“G20 Global Land Initiative 2025 Small Grants: Land Restoration Projects Funding for NGOs & Civil Society”

Introduction

If your organisation is restoring a patch of degraded landscape, re-establishing productive agroforestry, rebuilding soil and livelihoods in post-mining areas, or helping refugee or rural communities revive lost ecosystems — the G20 Global Land Initiative (GLI) small grants for 2025 are one of the most direct global funding windows you can try. These awards (branded in 2025 as the Restoration Returns Grants) are deliberately modest in size — which makes them ideal for community-led, field-level projects that demonstrate measurable ecological and social returns.

This guide walks you through everything you need: the programme’s purpose and structure, why it matters for civil society and local communities, how to prepare a sharp application, real examples aimed at applicants in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and a ready-to-use Statement of Purpose (SOP) template. I’ll also show a comparison table, common pitfalls to avoid, and practical monitoring indicators you can implement with limited capacity.

Two authoritative resources you’ll want open while you work are the GLI’s Grants Programme landing page and the official Call for Applications for the Restoration Returns Grant — both are linked naturally where they matter in the text so you can jump straight to the source.

Overview of the topic

What is the G20 Global Land Initiative’s Restoration Returns small grants programme?

The G20 Global Land Initiative (GLI) runs a small grants programme to accelerate community-led land restoration. In 2025 the programme — called Restoration Returns — opened a second round of funding for field-level restoration projects. Grants are intended to support actionable, locally-rooted interventions that restore degraded land, strengthen community resilience, and create sustainable livelihoods. The 2025 call explicitly encourages proposals that deliver measurable benefits to both people and ecosystems.

Key facts at a glance (from the 2025 announcement):

Grant name: Restoration Returns Grant (GLI small grants programme).
Award size: Up to US$17,000 per project in the 2025 call (this is the programme’s typical small-grant envelope designed for field projects).
Who can apply: Civil society organisations, community-based organisations and local NGOs doing field restoration (check country eligibility and application criteria on the GLI page).
Focus areas: Community-led ecosystem restoration, sustainable land management, livelihood linkages and high social return on restoration investments.
Deadline & timeline: The 2025 open call (announced 15 July 2025) set application deadlines for mid-September 2025; refer to the official GLI page for the current window and any resubmission notices.

These modest grants are explicitly designed to make field-level experimentation and scaling possible — the idea is to seed many local projects, learn what works, and aggregate those lessons into regional and national restoration agendas.

Why the G20 Global Land Initiative 2025 small grants matter

On paper these are small amounts — but the strategic value of the Restoration Returns small grants lies in the combination of money + visibility + technical linkages:

Money that goes straight to the field. The grants are intentionally sized for on-the-ground actions: soil restoration trials, native species replanting, micro-irrigation pilot systems, or community nurseries. For local communities, even a US$10–17k seed can pay for seedlings, training, tools, short-term labour, and an independent assessment.
Policy leverage and credibility. Projects selected by the GLI gain credibility and visibility. GLI is connected to global climate and biodiversity forums (UNCCD, CBD, UNFCCC) and showcases successful local projects in larger policy dialogues — which can help projects attract follow-on funding or national adoption.
Rapid learning and replication. Because the grants are small and numerous, the GLI can test many restoration approaches in different socio-ecological contexts; successful models are then shared in GLI knowledge platforms and training modules. This accelerates learning across regions.
Focus on livelihoods and returns for people. The Restoration Returns grant emphasises not just ecological outcome but return to people — meaning projects that create jobs, diversify incomes, or secure food systems score better.
Access for grassroots actors. Global programmes that funnel small grants directly to community groups create pathways for locally rooted solutions to scale without the long delays typical of large donor processes. The GLI’s previous round attracted hundreds of applications from more than 100 countries, indicating high demand and broad reach.

Key Importance — strategic priorities and what GLI values in applicants

If you’re thinking of applying — or partnering with groups that will — you need to understand the programme’s priorities and selection signals. Drawing from the GLI materials and the Restoration Returns call, the most important selection factors are:

Community ownership and participation. Projects must be locally led, or at least demonstrate active local participation (committees, co-design sessions, women and youth involvement).
Clear restoration outcomes. Proposals should define measurable ecological indicators (area restored, survival rates of seedlings, soil organic carbon gains, water infiltration rates) and social indicators (number of livelihoods supported, hours of local labour, incomes).
Feasible, replicable interventions. GLI prefers projects with clear, realistic budgets and the potential for replication in similar landscapes.
Cost-effectiveness. For a small grant, clear cost-per-outcome figures (e.g., cost per hectare restored, cost per household trained) greatly help reviewers judge value for money.
Learning and sharing. Plans to monitor, evaluate and share lessons — including photos, short videos, and community case studies — are weighted favourably.
Safeguards and land tenure sensitivity. Practical attention to land rights, gender equity, and environmental safeguards must be included.

