2023 Explore Fund

Frequently Asked Questions.


WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS ARE PROHIBITED FROM APPLYING FOR AN EXPLORE FUND GRANT?

  • Programs without a significant outdoor component or activities that are not aligned with the activities and interests of The North Face.
  • General outdoor day camps unless outdoor recreation activities or skill building are core and significant to the overall purpose/mission. Outdoor camps serving under-resourced and/or under-represented population may apply.
  • Projects focused on research, white papers, and conferences.
  • Endowment or capital fund campaigns
  • Ropes courses, museum and aquarium trips
  • Dancing and art classes
  • Advocacy or political campaigns
  • Sustainability, green building projects, or landscape projects
  • Expeditions & Races
  • Land acquisitions or conservation easements
  • Most salaries. See overhead restrictions
  • Wildlife and ocean conservation focused projects
  • Agricultural and food waste focused projects
  • Film, video, book or movie projects
  • Marketing or awareness raising projects
  • Festivals
  • Projects outside of Australia or New Zealand

 

WHAT TYPES OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES DOES THE NORTH FACE PREFER TO SEE IN AN APPLICATION?

  • Projects with strong outdoor engagement in activities such as skiing, snowboard, snowshoeing, climbing (indoor or outdoor), kayaking, white water rafting, camping, backpacking, and hiking among other outdoor sports that align with The North Face are preferred.
  • Ropes courses and projects that are primarily in-class room with outdoor aspects are generally not funded.

 

WHAT TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES DOES THE NORTH FACE PREFER TO SEE IN AN APPLICATION?

  • We’re looking for projects both large and small in scale. Projects with innovative approaches to inspiring community engagement and tangible outcomes in protecting the environment are encouraged. Land based projects are preferred. These projects include but are not limited to trail building and restoration, forestry, shoreline clean-up, invasive species and trash removal. Additionally, projects may address larger goals such as technologies that impact climate change and ecological diversity.
  • Ph.D. projects, community gardens, corporate volunteer opportunities, school service projects and field trips are generally not funded in this category.

 

HOW DOES THE EXPLORE FUND DEFINE UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS?

  • Applicants will have the opportunity to define and describe how they are serving an underrepresented or under-resourced population. This description may vary from one community to another.

 

CAN LAND TRUSTS APPLY?

  • Yes, but funding cannot be used to purchase land. Land trusts that have received the grant in the international program have used the funding for environmental stewardship programs.

 

DO YOU PROVIDE GRANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS OR ORGANISATIONS?

  • Explore Fund grants also exist in the U.S. and Canada. To apply for an Explore Fund grant in Canada, click HERE, and in the U.S, click HERE.

 

AM I REQUIRED TO PURCHASE THE NORTH FACE EQUIPMENT FOR MY PROGRAM?

  • No, you are not required purchase The North Face equipment.

 

CAN I SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE APPLICATION?

  • Yes, but we strongly discourage multiple applications. If you would like to discuss which program would be a better fit, email explorefund@thenorthface.com.au

 

MY ORGANISATION HAS MULTIPLE CHAPTERS. IS IT BETTER TO APPLY AT A NATIONAL LEVEL OR A LOCAL LEVEL?

  • We do not have a preference. Before applying at the local/chapter level, discuss your application plans with your national team lead. Within some organisations, it makes more sense to apply for a grant at a national level and for others it does not.

 

WHEN EVALUATING APPLICATIONS, WHAT OTHER FACTORS DOES THE REVIEW COMMITTEE CONSIDER?

  • Applications are evaluated generally against annually updated funding priorities, and specifically as to program impact, values, design, as well as the alignment to the mission and funding goals of The North Face. Should questions arise through the review process, applicants may be contacted to provide clarification or resubmit an application.
  • Factors such as geographic diversity of applicants are taken into consideration too when making funding decisions.

 

BUDGET QUESTIONS



CAN MY ORGANISATION USE THE FUNDING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS?

  • Yes, but we prefer to see a well-rounded budget. Applications where stipends or scholarships are the only budget item are unlikely to be funded.

 

WHAT ARE OVERHEAD COSTS? WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE PORTION OF THE GRANT THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO OVERHEAD COSTS?

  • Overhead costs refer to the ongoing expenses related to operating a business, such as rent, insurance, and annual salaries. Budgets for consultants such as instructors or guides are not considered overhead. The maximum proportion of the grant that is allocated to overhead costs should be determined by the formula below.

Budgets for consultants such as instructors or guides are not considered overhead.

The formula for determining overhead costs is below.

  • $5,000 – $10,000 – 12.5%
  • $10,001 – $15,000 – 15%
  • $15,001 - $25,000 – 20%

 

TIMELINE

WHEN ARE APPLICATIONS DUE?

  • Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. AEST on September 30.

HOW MANY GRANTS ARE AWARDED EACH YEAR?

  • 3-5 grants will typically be awarded each year.

HOW LONG IS THE AWARD PERIOD?

  • Grantees will have one year from the time they receive their grant funding to complete their projects.

WHAT ARE THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS?

  • The reporting requirements vary from year to year but include questions such as number of participants served, success metrics, demographic details, and activities completed. Reporting requirements are emailed one month prior to the end of the one-year grant cycle.

I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK ABOUT MY EXPLORE FUND APPLICATION. WHO DO I CONTACT?

  • Acceptance and decline letters are emailed to grantees but these notifications sometimes are filtered into spam or junk folders. Check the timeline for key dates and email explorefund@thenorthface.com.au if you have not heard back. If you received a grant, the Explore Fund team will follow-up by phone if we have not heard back from you.

 

APPLICATION HELP AND GUIDANCE



WHO DO I EMAIL ABOUT HELP FOR MY APPLICATION?

WILL I RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON MY APPLICATION?

  • The Explore Fund Council will endeavour to provide one-on-one feedback when requested by the applicant. Applicants will receive an opportunity to request feedback on their proposal after grant recipients are selected and all applicants are notified.

I MET ALL THE CRITERIA FOR THE EXPLORE FUND BUT STILL DID NOT RECEIVE A GRANT. WHY HAVE I NOT RECEIVED A GRANT?

  • Due to the high volume of grant requests we receive, we are unfortunately not able to fund all qualified programs.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT APPLICATION?

  • Be clear and concise. State your program’s objectives and activities at the beginning of your application. Please be clear about the activities your participants are involved with.
  • Describe your participants. Demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of the needs of your participants.
  • Avoid generalities. In the limited space for your project descriptions, please be careful to not make general statements as to why getting outdoors or protecting the environment is important. Additionally, including quotes from participants and news articles do not necessarily make for a better application.
  • Show impact. Share how your program has impacted participants in the short and long term. When possible, use quantitative data to show impact.
  • Share how your program is unique. The Explore Fund receives hundreds of applications and the more you can differentiate from other outdoor programs the better.
  • Details of your budget are clearly outlined.

I AM UNABLE TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN APPLICATION, IS THERE ANOTHER WAY I CAN APPLY?

  • Application submissions can be made in the following formats - written document (3 pages), video (up to 3 minutes), or verbally in a phone call. We aim to ensure our application process is as inclusive and accessible as possible. If you need any further information or assistance in order to complete this application, please email our team at explorefund@thenorthface.com.au.

WHO DO I CONTACT ABOUT TECHNICAL ISSUES REGARDING MY APPLICATION?