Nature Defense Foundation
Nature Defense Foundation was a private foundation based in Healdsburg, California. Its website described support for U.S. nonprofit organizations working in animal welfare, environmental protection, and sustainable energy. The foundation’s 2020 filing was marked as its final return and states that it merged into Sindisa Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) organization, on December 31, 2020; it therefore appears to have wound down as a separate foundation.
Nature Defense Foundation at a glance
In short: Nature Defense Foundation gave $591K across 18 grants in 2020 (avg $33K), mostly in California. 89% of 2020 grantees were new. Source: 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2020)
- $591,025
- -50.8% vs 2019
- Grants made (2020)
- 18
- +260.0% vs 2019
- Average grant
- $32,835
- -86.3% vs 2019
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 89% first-time grantees (16 of 18, 2020; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (93% of itemized 2020 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2020 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2020; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Nature Defense Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation stated that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website describes funding nonprofit organizations in the United States, but the 2020 filing marks the return as final, so those website statements are not presented as current application instructions.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6110 Maacama Ridge Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Website: https://www.naturedefensefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Nature Defense Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2020
The largest 2020 recipient was Sindisa Sanctuary ($434K). Together the top 10 received $551K.
Grant Size Distribution
28 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 21 grants of 28 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2020 filing’s grant dollars were concentrated in California, which received 93% of the total. New York and Utah each received 2%, while Massachusetts and Florida each received 1%. The foundation’s website also describes conservation work focused on native flora and fauna in California and the Hawaiian Islands.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2020 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Nature Defense Foundation open to new grantees?
89%
first-time grantees, 2020
In 2020, 16 of 18 grantees (89%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $252K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $252K repeat.
- 11% of 2020 grantees were also funded in 2019. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2018–2020). 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 2018 to 2020, annual grant giving ranged from $591K (2020) to $1.2M (2019). In 2020 it made 18 grants totaling $591K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sindisa Sanctuary Healdsburg, CA | Support Animal Sanctuary | $433,525 |
| Return to Freedom Inc Lompoc, CA | General Support | $70,000 |
| Generation Awakening Fountain Valley, CA | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Direct Action Everywhere Berkeley, CA | General Purpose | $7,500 |
| Four Paws International Boston, MA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Animal Recovery Mission Miami Beach, FL | General Support | $5,000 |
| SPCA International New York, NY | Generalsupport | $5,000 |
| The Whale Sanctuary Project Kanab, UT | General Support | $5,000 |
| Environmental Media Association Toluca Lake, CA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Shadow's Fund Lompoc, CA | General Support | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | — | $993,725 | $706,964 | $591,025 | 18 | $930,022 | $450,450 |
| 2019 | $7,217,702 | $544,833 | $1,322,038 | $1,201,400 | 5 | $406,043 | $410,502 |
| 2018 | $7,994,907 | $582,565 | $991,989 | $725,931 | 5 | $464,604 | $424,430 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nature Defense Foundation reported a distributable amount of $450K for 2020 — 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 website says its mission is to support nonprofit organizations working to preserve and protect the natural world. It identifies three focus areas: animal welfare, environmental protection, and sustainable energy. Its stated priorities include protecting land and marine preserves, defending wild and domestic animals, advancing sustainable farming and alternative energy, reducing carbon emissions and ocean pollution, and protecting endangered plants and habitats.
The foundation’s 2020 grants included organizations with a range of related missions. Return to Freedom says it works to preserve wild horses’ and burros’ freedom, diversity, and habitat through sanctuary, education, advocacy, and conservation. Generation Awakening describes its work as educational awareness and environmental and wildlife conservation projects. Direct Action Everywhere says it educates the public about environmentalism and animal welfare. FOUR PAWS describes its mission as being a global voice for animals, while Animal Recovery Mission says it works to defend animal welfare and prevent suffering caused by inhumane practices.
Grantmaking
In 2020, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $591,025. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $433,525, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants were $433,525 to Sindisa Sanctuary for animal sanctuary support and $70,000 to Return to Freedom for general support. Other listed grants included $10,000 to Generation Awakening and $7,500 to Direct Action Everywhere.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2020 filing lists Sarah M. Shaw as president and director, Brian Gainsford as director, and Emily Fox Harrison as secretary and director. The foundation’s website lists Sarah Shaw as chairman and Alana Shaw as vice chair.
Nature Defense Foundation is led by Sarah M. Shaw, President & Director on every filing since 2018; none of the 3 officers listed in 2020 report compensation.
Officers on the 2020 filing
Sarah M. Shaw
President & Director
On filings since 2018
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Gainsford
Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Fox Harrison
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2020. "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 Nature Defense Foundation
How much does Nature Defense Foundation give each year?
Nature Defense Foundation gave $591K across 18 grants in 2020, according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2019 it gave $1.2M across 5 grants.
What is Nature Defense Foundation's typical grant size?
Nature Defense Foundation's median grant in 2020 was $5,000, and its average grant was $32,835, across 18 grants on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Nature Defense Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Nature Defense Foundation give grants?
Nature Defense Foundation gives mostly in California: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lompoc, CA (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Kanab, UT (2 grants).
Does Nature Defense Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 89% of Nature Defense Foundation's 2020 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Nature Defense Foundation's largest grantees?
Nature Defense Foundation's largest 2020 grantees include Sindisa Sanctuary ($433,525), Return to Freedom Inc ($70,000) and Generation Awakening ($10,000), according to its 2020 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2020 grant dollars.
What does Nature Defense Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website says its mission is to support nonprofit organizations working to preserve and protect the natural world. It identifies three focus areas: animal welfare, environmental protection, and sustainable energy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nature Defense Foundation?
The foundation stated that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Nature Defense Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2020, Nature Defense Foundation reported a distributable amount of $450K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Nature Defense Foundation's EIN?
Nature Defense Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-5062500. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2020.
Does Nature Defense Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS July 23, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 23, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal year 2020
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Nature Defense 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.
Nature Defense Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?