If you address these areas clearly and simply in your proposal, you will be aligned with the GLI’s core priorities.

Key insights — what makes a competitive Restoration Returns application

Below are the tactical insights that will help your application stand out. Treat them as a checklist while you draft.

Start with a one-page problem statement, anchored to local data. Use local monitoring results, community testimony and — where possible — basic metrics (e.g., hectares degraded, percent crop yield loss). Keep this data realistic; reviewers prefer honest baselines to exaggerated claims.
Write a crisp Theory of Change (one page) that links inputs → activities → outputs → outcomes → impact. Use simple short bullets: “Plant 5,000 native seedlings → 80% survival at 12 months → increase biomass & infiltration → reduce erosion and increase fodder availability → improve household incomes by X%.”
Design the activity plan for a 6–18 month timeline. Small grants perform best with short, achievable timeframes. Define milestones and who will deliver them.
Set 3–5 clear indicators that you will measure. For example: area (ha) restored, seedling survival %, number of women trained, short-term wage income created, and a simple community wellbeing score.
Use unit costing. If you need US$17,000, show exactly how that will be spent: seedlings, seedbeds, tools, stipends, transport, M&E, communications. GLI reviewers like transparent budgets.
Include local co-investment or inkind support where possible. Even small community labour contributions or nursery space strengthens the case.
Plan for simple M&E and knowledge products. Two short videos, a baseline and endline photo set, and a one-pager lesson learned are enough to satisfy reporting.
Address risks and tenure issues up front. If restoration occurs on communal land, show community consent documents or minutes. If it’s former mine land, outline remediation safety steps.
Write succinctly and avoid jargon. Use short paragraphs, bullet points and tables. The GLI receives hundreds of applications — clarity helps.
Engage an external evaluator or university where possible. Even a small independent verification increases credibility.

If you tick these boxes, your proposal will be competitive in this funding niche.

Benefits — what a funded project can realistically deliver for communities

A US$10–17k small grant can achieve measurable impact when targeted carefully. Typical deliverables and benefits include:

Seedling nurseries and native tree planting (0.5–5 ha depending on cost and context).
Soil health interventions (micro-embankments, mulching, cover cropping) that reduce erosion and improve yields.
Community nurseries and job creation (temporary or part-time roles for local women and youth).
Training for sustainable land management (farmer field schools or extension sessions).
Livelihood linkages (value-chain pilot for non-timber forest products, seed collection, or ecotourism micro-trials).
Pilot monitoring & shared learning assets (photo stories, short films, and a final case study that can be used for follow-on funding).

Small grants are powerful when used as seed money that leverages additional in-kind or matching contributions (local government support, volunteer labour, donated tools). They are generally not intended to fund long-term salaries or large infrastructure.

Table — Quick comparison: Restoration Returns grants vs. typical small environmental grants

Feature	GLI Restoration Returns (2025)	Typical small grants (NGO foundations)
Purpose	Community-led land restoration with social returns.	Broad environmental activities (conservation, education, capacity)
Grant size	Up to US$17,000 (2025 call).	Varies widely (US$5k–25k)
Geographic focus	Global, with emphasis on community projects; GLI prioritizes high-impact restoration areas.	Depends on funder; some prioritize local regions or specific themes
Selection signal	Replicability, community benefit, cost-effectiveness, learning & sharing.	Varies; may prioritize innovation, advocacy, or capacity
Reporting expectations	Short M&E deliverables, photos, and knowledge products for GLI platforms.	Often similar, but reporting format varies by donor
Visibility	Projects highlighted in GLI knowledge hubs & events — policy visibility potential.	May or may not offer broader policy visibility

This quick comparison helps you position your project against GLI priorities and tailor messaging appropriately.

Real-world examples — three realistic project scenarios (Asia, Middle East, Africa focus)

Below are three anonymized but realistic case studies showing how diverse applicants can use a Restoration Returns small grant effectively.

1) International student & university partnership (Bangladesh — coastal mangrove restoration)

Context: A Bangladeshi PhD student studying coastal ecology has pilot data showing that planting a mixed species of native mangroves increases juvenile fish catches and reduces shoreline erosion.

Project idea: With a GLI small grant, the student’s team (university + local fishers’ cooperative) would scale a pilot in three villages: establish a community nursery, plant seedlings across 1.5 ha, provide training on sustainable harvesting, and monitor survival and fish catches for 12 months.

