Introducing the Cyprus Environment Foundation

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean featuring a huge diversity of landscapes and habitats. The island hosts some of the Mediterranean’s most rare and threatened floral species as well as some of the most important turtle nesting sites in the region and is one of the world’s most important bird migratory corridors and biodiversity hotspots. The island’s unique geological history which formed the terrain of Cyprus millions of years ago, along with the region’s prevailing climatic conditions, mean that many of its habitats and taxa are unique to the island and found nowhere else in the world.

Despite Cyprus having one of the highest proportions of nature protected areas among other EU members, many are the pressing issues undermining the sustainability and stability of the island’s natural and human ecosystems.

The scoping report carried out prior to the founding of CEF, outlines the island’s natural state and identified the foundation’s 4 areas of interest: Biodiversity Conservation, Regenerative Land Use, Sustainable Waste Management and Sustainable Resource Management.

All funds raised by our group of private donors and business partners, go towards supporting environmental conservation work taking place on the island of Cyprus.

We strongly believe that by supporting local environmental and conservation groups we can make a positive impact and bring about long-lasting positive environmental change.

We do this by…

• Channelling funds from businesses and philanthropists to grassroots nature regeneration projects.
• Tapping into our network of experts to support the projects offering the largest returns for nature.
• Building local coalitions that catalyse systemic change.
• Being agile, unbureaucratic, and ‘getting stuff done’.
• Providing projects with vital funds to scale their impact.
• Attracting new sources of environmental funding by showcasing what can be achieved by nature regeneration.
• Pooling funds thus leveraging each donors contribution to generate bigger impact

We support local non-profit organizations, associations, clubs, informal groups, social cooperative enterprises and other local bodies conducting work and research that fall under our four areas of interest. Non-local applicants, already active in the area or experts within that field are also eligible for grants and strategic partnerships if they prove that their work will build capacity within the community and create an impact on the ground.

Applications for grant funding from the CEF, should demonstrate clear and measurable environmental impact, aim to build capacity and encourage local society participation. A special priority is given to projects that seek to leverage support through supplementary funding sources and with the aim to produce replicable results across the island and the Mediterranean region.

Applications for grants are approved by the CEF’s Steering Committee quarterly. If you are an organization or group conducting conservation work in Cyprus, head over here to find out more about our grant giving process.

If you are an individual or a corporation who finds CEF’s mission compelling, connect with us and find out more about the diversity of ways you can contribute to our work, through donations, revenue and services sharing, support through fundraising events or volunteering.