The Endangered Language Fund

There are currently about 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, and at least half are projected to disappear in this century...

The Endangered Language Fund
is helping to stem the tide

The 2025 Native Voices Endowment call for proposals is now open.
The 2026 ELF-UNESCO Traineeship application is now open.
The 2025 Language Legacies call for proposals is now closed.
The 2025 Sharing Language Diversity Fellowship call is now closed.

Dr. Lalnunthnagi Chhangte with Ralte speaker; Language Legacies grant 2010

The UN International Year of Indigenous Languages has now been expanded to the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (see our links)

Learn more about the Endangered Language Fund's first sponsored UNESCO trainee (in partnership with the UNESCO Chair on Rights Education Among Indigenous and Non Dominant Language Communities), Sarojini Birua from the Ho community in India (pictured with Noro Andriamiseza Ingarao , Programme Specialist in Education, UNESCO): Multilingual Education Key

Our Grants

N|uu language reader; Language Legacies grant; Sheena Shah 2014

Language Legacies Grants
(The Request for 2025 Proposals is now closed)

Yakama elder and Sahaptin native speaker, the late Dr. Virginia Beavert (1921-2024); 4 time NVE grant recipient

Native Voices Endowment Grants
(The Request for 2025 proposals is now open)

How Can You Help?

Group photo from a trip to Phainuam during 2010 project on the Ralte language in India

Donate to ELF online at www.networkforgood.org

Delegates from the three Mishmi language groups

Contribute

You can help support projects all over the world by donating to ELF

Join the ELF Royalty Club

Publishing a book? Crown that achievement by donating your royalties to the ELF Royalty Club!

In Memorium

The Endangered Language Fund is very sorry to hear that Stephen R. Anderson died on October 13, 2025. He was a member of ELF’s Board of Directors for many years, and a valued supporter for many more. He will be missed by all. Steve was a fellow of the AAAS and other prestigious organizations, and the only person to serve two years as president of the Linguistic Society of America. Steve joined the Yale Linguistics Department in 1994 from Johns Hopkins University and retired in 2017, having profoundly shaped the study of language at Yale for more than 20 years. He was a champion of Open Access and a strong advocate of linguistics and linguists throughout his long career. Our condolences go out to his wife Janine and the rest of his family.

Our deepest gratitude goes to Jonathan Fox and the Myaamia Center for helping us create this website. Neewe!
Thanks also to Hannah King for her work developing it.

Technology support generously provided by the Myaamia Center at Miami University.

Cover photo by Dr. Mite Lingi, from 2015 Language Legacies project, used with permission. Photo depicts yu acoka (Idu Mishmi for 'bamboo rice beer containers'), hanging on a post at a house where the Ren festival is taking place.