The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit
The Conservation Fund is a public charity based in Arlington, Virginia. Founded in 1985, it works across all 50 states to protect at-risk land and advance conservation approaches that support climate protection, sustainable economies, and vibrant communities.
Key facts about The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit
In short: The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit gave $15.9M across 191 grants in 2025 (avg $83K), top state North Carolina. 51% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 52-1388917
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $15,855,197
- Grants made (2025)
- 191
- Average grant
- $83,012
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 51% first-time grantees (97 of 191, 2025)
- Total assets
- $942,756,399
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The Creating New Economies Fund requires a conversation with a Resourceful Communities staff member before applying. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$942.8M
+2.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$15.9M
-69.7% YoY
Grant Count
191
+15.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$83K
-73.9% YoY
Is The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit open to new grantees?
51%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 97 of 191 grantees (51%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $73K; repeat grants $93K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $19K 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Conservation Fund’s mission is to create innovative solutions that drive nature-based action for climate protection, sustainable economies, and vibrant communities. Its stated work includes protecting wildlife habitat, working forests and farms, and other conservation properties; supporting rural and urban communities; and advancing sustainable food systems, water protection, and economic development.
Its 2025 filing describes bridge financing and technical assistance for land trusts and other organizations. The Conservation Loans program website says it offers low-interest, short-term loans, real estate and fundraising guidance, and strategic conservation planning to land trusts and other conservation organizations.
In its 2025 grants, the Fund supported organizations whose work included river stewardship, land conservation, coastal habitat and water quality, local food systems, and sustainable livelihoods. For example, the James River Association describes its mission as protecting and stewarding the James River’s natural resources. The North Carolina Coastal Federation says it works to protect and restore coastal water quality and habitats. Farmer Foodshare describes its mission as increasing access to fresh, local food while supporting marginalized farmers. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the Fund’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Fund reported 191 grants totaling $15,855,197. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $755,000, with a median of $20,000.
How to Apply
for Saginaw Bay WIN grants.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit
CF: Faith & Food Coalitions Grant
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Creating New Economies Fund (CNEF) Grant
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Saginaw Bay WIN Grants
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Conservation Fund says it has worked across all 50 states. In filing year 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina (44%), Virginia (13%), Michigan (5%), South Carolina (4%), and Georgia (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 191 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $15.7M (2019) to $54.5M (2023). In 2025 it made 191 grants totaling $15.9M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was James River Association ($755K). Together the top 10 received $5.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
836 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 572 grants of 836 (68%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| James River Association Richmond, VA | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $755,000 |
| Preservation Virginia Richmond, VA | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $679,034 |
| Sycamore Land Trust Inc Bloomington, IN | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $534,648 |
| North Carolina Coastal Federation Newport, NC | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $498,465 |
| McDowell Lfac Nebo, NC | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $490,134 |
| State of Maryland Department of Natural Resources Annapolis, MD | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $469,699 |
| Working Landscapes Warrenton, NC | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $460,636 |
| Farmer Foodshare Durham, NC | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $413,805 |
| Men and Women United for Youth and Families CDC Delco, NC | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $413,636 |
| Toe River Aggregation Center Training Organization Regional Burnsville, NC | Conservation of natural resources, sustainable economic & community development | $408,636 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $942,756,399 | $329,373,956 | $319,735,912 | $15,855,197 |
| 2024 | $919,448,710 | $373,233,308 | $356,216,753 | $52,405,069 |
| 2023 | $874,252,941 | $327,435,060 | $309,335,935 | $54,519,239 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $942,756,399 | $919,448,710 | $874,252,941 |
| Revenue | $329,373,956 | $373,233,308 | $327,435,060 |
| Expenses | $319,735,912 | $356,216,753 | $309,335,935 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,366,372 | $4,528,349 | $5,223,365 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 16, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Daniel Tishman as chair and Paul E. Hagen as vice chair. Directors listed include Julie G. Barker, Thomas M. Belk Jr., David P. Bozeman, Ingrid C. Burke, Todd J. Carter, J. Storey Charbonnet, and Charles R. Cherington. Gregory A. Beard was listed as a director until June 2, 2025.
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit is led by Lawrence A. Selzer, CEO & President on every filing since 2019; 13 of 34 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lawrence A. Selzer
CEO & President
On filings since 2019
36.5 hrs/week
$584K (2019) → $922K (2025)
Daniel R. Tishman
Chair
Director → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margaret A. McCants
Board Secretary & Con Acq Director
On filings since 2019
37.5 hrs/week
$138K (2019) → $169K (2025)
Brian J. Dangler
Senior Vice President & Director of Working Forest Fund
Senior Vice President & Director of Working Forest Fnd → Senior Vice President & Director of Working Forest Fund, 2023
On filings since 2022
37.5 hrs/week
$262K (2022) → $333K (2025)
Charles R. Cherington
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory A. Beard
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ingrid C. Burke
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Storey Charbonnet
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jay F. Wagley
Director
Co-Vice Chair → Vice Chair, 2020
Vice Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jill L. Long Thompson
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie G. Barker
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevyn D. Orr
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kimberlee R. Cornett
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Luis A. De La Garza
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thruston B. Morton III
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Todd J. Carter
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David P. Bozeman
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James M. Whitehurst
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer L. Hernandez
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard W. Wagner
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shameek Konar
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David M. Turk
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas M. Belk Jr.
