National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is a public charity based in Washington, DC. Founded in 1984 and chartered by Congress, it makes competitive grants to sustain, restore and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats across the United States and its territories.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation at a glance
In short: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation gave $464.4M across 1,286 grants in 2025 (avg $361K), top state Virginia. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $464,384,628
- +7.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1,286
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $361,108
- -2.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $106,505
- Total assets
- $3,563,877,589
- +16.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (328 of 1,282, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (11% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 1625 Eye Street Nw Fl 3, Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 857-0166
Website: https://nfwf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
44 open opportunities from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Acres for America Grant
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Alaska Fish and Wildlife Fund
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative Grant
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Nature Conservancy ($24.2M). Together the top 10 received $118.9M.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($1,010,109), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
5,379 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 2,023 grants of 5,379 (38%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NFWF says it supports conservation efforts across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Its 2025 grants went to recipients in multiple states; the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Virginia (11%), California (10%), Alaska (7%), Maryland (6%) and Mississippi (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 1,286 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is National Fish and Wildlife Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 328 of 1,282 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $205K; repeat grants $416K. How we count
Medians: $63K first-time, $130K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $207.1M (2019) to $464.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 1,286 grants totaling $464.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Coastal Habitats / Greater Sage Grouse Cons | $24,160,857 |
| Ducks Unlimited Inc Memphis, TN | Coastal Habitat Restoration | $20,554,669 |
| Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Jackson, MS | Mississippi Coastal Habitat Restoration & MGT | $20,487,275 |
| Walker Basin Conservancy Reno, NV | Restore Walker Basin Habitat for Monarchs | $12,392,044 |
| State of Hawaii Honolulu, HI | Restore Hawaii Forests, Protect Rare Plants | $8,613,371 |
| Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana Baton Rouge, LA | Coastal Habitat Restoration | $8,232,475 |
| National Audubon Society Inc New York, NY | Stewardship of Coastal Bird Populations | $7,135,247 |
| Trout Unlimited Inc Arlington, VA | Big Whitney Complex Meadow Restoration Project | $6,414,292 |
| Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Inc Annapolis, MD | Chesapeake Stream Restoration Monitoring Plan | $5,846,114 |
| Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium Dauphin Island Sea Lab Dauphin Island, AK | Coastal and Watershed Restoration | $5,083,332 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,563,877,589 | $584,225,222 | $520,771,199 | $464,384,628 | 1,286 | $42,782,997 |
| 2024 | $3,057,910,177 | $513,218,073 | $485,674,486 | $432,363,158 | 1,165 | $30,562,370 |
| 2023 | $2,666,675,120 | $415,545,535 | $386,645,040 | $322,971,247 | 1,022 | $4,518,988 |
| 2022 | $2,446,600,145 | $420,989,296 | $372,789,788 | $333,150,135 | 963 | $3,111,002 |
| 2021 | $2,774,598,096 | $381,164,787 | $362,510,275 | $324,954,102 | 943 | $5,001,501 |
| 2020 | $2,852,464,029 | $347,046,387 | $354,772,073 | $320,287,745 | 975 | $6,988,438 |
| 2019 | $2,847,334,651 | $287,239,368 | $283,639,002 | $207,063,090 | 746 | $6,723,991 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
NFWF’s stated mission is to work with partners to foster sustainable, impactful conservation solutions so people and nature thrive together. It advances this mission through public and private partnerships and investments in science-based programs intended to address conservation priorities and achieve measurable outcomes.
Its programs fund projects supporting fish and wildlife, plants and habitats. Examples of grantees include The Nature Conservancy, whose stated mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends; Ducks Unlimited, which says it conserves, restores and manages wetlands and associated habitats for waterfowl; and Trout Unlimited, which says it works to conserve, protect and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and watersheds.
Grantmaking
NFWF awards grants competitively through conservation programs. It says program initiatives have business plans developed by scientists and other experts and approved by its Board of Directors. Whether a pre-proposal is required varies by program; applicants are asked to submit one application per project to the program that best fits its scope. Allowable costs and other requirements can vary by program and funding source. NFWF says it does not fund political advocacy or litigation, general administrative overhead, or shortfalls in government agency budgets.
In filing year 2025, NFWF reported 1,286 grants totaling $464,384,628. Grant amounts ranged from $5,024 to $24,160,857, with a median of $106,504. Its largest listed grants included $24,160,857 to The Nature Conservancy for coastal habitats and greater sage grouse conservation; $20,554,669 to Ducks Unlimited for coastal habitat restoration; and $20,487,275 to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for Mississippi coastal habitat restoration and management.
The website lists programs including Acres for America, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Fund and the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund. The Desert Tortoise Recovery Partnership and Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Restoration Fund cycles listed in the program information had deadlines of May 7, 2026, and April 23, 2026, respectively; these are past deadlines as of October 2, 2026.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer Mull Neuhaus as chair of the Board of Directors; Patsy Ishiyama and John A. Tomke as vice chairs; and Mark Bezos, Bruce Culpepper, Ralph B. Everett, Blas Fonalledas, Laura Grimm, H. Dale Hall and Paul Tudor Jones as directors. NFWF’s website says it is governed by a 30-member Board of Directors approved by the Secretary of the Interior.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is led by Jeffrey Trandahl, Executive Director & CEO on every filing since 2019; 11 of 39 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffrey Trandahl
Executive Director & CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$1.1M (2019) → $1.6M (2025)
Jennifer Mull Neuhaus
Chairman & Board of Directors
Director → Chairman & Board of Directors, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blas Fonalledas
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce Culpepper
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eaddo H. Kiernan
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edwin R. Rodriguez Jr.
