Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature logo

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature

Private foundation · Grantmaker New York, NY EIN: 83-2043292 Website

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature is a New York, New York–based private foundation that supports conservation work. Its website describes the Fund for Wild Nature as investing in bold grassroots organizations and innovative efforts to protect biodiversity and wilderness, with grants for North American campaigns to save native species and wild ecosystems.

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature at a glance

In short: Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature gave $543K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $26K), mostly in Arizona. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$543,000
+19.2% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
21
+110.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$25,857
-43.2% vs 2024
Median grant
$15,000
Total assets
$2,887,226
-11.2% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
33% first-time grantees (7 of 21, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Arizona (56% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. The website also describes an application process: review the blank application, complete an online eligibility quiz, and, if eligible, proceed to the online application. Its application materials request project and organizational information, including goals, strategy, timeline, expected outcomes, references, budgets, financial statements, and proof of 501(c)(3) status for the applicant or fiscal sponsor. The website says it does not fund the activities and organizations listed above.

Review Cycle
The website lists May 1 and October 1 as annual application deadlines, with decisions expected in late June and late November, respectively.
Deadline
The website lists May 1 and October 1 as annual application deadlines, with decisions expected in late June and late…
Contact

Mailing address: C/O Bbh Co 140 Broadway Pb-Tax S, New York, NY 10005
Phone: (212) 493-8000
Website: https://fundwildnature.org

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Natural History Institute: $100KNatural History Institute$100KCenter for Biological Diversity Inc: $80KCenter for BiologicalDiversity Inc$80KACLU: $50KACLU$50KCosmos Theatre Arts: $50KCosmos Theatre Arts$50KThe Pad Project: $50KThe Pad Project$50KGrand Canyon Trust: $30KGrand Canyon Trust$30KOceana: $30KOceana$30KEarthjustice: $25KEarthjustice$25KSouthern Utah Wilderness Alliance: $20KSouthern Utah WildernessAlliance$20KApache Stronghold: $15KApache Stronghold$15K

The largest 2025 recipient was Natural History Institute ($100K). Together the top 10 received $450K.

Grant Size Distribution

161 grants across all recorded years

148<$50K7$50–100K5$100–250K1$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 148 grants of 161 (92%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The website describes the Fund’s grantmaking as supporting North American campaigns. In filing year 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Arizona (56%), California (15%), Washington, D.C. (13%), New York (11%), and Utah (4%).

Grant Distribution by State

19states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.

Cities

WashingtonPrescottFlagstaffNew YorkTucsonOaklandSan FranciscoArlingtonSouth SalemLos AngelesNewburyportMissoulaSalt Lake CitySanta MonicaSedonaSitkaBoulderBozemanCottonwoodDurango

Is Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature open to new grantees?

33%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 7 of 21 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $28K. How we count

Medians: $15K first-time, $15K repeat.

  • 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 93% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 292% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K28 grants2020 27 grants2021 52 grants2022 51 grants2023 10 grants2024 21 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $281K (2022) to $669K (2023). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $543K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Natural History Institute Prescott, AZGeneral$100,000
Center for Biological Diversity Inc Tucson, AZGeneral Operating$80,000
ACLU New York, NYGeneral$50,000
Cosmos Theatre Arts Prescott, AZGeneral$50,000
The Pad Project Los Angeles, CAGeneral Support$50,000
Grand Canyon Trust Flagstaff, AZGeneral$30,000
Oceana Washington, DCGeneral$30,000
Earthjustice San Francisco, CAGeneral$25,000
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Salt Lake City, UTGeneral Support$20,000
Apache Stronghold San Carlos, AZGeneral$15,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$2,887,226$223,922$563,155$543,00021$546,600$208,047$187,391
2024$3,251,774$71,317$482,148$455,50010$463,685$53,654$217,778
2023$3,659,240$93,278$696,687$669,25051$676,865$74,766$209,736
2022$4,266,017$206,877$312,260$281,00052$287,300$186,555$222,647
2021$4,371,403$514,812$442,557$406,50027$414,195$461,016$259,985
2020$4,299,153$110,953$556,936$515,00028—$87,648$233,522

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature reported a distributable amount of $187K for 2025 — 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 Fund for Wild Nature’s stated mission is to invest in bold grassroots organizations and innovative conservation efforts that meet emerging needs for protecting biodiversity and wilderness. Its website says it gives particular emphasis to defending threatened wilderness and biological diversity, and seeks proposals with effective, intelligible strategies and tangible goals.

The website lists advocacy, litigation, and public-policy work among the activities it funds. It says it does not fund basic scientific research, private land acquisition, for-profit enterprises, individual action or study, conferences, or organizations receiving government funding or support. It also excludes wildlife sanctuaries, rehabilitation facilities, botanical gardens, zoos, learning centers, and habitat restoration. Media projects must have clear strategic value to biodiversity and a concrete dissemination plan.

Recent recipients include organizations with varied stated missions. The Natural History Institute says it promotes the health and well-being of humans and the natural world through a revitalized practice of natural history integrating art, science, and humanities. The Center for Biological Diversity says it works to secure a future for species at risk of extinction through science, law, and creative media. Earthjustice describes its work as using law and partnerships to protect health, places and wildlife, advance clean energy, and combat climate change. These are the grantees’ own descriptions, not statements of the Fund’s mission.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $543,000. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $100,000, with a median of $15,000.

Among the largest 2025 grants were $100,000 to Natural History Institute, $80,000 to Center for Biological Diversity Inc., $50,000 each to ACLU, Cosmos Theatre Arts, and The Pad Project, and $30,000 each to Grand Canyon Trust and Oceana. The reported purposes included general support, general operating, and general-purpose support.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Tyson Fitzmorris as director, president, and treasurer, and Michaela Carter as director and secretary. The Fund for Wild Nature website describes its board as volunteer-led.

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature is led by Tyson Fitzmorris, Director, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Tyson Fitzmorris

    Director, President & Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michaela Carter

    Director & Secretary

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Frequently asked questions about Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature

How much does Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature give each year?

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature gave $543K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $456K across 10 grants.

What is Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature's typical grant size?

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $25,857, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature that year got $23K on average.

Where does Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature give grants?

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature gives mostly in Arizona: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (15%) and District of Columbia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (5 grants), Prescott, AZ (4 grants) and Flagstaff, AZ (3 grants).

Does Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature's largest grantees?

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature's largest 2025 grantees include Natural History Institute ($100,000), Center for Biological Diversity Inc ($80,000) and ACLU ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature?

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature reported $2.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $547K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $187K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature fund?

The Fund for Wild Nature’s stated mission is to invest in bold grassroots organizations and innovative conservation efforts that meet emerging needs for protecting biodiversity and wilderness. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature?

The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature's EIN?

Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-2043292. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature 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

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 16, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gwydion-fund-for-wild-nature-morg_11a5a030d8aa4e50abf5d3a276f6319e

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_832043292_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/gwydion-fund-for-wild-nature-morg_11a5a030d8aa4e50abf5d3a276f6319e},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Gwydion Fund for Wild Nature'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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