The Biophilia Foundation Inc
The Biophilia Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Chester, Maryland. It supports biodiversity conservation on private lands through grants, in-house programs, and collaboration with conservation organizations working to protect and restore wildlife habitat.
The Biophilia Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Biophilia Foundation Inc gave $670K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $37K), top state Utah. 44% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $669,700
- -23.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $37,206
- -23.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $4,014,817
- +9.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (8 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Utah (33% 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 The Biophilia Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing states that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website says there is no open application process and describes a one- to two-page letter of inquiry addressed to Chris Pupke. The letter should introduce the organization and its mission, geographic focus, tax status, requested amount, the need or problem to be addressed, the program to be funded, and intended outcomes. The website lists allowable indirect cost rates of 20% for nonprofits and 12.5% for universities and units of government.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1201 Parson Island Road, Chester, MD 21619
Phone: (410) 822-5100
Website: https://biophiliafoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from The Biophilia Foundation Inc
Biophilia Foundation Grants
The Biophilia Foundation Inc
Amount
US $5,000 - US $25,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ejido Grant Program
The Biophilia Foundation Inc
Amount
US $5,000 - US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Riverscape Restoration Initiative Grant
The Biophilia Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $100,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Biophilia Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wildlands Network ($100K). Together the top 10 received $566K.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 47 grants of 84 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it focuses its giving on the United States, with particular interest in the arid Southwest and Chesapeake Bay. In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Utah (33%), Colorado (21%), Arizona (15%), Maryland (11%), and Texas (9%).
The 2026 Riverscape Restoration Initiative targeted Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, as well as northern border regions of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Nuevo León.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Biophilia Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 18 grantees (44%) 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 $30K; repeat grants $43K. How we count
Medians: $23K first-time, $45K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $615K (2020) to $1.0M (2021). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $670K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wildlands Network Salt Lake City, UT | Habitat/Land Conservation | $100,000 |
| Sageland Collaborative Salt Lake City, UT | Habitat/Land Conservation | $80,000 |
| Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage Inc Chester, MD | Habitat/Land Conservation | $75,000 |
| Rio Bravo Restoration Terlingua, TX | Habitat/Land Conservation | $60,000 |
| Borderlands Restoration Network Patagonia, AZ | Habitat/Land Conservation | $50,000 |
| Trees Water & People Fort Collins, CO | Habitat/Land Conservation | $50,000 |
| E3KFM Kundalini Fire Management Crestone, CO | Habitat/Land Conservation | $50,000 |
| La Tierra Del Jaguar Saint David, AZ | Habitat/Land Conservation | $40,500 |
| Boulder Watershed Collective Boulder, CO | Habitat/Land Conservation | $30,000 |
| Localogy Questa, NM | Habitat/Land Conservation | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Biophilia Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,014,817 | $2,951,047 | $1,172,407 | $669,700 | 18 | $1,150,483 | $1,461,694 | $13,045 |
| 2024 | $3,674,077 | $1,058,828 | $1,408,263 | $875,997 | 18 | $1,391,469 | $524,642 | $32,665 |
| 2023 | $4,530,717 | $1,007,525 | $1,234,255 | $750,879 | 19 | $1,189,828 | $407,129 | $88,650 |
| 2022 | $5,108,993 | $2,089,392 | $1,334,083 | $780,033 | 18 | $1,307,024 | $959,277 | $77,139 |
| 2021 | $5,414,007 | $494,609 | $1,492,855 | $1,029,789 | 11 | $1,402,359 | $33,627 | $108,914 |
| 2020 | $7,126,347 | $6,829,262 | $1,032,296 | $615,000 | 6 | — | $2,990,603 | $48,662 |
| 2019 | $4,276,716 | $2,092,196 | $1,165,502 | $650,600 | 6 | — | $967,814 | $11,439 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Biophilia Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $13K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to advance biodiversity conservation on private lands by fostering systemic change through people, their communities, and direct action. Its website identifies four areas of work: private land conservation, watershed restoration, restoration economies, and conservation policy. It highlights low-tech, process-based stream restoration in degraded western watersheds and support for regenerative economic activity, including carbon-credit finance for dryland riparian restoration.
