funding enables us to get this critical work done without delay.

·         Supporting our Affiliate Projects most impacted by the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2020, Cyclone income allowed us to send emergency funding to several of our Affiliate Projects that had lost vital financial support due to the pandemic.

·         Filling in essential budget gaps that allow manta researchers to get new projects off the ground. Grants are a vital source of income for our work, but they often come with restrictions on how their funding can be spent. Some will not cover travel costs for example, whilst others may not fund the purchase of equipment. Cyclone funding stops these funding gaps from hindering research progress.

·         Developing a new global, educational outreach programme. With the support of Cyclone funding, we have begun work to greatly expand our outreach by developing an education strategy that will benefit people (especially children) from all backgrounds, all around the world, and help to build more in-country capacity in mobulid range states.

·         Supporting the Manta Trust core team who are the backbone of our global mobulid network.  It is often challenging to find funding to support the staff who develop, manage, and invigorate vital conservation work. View this insightful Ted Talk by Dan Pallotta to learn why.

Now we want you to help us decide how your donations should be used. So, we are delighted to announce the launch of The Cyclone Grant! Each year we will ask you, our Cyclone Members, to pick a project to benefit from a £5,000 grant made using funds raised through Cyclone membership. The winning project will report back to you regularly over the following year, to show you exactly how your funds are being spent and answer any questions you may have about their work.