March Conservation Fund
March Conservation Fund is a private foundation based in San Francisco, California. It makes grants to support conservation, ecological research, and efforts to help people become stewards and advocates for the natural world.
March Conservation Fund at a glance
In short: March Conservation Fund gave $4.8M across 79 grants in 2024 (avg $61K), top state California. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,830,754
- +25.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 79
- +17.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $61,149
- +6.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $77,909,269
- +4.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (10 of 79, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (49% 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 March Conservation Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The fund does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website says only invited organizations may apply to the Latin American Reserve Stewardship Initiative (LARSI). It also describes small research grants for studies related to threatened bird species, with application information available through its partner organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1016 Lincoln Blvd Mailbox 1, San Francisco, CA 94129
Phone: (415) 290-5779
Website: https://marchconservationfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who March Conservation Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Bird Conservancy ($595K). Together the top 10 received $3.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
330 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 234 grants of 330 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s 2024 grant dollars were reported as 49% to recipients in California, 17% in New York, 17% in Virginia, and 4% in Rhode Island. Its website describes Latin American conservation work in the Chocó, the Tumbesian, and the Atlantic rainforests, as well as North American grants. The website’s grant listings include organizations working in the United States and Latin America.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 79 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is March Conservation Fund open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 79 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $68K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 97% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 105% 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 $2.1M (2020) to $4.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 79 grants totaling $4.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Bird Conservancy The Plains, VA | General Support $573,41; Restricted Support $21,568 | $594,981 |
| Wildlife Conservation Network San Francisco, CA | Restricted Support | $550,000 |
| Point Blue Conservation Science Petaluma, CA | General Support $1,300; Restricted Support $451,340 | $452,640 |
| Friends of Birdlife International New York, NY | General Support | $360,248 |
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | General Support | $348,266 |
| Rainforest Trust Warrenton, VA | General Support | $225,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Warwick, RI | General Support | $200,000 |
| Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy San Francisco, CA | Restricted Support | $139,640 |
| Jocotoco Conservation Foundation Baltimore, MD | Restricted Support | $121,000 |
| Uc Santa Cruz Foundation Santa Cruz, CA | Restricted Support | $102,400 |
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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 | $77,909,269 | $8,138,671 | $5,092,012 | $4,830,754 | 79 | $4,953,630 | $3,212,776 | $4,723,833 |
| 2023 | $74,862,610 | $5,846,830 | $4,134,929 | $3,847,640 | 67 | $3,985,427 | $1,505,080 | $4,099,072 |
| 2022 | $73,200,709 | $25,260,063 | $3,685,773 | $3,432,548 | 66 | $3,558,555 | $1,343,156 | $3,384,222 |
| 2021 | $51,626,419 | $17,549,420 | $2,720,683 | $2,453,261 | 60 | $2,551,127 | $851,738 | $2,862,989 |
| 2020 | $36,797,682 | $10,148,580 | $2,364,306 | $2,062,619 | 58 | — | $10,076,910 | $2,129,153 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, March Conservation Fund reported a distributable amount of $4.7M 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 fund’s stated mission is to “expand protected areas, support ecological research, and empower the public to become stewards and advocates for the natural world.” Its website describes support for capacity-building at nonprofit organizations, land acquisition and stewardship, research, environmental education, and engagement with local communities.
The fund’s Latin American program focuses on land acquisition, restoration, and stewardship in biodiversity hotspots, including the Chocó of Colombia and Ecuador, the Tumbesian of Ecuador and Peru, and Atlantic rainforests, mostly in Brazil. The website also describes support for threatened-bird research through partner organizations for researchers in Latin America, Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. American Bird Conservancy says it works to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Rainforest Trust says it creates rainforest reserves to protect endangered wildlife. Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy describes its work as preserving the parks, enhancing the visitor experience, and building a community dedicated to conservation. These are descriptions of the grantees’ missions, not the funder’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, March Conservation Fund reported 79 grants totaling $4,830,754. Grants ranged from $110 to $594,981, with a median of $25,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $594,981 to American Bird Conservancy, $550,000 to Wildlife Conservation Network, $452,640 to Point Blue Conservation Science, $360,248 to Friends of BirdLife International, $348,266 to Cornell University, and $225,000 to Rainforest Trust. Other listed grants included $139,640 to Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, $121,000 to Jocotoco Conservation Foundation, and $102,400 to UC Santa Cruz Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laurel M. Samuels as Director, Ivan A. Samuels as President, Sidney P. Samuels as CFO, and Brent M. Samuels as Secretary.
March Conservation Fund is led by Ivan A. Samuels, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 4 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ivan A. Samuels
President
On filings since 2020
32 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $30K (2024)
Laurel M. Samuels
Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brent M. Samuels
Secretary
On filings since 2020
32 hrs/week
$24K (2020) → $24K (2024)
Sidney P. Samuels
CFO
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
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 $30K, to Ivan a Samuels (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about March Conservation Fund
How much does March Conservation Fund give each year?
March Conservation Fund gave $4.8M across 79 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.8M across 67 grants.
What is March Conservation Fund's typical grant size?
March Conservation Fund's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $61,149, across 79 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from March Conservation Fund that year got $15K on average.
Where does March Conservation Fund give grants?
March Conservation Fund's top state is California, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (17%) and Virginia (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (30 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), Santa Cruz, CA (4 grants) and Warrenton, VA (2 grants).
Does March Conservation Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 72% of March Conservation Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (57 of 79) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Restricted Support" (22 grants).
Who are March Conservation Fund's largest grantees?
March Conservation Fund's largest 2024 grantees include American Bird Conservancy ($594,981), Wildlife Conservation Network ($550,000) and Point Blue Conservation Science ($452,640), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is March Conservation Fund?
March Conservation Fund reported $77.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does March Conservation Fund fund?
The fund’s stated mission is to “expand protected areas, support ecological research, and empower the public to become stewards and advocates for the natural world.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from March Conservation Fund?
The fund does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is March Conservation Fund's EIN?
March Conservation Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 68-0339625. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does March Conservation Fund 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
Live grants for the work March Conservation Fund funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in March Conservation Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). March Conservation Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/march-conservation-fund-morg_c268c49704b4472786750c9daa82dc77
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_680339625_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{March Conservation Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/march-conservation-fund-morg_c268c49704b4472786750c9daa82dc77},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 March Conservation Fund'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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