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dean H. Cannon
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
On filings since 2019
36.5 hrs/week
$370K (2019) → $491K (2025)
Evan H. Smith
Senior Vice President Conservation Ventures
On filings since 2019
37.5 hrs/week
$245K (2019) → $332K (2025)
John S. Gilbert
Executive Vice President & CFO
On filings since 2019
36.5 hrs/week
$354K (2019) → $483K (2025)
Mark W. Elsbree
Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisition
Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisition → Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisitions, 2022
Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisitions → Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisition, 2024
On filings since 2019
37.5 hrs/week
$250K (2019) → $350K (2025)
Matthew S. Sexton
Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisition
Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisition → Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisitions, 2022
Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisitions → Senior Vice President Conservation Acquisition, 2024
On filings since 2019
37.5 hrs/week
$258K (2019) → $350K (2025)
Monica A. Garrison
Senior Vice President & Treasurer
Vice President & Treasurer → Senior Vice President & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
31.5 hrs/week
$191K (2019) → $332K (2025)
Kelly M. Reed
Senior Vice President Government Relations
Senior Vice President Government Relations → Senior Vice President Conservation Ventures, 2021
Senior Vice President Conservation Ventures → Senior Vice President Government Relations, 2022
On filings since 2020
37.5 hrs/week
$245K (2020) → $351K (2025)
Elizabeth Palmer
Vice President of Human Resources
On filings since 2022
37.5 hrs/week
$254K (2022) → $321K (2025)
Charles Francis Slingsby
Senior Vice President Energy Transition & Corporate Sustainablility
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$349K (2025)
Jeffrey Liebert
Senior Vice President Capital Investments
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$342K (2025)
Paul E. Hagen
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (22)
- Former: Blaine T. Phillips Jr. (2019–2024) — Senior Vice President Con Acq
- Former: C. Porter Schutt III (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Erik J. Meyers (2019–2024) — Vice President Climate & Water Sustainability
- Former: G. Wilson Hughes (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Christopher D. Bell (2021–2024) — Deputy General Counsel
- Former: Jay Winthrop (2019–2022) — Chair
- Former: Paul F. Hurt (2019–2021) — Deputy General Counsel & Assistant Secretary
- Former: Elizabeth Engle (2020–2021) — Deputy General Counsel & Assistant Secretary
- Former: Richard Erdmann Ending (2021) — Fmr Senior Counselor
- Former: Richard Erdmann (2019–2020) — Senior Counselor
- Former: Robert Bonnie (2019–2020) — Director · Filing note: Thru 11/2020
- Former: Stephen A. Elbert (2019–2020) — Director · Filing note: Thru 12/2020
- Former: Eric M. Kostegan (2020) — Executive Vice President for Investment
- Former: James Whitehurst Ao (2020) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Hernandez Ao (2020) — Director
- Former: Jm Whitehurst (2019) — Director · Filing note: Thru 121119
- Former: Jodi R. O'Day (2019) — Vice President Deputy General Counsel
- Former: Joseph Hankins (2019) — Vice President & State Director
- Former: Kay K. Arnold (2019) — Director · Filing note: Thru 72419
- Former: Michael Leonard (2019) — Chair · Filing note: Thru 72419
- Former: Patrick F. Noonan (2019) — President Emeritus
- Former: Robert D. Murphy (2019) — Senior Vice President Marketing & Communications
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 $922K, to Lawrence a Selzer (CEO & President). 13 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 1655 N Fort Myer Dr 1300, Arlington, VA 22209-3199
Phone: (703) 525-6300
Website: https://conservationfund.org
Frequently asked questions about The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit
How much does The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit give each year?
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit gave $15.9M across 191 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $52.4M across 165 grants.
What is The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit's typical grant size?
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $83,012, across 191 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit that year got $73K on average.
Where does The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit give grants?
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit's top state is North Carolina, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Virginia (13%) and Michigan (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (11 grants), Durham, NC (6 grants), Atlanta, GA (6 grants) and Saginaw, MI (5 grants).
Does The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 191 grants with a stated purpose on The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit's largest grantees?
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit's largest 2025 grantees include James River Association ($755,000), Preservation Virginia ($679,034) and Sycamore Land Trust Inc ($534,648), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit?
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit reported $942.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $329.4M.
What does The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit fund?
The Conservation Fund’s mission is to create innovative solutions that drive nature-based action for climate protection, sustainable economies, and vibrant communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit?
The Creating New Economies Fund requires a conversation with a Resourceful Communities staff member before applying. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit's EIN?
The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1388917. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit by hand.
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The Conservation Fund a Nonprofit down — hundreds of funders to go?