{"id":204879,"date":"2025-06-28T10:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T17:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/?page_id=204879"},"modified":"2025-09-12T05:51:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:51:01","slug":"grants-for-wildlife-conservation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-for-wildlife-conservation","title":{"rendered":"Wildlife Conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-container gb-block-container\"><div class=\"gb-container-inside\"><div class=\"gb-container-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light\" style=\"min-height:151px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-16807\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/funding-guide-banner-blue-dots-1.png\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8ffa2c48d5516194f1c1cef7deadc598\" style=\"color:#484848;font-size:42px\">Grants for Wildlife Conservation<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"intro-box has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebeeeb\">Learn about wildlife grants by exploring our curated list of top wildlife funders below. Grantseekers can also research funding opportunities using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grantfinder-search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">search tool <\/a>for Grant Finder. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/membership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Become a member. <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grantfinder-sign-up\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-1 one-column gb-background-auto gb-background-no-repeat\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bg-radiant-dots-shortest.png);background-position:50% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-0 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\" style=\"padding-top:20px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-2 gb-2-col-wideright\" style=\"padding-top:60px;padding-right:30px;padding-bottom:6px;background-position:80% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-2 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column ip-gf-key-funders-box gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Key Funders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list key-funders-list\">\n<li>Animal Network <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-a\/arcus-foundation\">Arcus Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant-places\/arizona-grants\/arizona-community-foundation\">Arizona Community Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant-places\/texas-grants\/communities-foundation-of-texas\">Communities Foundation of Texas<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant-places\/florida-grants\/community-foundation-of-sarasota-county\">Community Foundation of Sarasota County<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liebchens Gift Foundation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/l-grants\/lilly-endowment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lilly Endowment<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/fundraising-in-philadelphia\/richard-king-mellon-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Richard King Mellon Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant-places\/minnesota-grants\/minneapolis-foundation\">Minneapolis Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>National Wild Turkey Federation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oregon Community Foundation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant-places\/bay-area-grants\/placer-community-foundation\">Placer Community Foundation <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/7thgenerationadvisors.org\/\">Seventh Generation Advisors<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Funding trends for wildlife conservation grants<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This page addresses grantmaking for wildlife conservation. For information on grants for animal rescue and welfare, see IP<\/em>&#8221;s <em>Grant Finder page on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-for-animals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">grants for animal rescue and welfare<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipbes.net\/news\/Media-Release-Global-Assessment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a million<\/a> species are threatened with extinction. There are more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">46,000 species<\/a> on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Red List<\/a> of threatened species created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Human activities cause about 99% of threats to species (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/endangered-species\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Britannica<\/a>), including habitat destruction, poaching, the introduction of non-native species, trafficking, hunting, overfishing and the many drivers of <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/cop28-extinction-climate-change-biodiversity-1b6d2c741bca5271e7a162ac908050a1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">climate change<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflecting on species\u2019 \u201ccritical role\u201d in \u201censuring clean water, food security, cultural connections, economic stability, and social justice,\u201d the IUCN, in 2024, called on all sectors to prioritize conservation because \u201cprotecting animals, fungi, and plants is fundamental to sustaining life on earth.\u201d Indeed, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/climatechange\/science\/climate-issues\/biodiversity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UN<\/a> calls biodiversity \u201cour strongest natural defense against climate change.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the number of plants and animals on earth rapidly declines, the biodiversity crisis clarifies the inextricability of climate and wildlife conservation concerns. \u201cClimate change is a primary driver of biodiversity loss. And climate change depends on biodiversity as part of the solution,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/climatechange\/science\/climate-issues\/biodiversity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">says<\/a> Elizabeth Mrema of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<!-- Non-displaying inline paywall marker. Editors: please keep this code block. Position this block before the first full-width paragraph or just above the foundations list heading. -->\n<div id=\"ipInlineOffer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-container foundation-list paywall gb-block-container\"><div class=\"gb-container-inside\"><div class=\"gb-container-content\">\n<p>Even in the face of these mounting interrelated crises, animals and the environment together received only about 3.8% of U.S. charitable giving in 2023, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/philanthropy.indianapolis.iu.edu\/news-events\/news\/_news\/2024\/giving-usa-us-charitable-giving-totaled-557.16-billion-in-2023.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Giving USA<\/a>. Grants dedicated to wildlife conservation represent an even smaller share of this already small slice of philanthropy. Analyzing admittedly \u201cimperfect\u201d data \u2013 as data on this philanthropic sector is limited \u2013 Animal Grantmakers <a href=\"https:\/\/animalgrantmakers.org\/resources\/Documents\/AG-inUS_%20AG%20Report-final-October-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimates<\/a> that less than 1% of U.S. philanthropy is dedicated to wildlife conservation.