Bobolink Foundation
Bobolink Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It supports conservation and stewardship of biodiversity through protection of natural areas, education, and building local constituencies for nature.
Bobolink Foundation at a glance
In short: Bobolink Foundation gave $19.8M across 44 grants in 2024 (avg $450K), mostly in Virginia. 12% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $19,790,736
- +38.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 44
- -10.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $449,789
- +54.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $263,206,610
- -3.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (5 of 41, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (72% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bobolink Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its website says funding opportunities come through its conservation network and its own active engagement, and that it does not review unsolicited proposals.
- Contact
Mailing address: 180 N Stetson Ave Suite 2550, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 609-1100
Website: https://bobolinkfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bobolink Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Rainforest Trust ($7.0M). Together the top 10 received $18.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
248 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 121 grants of 248 (49%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation lists Coastal Conservation, Community-Based Conservation, Grasslands of the Americas, and Wildlife and Wild Landscapes of the Americas as focus areas. In 2024, 72% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia, 11% to Texas, 4% to Illinois, 3% to Maryland, and 2% to Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bobolink Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 41 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $99K; repeat grants $536K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 83% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 57% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 111% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $11.3M (2020) to $19.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 44 grants totaling $19.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rainforest Trust Warrenton, VA | Taquari $5M, Choc $2M | $7,000,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Unrestricted Charitable Gift | $7,000,000 |
| Re Wild Austin, TX | Unrestricted Charitable Gift | $2,250,000 |
| New Venture Fund Baltimore, MD | Andes Amazon Fund capacity building | $685,736 |
| Friends of the Forest Preserves Chicago, IL | Unrestricted Charitable Gift | $450,000 |
| Friends of BirdLife International Inc New York, NY | Unrestricted Charitable Gift | $305,000 |
| Oregon Desert Land Trust Bend, OR | Trout Creek stewardship endowment | $280,000 |
| One Hundred Miles Brunswick, GA | Unrestricted Charitable Gift | $275,000 |
| Osa Conservation Washington, DC | Unrestricted Charitable Gift | $200,000 |
| The Field Museum Chicago, IL | Keller Science Action Center / Latin America | $200,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Bobolink Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $263,206,610 | $8,889,125 | $20,784,155 | $19,790,736 | 44 | $20,232,429 | $8,352,700 | $18,255,907 |
| 2023 | $272,949,412 | $3,736,007 | $15,550,551 | $14,270,051 | 49 | $12,817,562 | $5,895,869 | $16,826,714 |
| 2022 | $286,956,420 | $38,620,882 | $17,073,178 | $15,350,000 | 51 | $15,793,798 | $49,285,604 | $14,773,489 |
| 2021 | $245,588,846 | $69,634,076 | $14,050,185 | $12,586,500 | 51 | $12,981,276 | $23,284,248 | $14,044,877 |
| 2020 | $228,685,103 | $6,317,584 | $13,346,693 | $11,262,000 | 53 | — | $2,535,604 | $12,742,021 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bobolink Foundation reported a distributable amount of $18.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to advance conservation and stewardship of biodiversity through the protection of natural areas, education, and building local constituencies for nature. Its stated focus areas are Coastal Conservation, Community-Based Conservation, Grasslands of the Americas, and Wildlife and Wild Landscapes of the Americas.
The foundation describes locally owned conservation as more likely to endure and highlights empowering people to care for nearby nature. Its 2024 grants illustrate support for varied conservation organizations. Rainforest Trust describes its work as creating rainforest reserves through partnerships and community engagement; The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Other recipients describe work in Cook County public outdoor spaces and native habitats (Friends of the Forest Preserves), Oregon’s high-desert lands (Oregon Desert Land Trust), Georgia’s coast (One Hundred Miles), birds and habitats across the Americas (American Bird Conservancy), and ecosystems and border communities (Borderlands Restoration Network).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 44 grants totaling $19,790,736. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $7,000,000, with a median of $30,000. The largest awards were $7,000,000 each to Rainforest Trust, for “Taquari $5M, Choc $2M,” and The Nature Conservancy, for an unrestricted charitable gift. Re Wild received $2,250,000 for an unrestricted charitable gift; New Venture Fund received $685,736 for Andes Amazon Fund capacity building; and Friends of the Forest Preserves received $450,000 for an unrestricted charitable gift. Other listed grants included $305,000 to Friends of BirdLife International, $280,000 to Oregon Desert Land Trust, and $275,000 to One Hundred Miles.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Henry M. Paulson Jr., Wendy J. Paulson, Henry Merritt Paulson III, and Amanda Clark Paulson as part-time trustees, and Justin Pepper as executive director. The foundation’s website identifies Wendy Paulson as chairman, and lists Hank Paulson, Merritt Paulson, and Amanda Paulson on the board. It lists Justin Pepper as Chief Conservation Officer and Amanda Paulson as Special Projects Officer.
Bobolink Foundation is led by Justin Pepper, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 2 of 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Justin Pepper
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
$185K (2020) → $183K (2024)
Amanda Clark Paulson
Trustee & Part Time
On filings since 2020
$38K (2020) → $92K (2024)
Henry M. Paulson Jr.
Trustee & Part Time
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Henry Merritt Paulson III
Trustee & Part Time
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Wendy J. Paulson
Trustee & Part Time
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $183K, to Justin Pepper (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Bobolink Foundation
How much does Bobolink Foundation give each year?
Bobolink Foundation gave $19.8M across 44 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $14.3M across 49 grants.
What is Bobolink Foundation's typical grant size?
Bobolink Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $30,000, and its average grant was $449,789, across 44 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bobolink Foundation that year got $99K on average.
Where does Bobolink Foundation give grants?
Bobolink Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (5 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Dekalb, IL (3 grants) and Brunswick, GA (2 grants).
Does Bobolink Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 77% of Bobolink Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (34 of 44) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bobolink Foundation's largest grantees?
Bobolink Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Rainforest Trust ($7,000,000), The Nature Conservancy ($7,000,000) and Re Wild ($2,250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bobolink Foundation?
Bobolink Foundation reported $263.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $20.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $18.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bobolink Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to advance conservation and stewardship of biodiversity through the protection of natural areas, education, and building local constituencies for nature. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bobolink Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bobolink Foundation's EIN?
Bobolink Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2988627. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Bobolink Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bobolink Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bobolink Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bobolink-foundation-morg_8ef96e58007c4cd49ef0c8a47bef4b58
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_942988627_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bobolink Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bobolink-foundation-morg_8ef96e58007c4cd49ef0c8a47bef4b58},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bobolink Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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