Director
Chairman & Board of Directors → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Federico Stubbe Sr.
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
H. Dale Hall
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katharine Overlock
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kc Walsh
Director
Director → Vice Chair & Board of Directors, 2021
Vice Chair & Board of Directors → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark J. Vallely
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Tudor Jones II
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reuben Mark
Director
Vice Chair & Board of Directors → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Lance
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Victoria J. Tschinkel
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kit Moncrief
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martha Williams
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard W. Spinrad PhD
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edith McBean
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Jason Metrokin
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ralph B. Everett
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chief Anne Richardson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Bezos
Director
Directot → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Robbins Towers
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Mackinnon
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Nesvik
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Grimm
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth Christ Smith
Vice President & Human Resources
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$386K (2019) → $504K (2025)
Daniel J. Strodel
Chief Administration Officer
General Counsel → Chief Administration Officer, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$307K (2019) → $592K (2025)
Holly Bamford
Chief Conservation Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$416K (2019) → $584K (2025)
Thomas Kelsch
Senior Vice President & Gebf
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$569K (2019) → $497K (2025)
Timothy Dicintio
Senior Vice President & Idea
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$577K (2019) → $356K (2025)
Tokunbo Falayi
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$315K (2019) → $481K (2025)
Addison Dana
Chief Investment Officer
Chief Investment Officer → Vice President Investment Officer, 2024
Vice President Investment Officer → Chief Investment Officer, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$331K (2021) → $628K (2025)
Gloria Lett
General Counsel
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$408K (2023) → $550K (2025)
Damon A. Brown
Vice President & Chief Technology Officer
Vice President, Information Strategy & Mana → Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$458K (2024) → $509K (2025)
Robert Polin
Vice President & Idea
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$351K (2025)
John A. Tomke
Vice Chair & Board of Directors
Director → Vice Chair & Board of Directors, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patsy Ishiyama
Vice Chair & Board of Directors
Director → Vice Chair & Board of Directors, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (27)
- Former: J. Michael Cline (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Crystal Echo Hawk (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Patricia Bauman (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Jacqueline Cottrell (2024) — Vice President, Committee, Board Engmt & Events
- Former: Chad Pike (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Don J. McGrath (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Harold Hamm (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: John Dane III (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Max C. Chapman Jr. (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Sydney McNiff Johnson (2019–2023) — Vice Chair & Board of Director
- Former: Stephanie Tom Coupe (2022–2023) — Senior Director & Idea
- Former: Jonathan Birdsong (2023) — Director & Western Regional Officer
- Former: Lila Helms - Executive Vp (2023) — External Affairs
- Former: Gregory Knadle (2019–2022) — Vice President & Government Relations
- Former: Lila Helms (2019–2022) — Executive Vice President & External Affairs
- Former: R. King Milling (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Anthony Chatwin (2019–2021) — Vice President, Science & Evaluation
- Former: John V. Faraci Jr. (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Neil Jacobs (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Aurelia Skipwith (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: John J. Healy (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Margaret Everson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Michael L. Campbell (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Charles D. McCrary (2019) — Director -
- Former: Christopher M. James (2019) — Director -
- Former: Thomas L. Strickland (2019) — Director -
- Former: Tim Gallaudet (2019) — Director -
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $1.6M, to Jeffrey Trandahl (Executive Director, CEO). 11 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
How much does National Fish and Wildlife Foundation give each year?
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation gave $464.4M across 1,286 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $432.4M across 1,165 grants.
What is National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's typical grant size?
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $106,505, and its average grant was $361,108, across 1,286 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation that year got $205K on average.
Where does National Fish and Wildlife Foundation give grants?
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's top state is Virginia, with 11% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (10%) and Alaska (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (25 grants), Baltimore, MD (17 grants), Annapolis, MD (15 grants) and Chicago, IL (15 grants).
Does National Fish and Wildlife Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 1,286 grants with a stated purpose on National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Farmers for Soil Health Direct Farmer Payments" (41 grants), "Conservation Community Capacity-Building" (15 grants) and "Unusual Mortality Events Large Whale Response" (10 grants).
Who are National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's largest grantees?
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Nature Conservancy ($24,160,857), Ducks Unlimited Inc ($20,554,669) and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality ($20,487,275), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($1,010,109), which are not listed by name. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is National Fish and Wildlife Foundation?
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation reported $3.6B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $584.2M.
What does National Fish and Wildlife Foundation fund?
NFWF’s stated mission is to work with partners to foster sustainable, impactful conservation solutions so people and nature thrive together. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation?
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check nfwf.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's EIN?
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1384139. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 18, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 6, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/national-fish-and-wildlife-foundation-morg_9f6c5325c625411ca1a4f26414dd1c12
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521384139_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/national-fish-and-wildlife-foundation-morg_9f6c5325c625411ca1a4f26414dd1c12},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. 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 National Fish and Wildlife 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.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?