The American Forest Foundation (AFF) is a national 501(c)(3) conservation organization based in Washington, DC, with over 80 years of experience working with family forest owners. The organization is designated for educational, charitable, and scientific purposes, with a primary focus on forest conservation. AFF is the only conservation group working on a national level to empower family forest owners across a wide range of partners to cultivate conservation impact in their forests.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$157.8M
-0.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.5M
+30.7% YoY
Grant Count
46
+12.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$55K
+16.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: AFF delivers meaningful conservation impact through the empowerment of family forest owners. The organization works to overcome pressing conservation challenges by collaborating with family forest landowners, conservationists, corporations, community-based organizations, and policymakers. The organization intentionally engages across racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, and other groups.
Primary Conservation Goals:
- Decreasing carbon in the atmosphere
- Cleaning air and water
- Protecting wildlife habitat
- Supporting rural communities
- Providing sustainable wood supplies
- Mitigating devastating wildfires
- Supporting local economies
Program Areas:
Woodlands Portfolio: Leveraging over 80 years of experience with family forest owners, AFF's woodlands programs increase the amount of family forests under sustainable active management. Efforts address wildfire threats, provide access and opportunity for underserved landowners, build community through the American Tree Farm System, and promote biodiversity and conservation. Family-owned forestlands comprise 39% of all U.S. forests.
Carbon Programs: AFF harnesses family forests as a critical element in climate change mitigation. The organization works to expand access and reduce barriers to the voluntary carbon market for family forest owners, enabling them to achieve their goals while making environmental and economic contributions.
Programs Overseen: American Tree Farm System, Family Forest Carbon Program, and My Sierra Woods.
Grantmaking
AFF does not operate traditional competitive grant programs. Instead, the organization primarily receives large federal grants and distributes sub-grants to partner organizations to support family forest owners.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
AFF operates nationally across the United States, with emphasis on family forest owners in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Financial Position (2024):
- Total Assets: $158 million
- Total Revenue: $20.3 million
- Total Expenses: $31.3 million
- Total Liabilities: $24.3 million
Financial Position (2023):
- Total Assets: $159.2 million
- Total Revenue: $11.3 million
- Total Expenses: $28.5 million
Staffing: The organization employs approximately 108-116 dedicated professionals.
Tax Status: Tax-exempt since April 1994 (EIN: 52-1235124). Donations are tax-deductible.
Rating: AFF received a perfect 100% Four-Star rating, reflecting exceptional accountability and transparency in its operations.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $157,811,524 | $159,235,437 | $169,090,278 |
| Revenue | $20,267,955 | $11,289,683 | $11,706,016 |
| Expenses | $31,338,342 | $28,485,680 | $27,206,495 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $4,770,583 | $2,294,639 | $-4,929,873 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
237 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Rita Hite became AFF's first woman president and CEO in 2022, bringing more than 20 years of experience shaping strategy and unlocking billions of dollars in support for family forest stewardship.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALEX ALVAREZ | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| JAMESON FRENCH | PAST CHAIR | 1 | — |
| SOPHIE BECKHAM | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| PAIGE GOFF | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| VICKI CHRISTIANSEN | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JASMINE BROWN | INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| SCOTT DEITZ | INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MYRON FLOYD | INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JENNIE STEPHENS | INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| TIM STOUT | INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ED VILLANO | INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| RITA HITE | PRESIDENT AND CEO | 40 | $374,031 |
| JILL HARRIS | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE & OPERATIONS | 40 | $286,262 |
| NATHAN TRUITT | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT CLIMATE FUNDING | 40 | $258,962 |
| CHRSTINE CADIGAN-BENONIS | EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CARBON ORIGINATION | 40 | $227,918 |
| NATALIE KING | CHIEF OF STAFF AND CULTURE | 40 | $175,569 |
| GLYNNIS BREEN | VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $258,785 |
| DAWN SIMMONS | VICE PRESIDENT OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE | 32 | $170,631 |
| RAMSEY OLWAN | SENIOR DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC FINANCE | 40 | $170,237 |
| JILLIAN DYSZYNSKI | DIRECTOR, CLIMATE FINANCE | 40 | $168,159 |
| JOHN RINGER | SENIOR DIRECTOR, ENVIRONMENTAL MARKETS AND PROJ FI | 40 | $167,834 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
AFF was awarded $35 million through USDA's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program to unlock climate-smart market opportunities for family forest owners.
AFF Awarded IRA Funds to Empower Landowners with Market ...AFF received $20 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds to support rural economies with climate-smart forestry. This funding empowers family forest owners to remove 100 million tons of carbon from the planet by 2030, utilizing strategies such as the voluntary carbon market.
AFF Awarded IRA Funds to Empower Landowners with Market ...Contact Information
Address: 2000 M Street, NW, Suite 550, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-765-3660
Email: info@forestfoundation.org
Website: forestfoundation.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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