Its 2025 filing describes direct charitable activity as land conservation and wildlife habitat restoration and conservation. Grantees include organizations with a range of conservation-related missions. For example, Sageland Collaborative says its mission is to provide science-based strategies for wildlife and land conservation; Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage says it restores, manages, and protects habitat to benefit wildlife and water quality; and Borderlands Restoration Network says it works to rebuild healthy ecosystems, restore habitat, and grow a restorative economy. Other 2025 grantees include organizations whose stated missions involve watershed health and stewardship, sustainable design and agriculture, and humane resolution of beaver-human conflicts.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $669,700. Grants ranged from $3,200 to $100,000, with a median of $30,000. The foundation’s website says first-time grants to organizations generally range from $5,000 to $25,000, though it sometimes makes larger or multi-year grants to longer-term partners.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $100,000 to Wildlands Network, $80,000 to Sageland Collaborative, $75,000 to Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, $60,000 to Rio Bravo Restoration, and $50,000 each to Borderlands Restoration Network, Trees, Water & People, and E3KFM Kundalini Fire Management. The filing lists habitat and land conservation as the purpose for these grants.
The foundation’s 2026 Riverscape Restoration Initiative offered implementation grants of $50,000 to $100,000, system-capacity grants up to $25,000, and engagement grants up to $7,500. Deadline: March 31, 2026; this cycle has passed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard G. Pritzlaff as chairman, Jennifer Gooden as president, Christopher B. Pupke as secretary and executive director, Greg Costello as treasurer, and Herb Grover as director.
The Biophilia Foundation Inc is led by Christopher B. Pupke, Secretary & Executive Director since 2023 (on filings since 2019); 2 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christopher B. Pupke
Secretary & Executive Director
Executive Director → Secretary & Executive Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$61K (2019) → $72K (2025)
Jennifer Gooden
President
President → President & CEO, 2023
President & CEO → President, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$26K (2021) → $116K (2025)
Richard G. Pritzlaff
Chairman
President & Director → Chairman, 2021
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Herb Grover
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Costello
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Dennis Whigham (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Ruth Musgrave (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Valerie Clark (2021–2022) — 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 $116K, to Jennifer Gooden (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Biophilia Foundation Inc
How much does The Biophilia Foundation Inc give each year?
The Biophilia Foundation Inc gave $670K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $876K across 18 grants.
What is The Biophilia Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Biophilia Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $37,206, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Biophilia Foundation Inc that year got $30K on average.
Where does The Biophilia Foundation Inc give grants?
The Biophilia Foundation Inc's top state is Utah, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Colorado (21%) and Arizona (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Salt Lake City, UT (2 grants) and Boulder, CO (2 grants).
Does The Biophilia Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on The Biophilia Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Habitat/Land Conservation" (18 grants).
Who are The Biophilia Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Biophilia Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Wildlands Network ($100,000), Sageland Collaborative ($80,000) and Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage Inc ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Biophilia Foundation Inc?
The Biophilia Foundation Inc reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $13K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Biophilia Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to advance biodiversity conservation on private lands by fostering systemic change through people, their communities, and direct action. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Biophilia Foundation Inc?
The 2025 filing states that the foundation 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 ↑
What is The Biophilia Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Biophilia Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2199334. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Biophilia Foundation Inc 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 19, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Biophilia Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Biophilia Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-biophilia-foundation-inc-morg_cada70f3eb454d629eb659a69f0a0b2c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_522199334_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Biophilia Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-biophilia-foundation-inc-morg_cada70f3eb454d629eb659a69f0a0b2c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 The Biophilia Foundation Inc'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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