International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc
International Wilderness Leadership, Inc., doing business as The WILD Foundation, is a public charity based in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1974, it supports leaders, communities, and networks working to protect and steward wild places and benefit people and other life.
Key facts about International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc
In short: International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc gave $1.1M across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $109K), mostly in Colorado. 60% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 23-7389749
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,085,599
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- Average grant
- $108,560
- Median grant
- $30,711
- New grantees (estimate)
- 60% first-time grantees (6 of 10, 2024)
- Total assets
- $5,602,178
- Primary geography
- Colorado (53% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$5.6M
-7.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.1M
-50.8% YoY
Grant Count
10
+25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$109K
-60.6% YoY
Is International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
60%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 10 grantees (60%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $36K; repeat grants $217K. How we count
Medians: $16K first-time, $151K repeat.
- 40% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to equip leaders, communities, and networks to act for the benefit of wilderness and people, toward a world abundant in wild nature and the well-being of all life.
Its filing describes conservation collaborative agreements that support stewardship through fieldwork and educational campaigns, including landscape restoration and the rematriation of species such as the American bison. The filing also describes the Mali Elephant Project’s work with more than 50 communities in Mali’s Gourma region and efforts to strengthen protection for 8 million hectares of elephant habitat annually. In 2024, the organization convened the 12th World Wilderness Congress, with approximately 700 delegates from 40 countries, to identify grassroots priorities and bring them to international decision-making bodies.
The organization’s 2024 grants were all designated for research and education. Among the grantees, SeaLegacy Foundation describes its mission as inspiring people to care about the ocean, amplifying a global network of changemakers, and using visual storytelling for hands-on diplomacy. Maliasili Initiatives describes its mission as accelerating community-based conservation through local organizations.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the organization reported 10 grants totaling $1,085,599. Grant amounts ranged from $8,750 to $549,178, with a median of $30,711. Notable grants included $549,178 to Earth Vision Institute, $259,500 to Wild Path, $109,000 to Intertribal Buffalo Council, $57,000 to South Dakota State University, and $42,039 to Yale University. Each was listed for research and education.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went primarily to organizations in Colorado (53%), Florida (25%), and South Dakota (15%); smaller shares went to Connecticut (4%) and Montana (2%). Listed recipients also included a Vermont organization. The organization describes its work as international: its website presents the World Wilderness Congress as a global forum, and its filing describes work with communities in Mali.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $997K (2021) to $2.2M (2023). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Earth Vision Institute ($549K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
35 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 10 grants of 35 (29%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Earth Vision Institute Boulder, CO | Research and Education | $549,178 |
| Wild Path Tampa, FL | Research and Education | $259,500 |
| Intertribal Buffalo Council Rapid City, SD | Research and Education | $109,000 |
| South Dakota State University Brookings, SD | Research and Education | $57,000 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Research and Education | $42,039 |
| Blackfeet Nation Fish & Wildlife Department Browning, MT | Research and Education | $19,383 |
| Exposure Labs Boulder, CO | Research and Education | $17,000 |
| Clean Power Everywhere Boulder, CO | Research and Education | $13,300 |
| Sealegacy Foundation Jupiter, FL | Research and Education | $10,449 |
| Maliasili Initiatives Essex Junction, VT | Research and Education | $8,750 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,602,178 | $5,889,693 | $6,526,623 | $1,085,599 (10 grants) |
| 2023 | $6,078,197 | $6,729,565 | $5,451,440 | $2,205,858 (8 grants) |
| 2022 | $4,982,905 | $5,817,157 | $5,898,700 | $2,202,343 (8 grants) |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,602,178 | $6,078,197 | $4,982,905 |
| Revenue | $5,889,693 | $6,729,565 | $5,817,157 |
| Expenses | $6,526,623 | $5,451,440 | $5,898,700 |
| Net Investment Income | $74,253 | $9,025 | $9,943 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 31, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joel Holtrop as chair; Clay Stranger as vice chair; Edward Sanders as treasurer; Lindsay Ellis and Swati Hingorani as co-secretaries; and David Barron, Charlotte Baron, Lena Georgas, Kat Haber, and Johnathan Miller as directors.
International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc is led by Joel Holtrop, Chair on every filing since 2019; 2 of 13 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joel Holtrop
Chair
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Lewis
Managing Director, Policy & Campaigns
CEO → Managing Director, Policy & Campaigns, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$120K (2023) → $120K (2024)
Jennifer Meyer
Managing Director, Operations & Finance
COO → Managing Director, Operations & Finance, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$119K (2023) → $120K (2024)
Charlotte Baron
Director
Vice Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Barron
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Johnathan Miller
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kat Haber
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lena Georgas
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keith Sproule
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward Sanders
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lindsay Ellis
Co-Secretary
Director → Co-Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Clay Stranger
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Swati Hingorani
Co-Secretary
Director → Co-Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Vance Martin (2019–2022) — President
- Former: Cristina Mittermeier (2019) — Director
- Former: Magalen Bryant (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $120K, to Amy Lewis (Managing Director, Policy & Campaigns). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 717 Poplar Ave, Boulder, CO 80304
Phone: (303) 442-8811
Website: https://wild.org
Frequently asked questions about International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc
How much does International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc give each year?
International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc gave $1.1M across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $2.2M across 8 grants.
What is International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $30,711, and its average grant was $108,560, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc that year got $36K on average.
Where does International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc give grants?
International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc gives mostly in Colorado: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (25%) and South Dakota (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boulder, CO (3 grants).
Does International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research and Education" (10 grants).
Who are International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Earth Vision Institute ($549,178), Wild Path ($259,500) and Intertribal Buffalo Council ($109,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc?
International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc reported $5.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.9M.
What does International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to equip leaders, communities, and networks to act for the benefit of wilderness and people, toward a world abundant in wild nature and the well-being of all life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc?
International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check wild.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc's EIN?
International Wilderness Leadership Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7389749. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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