Why it fits: The project is community-led, demonstrates clear ecological and livelihood returns, and includes university M&E capacity. A small grant of up to US$17k covers nursery materials, seedlings, stipends for local monitors, and basic M&E equipment. The team publishes a short case study to the GLI platform, helping scale the model across coastal Asia.

2) Educators & local NGO (Kenya — dryland rangeland restoration and fodder security)

Context: A county education office and a local NGO run agroecology training with school-based demonstration plots. Recurrent droughts degrade pasture and reduce school livestock production for feeding programmes.

Project idea: A Restoration Returns grant funds establishing 10 drought-tolerant seed banks, training women pastoralists on reseeding micro-catchments, and rehabilitating 2 hectares of communal rangeland with strategic water harvesting. The project includes school-based learning modules and work experience for students.

Why it fits: This approach combines education, community livelihoods and restoration, aligning well with GLI’s “return to people” criterion. The small grant covers seeds, training costs, and a community facilitator — and results are showcased in GLI learning exchanges.

3) Parent-led community group (Jordan — urban green roofs & water harvesting)

Context: In a peri-urban area hosting refugee families, a parent-led cooperative wants to reduce heat stress and grow vegetables while creating shaded community spaces.

Project idea: Using a GLI small grant, the cooperative retrofits 10 community roofs and school courtyards with lightweight green roof systems, installs rainwater capture, and runs training sessions for mothers and youth on rooftop gardening and small-scale irrigation.

Why it fits: The project addresses urban land restoration, food security and women’s livelihoods — and it’s replicable in similar Middle Eastern urban contexts. The GLI grant funds materials, a local technician, and a simple monitoring plan (yield and wellbeing indicators).

Each of these scenarios demonstrates how local actors can design small, high-impact pilots that link ecological restoration to livelihoods and social outcomes — the sweet spot GLI is seeking.

Step-by-step application guide (beginner’s roadmap)

Use this pragmatic timeline to prepare a Restoration Returns application.

Step 0 — Read the call and confirm eligibility (Day 0)

Open the official GLI Call for Applications and verify deadlines, documentation requirements and eligible applicant types. Keep an eye out for any technical notices or resubmission windows. g20land.org

Step 1 — Draft a one-page concept (Day 1–3)

Write a single page summarizing the problem, proposed solution, key outcomes, partners, and budget total. This helps you test the idea with partners quickly.

Step 2 — Assemble partners & secure letters (Day 4–10)

Collect short letters of support (1 paragraph) from community representatives, local authorities, or cooperating institutions. If you’re a small group, partner with a local NGO or university to strengthen capacity.

Step 3 — Build a simple budget with unit costs (Day 6–12)

Prepare a lean budget showing exactly how every dollar will be used (seedlings, labour, transport, monitoring, communications). Calculate unit costs (per seedling, per ha, per training session).

Step 4 — Create a one-page Theory of Change and M&E plan (Day 8–14)

Produce a one-page Theory of Change and a short M&E matrix listing indicators, data sources and frequency.

Step 5 — Draft the narrative (2–3 pages total) and SOP (Day 12–18)

Write the proposal narrative: context, activities, partners, risk mitigation, budget, and expected outcomes. Keep language clear and use bullets. Use the SOP template below for the applicant statement.

Step 6 — Prepare supporting documents (Day 14–20)

Attach legal status, bank details, key staff CVs (1 page each), letters of support, community consent, and any baseline photos or data.

Step 7 — Quality check and submit early (Day 18–20)

Proofread, ensure formats match the call (PDFs, sizes), and submit before the deadline. If the call asks for supplemental media (photos or short videos), supply them.

Step 8 — Prepare for reporting if awarded

Plan who will collect photos, who will do basic measurements, and how you will compile a short final report with lessons learned.

This timeline is intentionally compressed — small grants favour readiness and clarity, so starting early and keeping it simple is the best strategy.

Your Statement of Purpose — a simple, strong structure

Below is a one-page Statement of Purpose (SOP) template you can adapt when requested by the application.

[Project Title] — Statement of Purpose

Who we are (1–2 lines): Name the organisation, community group, or partnership and briefly state your mission.
Example: “GreenRoots Community (registered local NGO) works with smallholder farmers in X district to restore degraded agro-forest systems and strengthen household food security.”
Problem (2–3 lines): Concisely state the local problem with a data point if available.
Example: “In Ward 5, over 60% of cultivated land shows severe soil crusting and yields have declined by 30% over five years.”
What we will do (3–4 lines): Outline the key activities and timeline.
Example: “Over 12 months we will establish a 2,500-seedling nursery, restore 2 ha of agroforestry using native species, train 60 farmers in soil conservation techniques, and pilot a seed bank.”
Outcomes (bulleted): List 3–4 measurable outcomes.
- Restore 2 ha with 80% seedling survival at 12 months.
- Increase participating households’ dry-season fodder availability by 25%.
- Create 30 short-term labour days per month for local women.
Why GLI funding matters (1–2 lines): Explain how the small grant will catalyse change.
Example: “A US$17k grant covers nursery infrastructure and training that will reduce dependency on external seed sources and attract follow-on support from the county agriculture office.”
Commitment to learning & safeguards (1–2 lines): Briefly state monitoring and tenure/safeguard approach.
Example: “We will conduct baseline and endline measures and publish a short case study; community consent is documented in attached meeting minutes.”
Closing (1 line): Expression of readiness and gratitude.