&nbsp;<br>Small as it may be, this is a global giving area that several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-m\/gordon-and-betty-moore-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">large<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-c\/margaret-a-cargill-philanthropies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> private<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant-places\/pennsylvania-grants\/richard-king-mellon-foundation\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant-places\/pennsylvania-grants\/richard-king-mellon-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">foundations<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/home\/why-bloomberg-bezos-and-more-stepped-in-to-protect-the-high-seas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">major donors<\/a> participate in, alongside smaller foundations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-p\/patagonia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">corporate<\/a> philanthropies and individual donors at all levels. Some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/home\/2020-10-27-with-climate-impacts-hitting-home-a-tahoe-area-community-foundation-supports-forest-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">community foundations<\/a> also make grants to protect local habitats and wildlife<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the grantmaking for wildlife conservation is part of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-for-conservation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">environmental conservation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/marine-conservation-grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">marine and freshwater conservation<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/fundraising-for-climate-change\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">climate<\/a> grantmaking programs, while some grantmaking is very specific to particular species, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-a\/arcus-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arcus Foundation<\/a>\u2019s program dedicated to great apes and gibbons. The <a href=\"https:\/\/biodiversityfunders.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Biodiversity Funders Group<\/a> brings together funders at the intersections of environmental and wildlife grantmaking.&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where are wildlife conservation grants going?&nbsp;<\/strong><br><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Grants for wildlife conservation support nonprofits involved in various kinds of work to protect wild animals, plants and fungi and their habitats. Large national and international nonprofits such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ducks.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ducks Unlimited<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wcs.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wildlife Conservation Society<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.audubon.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Audubon Society<\/a> receive substantial grant support.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conservation grants fund activities such as the creation of protected areas like wildlife refuges, sanctuaries and migration corridors; rehabilitation; and policy advocacy. Grant-funded programs address threats to wildlife including poaching and trafficking, invasive species, diseases, hunting, pesticides and climate change. Grants are also made for research and media such as the nonprofit conservation news source <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Mongabay<\/em><\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is debate in the field about whether zoos and aquariums can be considered \u201cwildlife\u201d organizations, but some wildlife funders do make grants to select zoos that are engaged in conservation activities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gaps in wildlife conservation funding&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The current U.S. administration\u2019s energy policies will have <a href=\"https:\/\/awionline.org\/press-releases\/president-trumps-day-one-actions-will-decimate-wildlife-habitat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disastrous<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/defenders.org\/newsroom\/defenders-of-wildlife-voices-strong-opposition-expected-trump-executive-orders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">effects<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npca.org\/articles\/6614-five-ways-president-trump-s-executive-orders-could-harm-national-parks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">habitats<\/a> and wild <a href=\"https:\/\/biologicaldiversity.org\/w\/news\/press-releases\/trumps-energy-order-will-worsen-real-extinction-climate-emergencies-2025-01-21\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">species<\/a>. Wildlife conservation nonprofits and the philanthropies that support them face steep challenges in the effort to protect and preserve wildlife in this time. With giving for wildlife conservation representing an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/animalgrantmakers.org\/resources\/Documents\/AG-inUS_%20AG%20Report-final-October-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">less than 1%<\/a> of all U.S. institutional philanthropy, more funding is needed across the board to resource critical efforts to preserve biodiversity and all life on earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though the project is no longer active, the <a href=\"https:\/\/animalfundingatlas.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Animal Funding Atlas<\/a>, created by several funders, is still online, providing some additional data about this funding space.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group modified-date-row is-content-justification-left is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f56a869c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p><em>Published on <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:400;\" class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2025-06-28T10:37:00-07:00\">June 28, 2025<\/time><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px;width:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-1 one-column gb-background-auto gb-background-no-repeat\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bg-radiant-dots-shortest.png);background-position:50% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-0 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\" style=\"padding-top:20px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-2 gb-2-col-wideleft\" style=\"padding-top:60px;padding-right:30px;padding-bottom:6px;background-position:80% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-4 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25180599d95e511ffa03116cedf5db8d\" style=\"color:#d79533\"><strong><strong>Additional Resources<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ega.org\/\">Environmental Grantmakers Association<\/a>, which has the widest focus among these groups, also counts members that support animals and wildlife through their grantmaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about wildlife grants by exploring our curated list of top wildlife funders below. Grantseekers can also research funding opportunities using the search tool for Grant Finder. Become a member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":470,"featured_media":0,"parent":13716,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":true,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-204879","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/204879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/470"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204879"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/204879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224390,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/204879\/revisions\/224390"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}