The Turing Foundation was established in 2006 through a donation of €100 million by Pieter Geelen, among the founders of a Dutch company that produces navigation systems. The foundation’s name honors the British scientist Alan Turing for his contributions to modern computer science.
The Foundation has four program areas:
- Art in the Netherlands;
- Education of Children;
- Leprosy Control; and
- Nature Conservation.
With the exception of Art in the Netherlands, the Foundation’s grants are for programs and projects in the developing countries.
Grant Programs for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, Natural Resources
Nature Conservation. The Turing Foundation’s interests in Nature Conservation (broadly defined) are as follows:
- Marine ecosystems and marine protected areas (“nurseries of the sea”), and
- Sustainable land use in West Africa.
Projects in marine conservation focus heavily on the Asia-Pacific Coral Triangle, but also include marine protected areas on the coasts of Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Foundation’s funding for sustainable land use in West Africa includes support for tree planting, conservation agriculture, protection of local water sources, and other greening activities.
About the program
Most grants in the program for marine conservation and sustainable land use are to Dutch and international organizations that work with local partners. Projects are generally over €30 thousand per year, and some are multi-million grants over several years.
APPLICATION: In its theme on Nature Conservation, the Turing Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.
However, it invites brief project summaries for purposes of information. Turing’s website provides guidelines on what to include in the summaries, and where to send them.
Geographical Distribution of Grant Activities in Developing Countries
Turing’s grants for nature conservation and sustainable land use focus on two regions.
Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands
Sub-Saharan Africa
Note: The geographical priorities for projects in Africa are are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Dem Rep Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
The Foundation’s website is available in Dutch and English.
The Foundation posts annual reports, as well as news items and press releases.
Contact Information provides complete details.
September 2021