This SOP is intentionally short and outcome-focused — reviewers read hundreds of applications, and concise clarity helps your project rise to the top.

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Many good projects fail at the application stage due to a handful of avoidable errors. Here are the top mistakes and practical fixes:

Mistake: No community buy-in documentation.
Fix: Attach meeting minutes, signatures, or a short letter from community committee members.
Mistake: Inflated targets with no budget realism.
Fix: Use conservative yield and survival estimates and show unit costs.
Mistake: Ignoring tenure/conflict risks.
Fix: Include a short risk table showing how you will avoid land conflicts and protect vulnerable groups.
Mistake: Overcomplicated M&E.
Fix: Choose 3–5 core indicators and use simple measurement methods (photo + seedling count + household survey).
Mistake: Late submission or wrong format.
Fix: Double-check submission rules and upload early.

Avoid these errors and your project will be easier for reviewers to evaluate and fund.

FAQs (Concise but useful)

Q: Who is eligible for the Restoration Returns small grants?
A: The 2025 call targets civil society organisations, community-based organisations and local NGOs running field restoration projects — check the official call for specific country or regional eligibility details.

Q: How much can I apply for?
A: For the 2025 Restoration Returns Grant the published award ceiling was US$17,000; check the official GLI call for any changes or different tranches.

Q: Is this funding for pilot projects only?
A: The grants favour pilot or early-stage field projects with potential for replication and clear social returns; they are not long-term programme funds but can be catalytic for follow-on financing.

Q: Do I need to be a registered NGO?
A: Many calls require some legal registration or a fiscal agent; however, GLI has previously supported community groups with partner NGOs acting as fiduciary agents — check the eligibility rules in the call.

Q: Will GLI provide technical support?
A: The GLI often pairs grants with knowledge sharing and visibility; technical coaching may be available through partner networks, but the grant itself primarily funds project activities.

Measuring success — recommended indicators and low-cost tools

Small projects should measure progress without expensive equipment. Recommended indicators and pragmatic tools:

Area restored (ha) — measured with GPS or simple mapping, validated with baseline/after photos.
Seedling survival rate (%) — count samples from nursery and planting sites at month 3, 6 and 12.
Number of people trained (disaggregated by gender/age) — attendance sheets + short post-training test.
Short-term income or labour days created — household survey or community work logs.
Community wellbeing score — short 3-question Likert survey on food security/wellbeing.
Photographic evidence — geotagged photos before/after, uploaded monthly.

Low-cost tools include free GPS apps, basic spreadsheets, and smartphone cameras. For small grants, sound documentation plus clear narratives often matters more than complex modelling.

Scaling up — how to use a small grant to attract bigger funding

A small GLI award can be a launchpad for larger support if you design for learning and visibility:

Plan for a “replication pitch” — include a short section in your report explaining how the model could scale (cost per hectare, institutional partners, and estimated budget for scale).
Build local champions — get a local official to sign a letter of intent to adopt or co-fund if results are favourable.
Document results well — publish a 2-page brief and a 3-minute video; these are powerful for follow-on donors.
Network via GLI platforms — take part in GLI webinars and share lessons; visibility can attract national or private funding.
Show co-investment — for follow-on funders, evidence of local co-investment is persuasive.

Conclusion — recap, call to action and a quote

Recap: The G20 Global Land Initiative’s Restoration Returns small grants programme (2025) provides a practical, strategic funding opportunity for community-led restoration projects. With grant sizes up to US$17,000, the funding is designed for field action that simultaneously restores land and delivers clear returns for people’s livelihoods. Competitive proposals are community-led, measurable, cost-effective and ready to share learn

Call to action (three immediate steps):

Read the official Restoration Returns Call for Applications and note the eligibility and deadline.
Draft a one-page concept note using the SOP template above and gather a short community consent letter.
Prepare a transparent unit budget and a 6–12 month work plan focused on measurable outcomes.

“Restoration begins where communities lead and knowledge spreads — the smallest grants often plant the biggest ideas.”