The Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation is an independent grant-making organization that uses its annual investment income to finance conservation activities. Grants are awarded to eligible Bhutanese individuals and institutions based on any of the following Program Focus of the Second Strategic Plan of 2011:

a. Basic, baseline and critical research will be encouraged in the following areas:

i.          Discovery and inventories of flora and fauna

ii.         Traditional knowledge in the areas of environmental conservation

iii.        Aquatic eco-systems

iv.        Select populations’ perceptions and knowledge of environmental issues

v.         Relationships between religious and spiritual belief systems and behavior toward

specific elements of the natural environment

b. Economic development issues that have direct impacts on natural environment

i.          Projects will be encouraged that focus on:

- solid waste management

- sewage treatment

- loss of habitat by uncontrolled development

c.  Climate change adaptation strategies

i.          Addressing the short term and long term impacts of climate change on the ecosystems and species identified to be at high risks

ii.         Helping communities to tap c/c funds from other sources

iii.        Development of mitigations measures that will offset/prevent climate change effects

- renewable  energy

- bio-mass technology, alternatives and efficiencie

d.  Awareness and education

i.          Projects that can be integrated into the existing education system at all levels

ii.         Collaborative projects among CSO’s and media organizations

iii.        Projects that focus on rural communities

e.  Green sector proposals will be prioritized based on their adherence to funding   criteria with special emphasis being given to:

i.          Collaborative strategies among multiple sectors and organizations

ii.         Key emerging issues with major immediate impacts

iii.        Reinforcement of previous BTF investments in the National Park and  protected area systems

f.  Rural/community projects that integrate two or more of the following:

i.          Alternatives to livelihoods that have adverse environmental impacts

ii.         Community Based Natural resource management

iii.        Economic development impacts on the environment

iv.        Awareness of cause and effect from environmentally destructive behaviors

v.         Direct involvement of community and rural schools

g.  Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)

i.          Support projects that promotes IWRM principles and concepts in water resources

management

ii.         Advocacy and awareness to promote water conservation and utilization

iii.        Water resource management at community level