These are living databases updated regularly. Bookmark them and check back often; new opportunities are added often.
A global platform hosting open calls, grants, and awards specifically for photographers and visual storytellers. Hosts opportunities from organisations including Vital Impacts, World Press Photo, and many others. Filterable by discipline and deadline.
The most comprehensive weekly-updated opportunities calendar for African creatives across every discipline – filmmakers, photographers, illustrators, writers, musicians, and more. Filterable by category, country, and deadline. If you are a creative based in Africa, this is your first stop.
The International Documentary Association’s searchable directory of grants, fellowships, and labs for documentary filmmakers globally. The public view shows active opportunities for free; IDA members have access to the full directory, including deadlines, calendar view, and advanced filters.
A curated, well-maintained list of documentary and film funds organised by region, including dedicated sections for Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Maintained by The Whickers, a UK-based fund for documentary makers.
The go-to hub for natural history and conservation storytellers. Lists funding, fellowships, and career opportunities in wildlife and environmental media, updated regularly. The Jackson Wild Collective is their members-only online community offering daily-updated jobs and opportunities in natural history and creative storytelling, plus exclusive workshops, masterclasses, and funding opportunities year-round.
Beyond their grants and festival, Wildscreen runs NatureStory – an online community for natural world storytellers to connect, develop their craft, and access exclusive content. The Pro membership unlocks a global professional network, learning opportunities, and priority access to Wildscreen events. Their Talent Schemes page lists all current funding, bursaries, and fellowship programmes.
A leading narrative change organisation that regularly shares grants, fellowships, training programmes, and creative opportunities for African storytellers, journalists, filmmakers, and artists.
Offers one $20,000 grant for an established environmental photographer and six $5,000 grants for emerging photographers globally, plus a 12-month mentorship programme. Focused on solutions-based environmental and wildlife storytelling. Named grants include the Ian Lemaiyan Environmental Photography Grant, honouring Indigenous experiences in conservation.
Production grants of up to $20,000 for professional photographers and additional student grants for those producing documentary stories that drive social change. One of the longest-standing photography grant programmes globally.
East Africa’s dedicated documentary fund. Supports talented East African filmmakers with production funding at various stages, alongside curated workshops designed specifically for the needs of the East African film industry. One of the most established film funds on the continent.
Offers grants at four stages: development, production, post-production, and emergency funding. Open to directors and producers based on the African continent and of African descent who have at least one previous short or feature film.
A pan-African fund supporting the creative and cultural industries across the continent, including film and visual arts. Has previously awarded up to $10,000 to African projects and created a solidarity fund for creatives in crisis.
Funding and professional development for West African documentary filmmakers. Includes project funding, creative labs, one-on-one mentoring, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities.
Open to Sub-Saharan African creatives working in innovative multimedia production across five categories: web creation, virtual reality, animation, video games, and digital music. Targets artists, producers, designers, startups, and students in the media and creative industries.
Funds journalists, photographers, and filmmakers pursuing underreported stories across Africa. Offers multiple nature and environment-specific tracks: the Rainforest Investigations Network Fellowship (full-time year-long fellowship covering salary and research costs for investigative journalists reporting on the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia – 2026 cohort open), the Rainforest Reporting Grant (short-term project funding for individual journalists), the Ocean Reporting Network Fellowship, and the Underreported African Stories Grant. Open to both staff and freelance journalists globally.
A talent development initiative for emerging natural history, science, and exploration storytellers providing advanced training in filmmaking and photography throughout the programme.
The Save Our Seas Foundation Grants support research, conservation, and storytelling projects focused on protecting marine life, especially sharks, rays, and other ocean species, while also encouraging strong public awareness and impact-driven communication. They provide funding across different schemes, including small grants, larger research grants, and storytelling grants, for early-career and established practitioners working to advance ocean conservation globally.
One of the world’s largest alliances of environmental reporters. EJN runs multiple grants and fellowships throughout the year for individual journalists and media organisations covering climate, biodiversity, forests, and oceans. Current open calls include Biodiversity Story Grants (5–10 grants to individual journalists globally), Forest Governance Reporting Grants (priority for African countries including Cameroon, Liberia, and Ghana), and Biodiversity Media Grants for media organisations in low- and middle-income countries. Check their opportunities page regularly – calls open multiple times a year.
SEJ maintains one of the most comprehensive directories of environmental journalism awards, grants, and fellowships globally – updated regularly. Includes opportunities from organisations across North America, Europe, and international bodies. A strong bookmark for any writer covering environment, conservation, or climate.
Awards fellowship grants of $40,000 for 12-month projects and $20,000 for six-month projects, covering travel and research costs for working journalists pursuing independent investigations of significant public interest. No geographic restriction – open to international journalists. Strong track record of funding environmental and conservation stories.
A searchable, regularly updated database of grants for individuals and organisations working in biodiversity, conservation, wildlife, forests, and environment – including many opportunities for writers, researchers, and communicators. Particularly useful for finding smaller or less widely publicised funding calls. Free to search, no registration required.
Supports bold, impactful thinkers for a year – long enough to make progress on a book, develop a series of articles, or work on another accessible public interest project. Fellows typically receive $15,000–$30,000. No residency or nationality requirements. Open to journalists, scholars, filmmakers, and public policy analysts. Fellows attend two cohort gatherings during the fellowship year.
NEWF is a South Africa-based, community-centric organisation which runs multiple fellowship and lab programmes each year for African filmmakers, photographers, scientists, and conservationists at different career stages.
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