Weeden Foundation
The Weeden Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1964 and headquartered in Bedford Hills, New York. The Foundation was created by Frank Weeden to address the impact of growing human populations and overuse of natural resources on the biological fabric of the planet. Since its founding, the Foundation has been instrumental in global conservation efforts, having helped preserve more than 6 million acres of biologically important habitat worldwide and providing financing for the first debt-for-nature swap in Bolivia in 1992—a strategy now widely adopted by international conservation organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$37.7M
+1.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.0M
+17.3% YoY
Grant Count
132
-4.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
+22.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Weeden Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation's mission centers on protecting biodiversity as its overarching priority, with secondary focus areas addressing population stabilization and sustainable consumption patterns.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Biodiversity Protection – The Foundation's core mission, protecting endangered species and critical habitats
- Marine Wildlife Conservation – Protecting endangered marine species in the Americas through research, advocacy, policy change, and habitat conservation
- Bird Conservation
- Sustainable Consumption – Addressing overconsumption of natural resources
- Population – Supporting efforts to stabilize human population growth
- Environmental Education
Grantmaking
The Foundation made approximately 92 grants in 2024, with a total distribution of $1,306,050 documented across multiple grantees.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation protects biodiversity directly in four primary geographical program areas:
- Alaska – Focused on Southeastern Alaska and the Tongass National Forest, maintaining Clinton-era Roadless Rule protections and expanding wilderness designations
- Montana – Concentrated in the High Divide in Southwest Montana, identifying and protecting wildlife corridors, reducing livestock-carnivore conflict, and expanding critical habitat for endangered species
- California Floristic Province – Primarily in Northern California, focusing on salmon protection, land conservation, wildlife corridors, and river restoration
- Chilean Patagonia – Promoting expansion and institutionalization of private land conservation initiatives, protecting endangered watersheds, and countering threats from dams, industrial forestry, salmon aquaculture, and mining projects
Additional Global Regions: Program efforts have supported projects in environmentally sensitive regions including the western United States, Russia, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Belize, Namibia, Mexico, and various Caribbean nations.
In 2015, the Foundation co-founded the Quick Response Fund for Nature, a rapid response mechanism enabling local organizations to purchase and protect the world's most important conservation sites.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | Amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| Total Assets | $37,710,205 |
| Total Revenue | $3,354,762 |
| Total Expenses | $2,531,199 |
| Net Income | $823,563 |
| Total Giving | $2,000,049 |
| Investment Income | $761,485 |
The Foundation maintains a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and is classified as a Private Grantmaking Foundation. Over the past six years, the organization has demonstrated relatively stable financial growth.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $37,710,205 | $37,327,728 | $37,905,006 |
| Revenue | $3,354,762 | $1,555,681 | $991,882 |
| Expenses | $2,531,199 | $2,234,743 | $2,584,620 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,204,446 | $1,944,048 | $2,149,406 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,046,975 | $1,290,086 | $608,679 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,025,059 | $1,844,968 | $1,995,476 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
103 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Weeden Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Center for Biological Diversity ($50,000), American Bird Conservancy ($30,000), Center for Large Landscape Conservation ($30,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ADVENTURE SCIENCE CENTER NASHVILLE, TN | GRANT | $500 |
| ADVOCATES FOR THE WEST BOISE, ID | GRANT | $15,000 |
| AFRICAN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FUND INC GAINESVILLE, FL | GRANT | $25,000 |
| AGRUPACION DE INGENIEROS FORESTALES POR EL BOSQUE | GRANT | $15,000 |
| ALASKA WILDERNESS LEAGUE WASHINGTON, DC | GRANT | $25,000 |
| AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY THE PLAINS, VA | GRANT | $30,000 |
| AMERICAN INDIAN COUNCIL OF MARIPOSA COUNTY MARIPOSA, CA | GRANT | $4,000 |
| AMERICAN RIVER CONSERVANCY COLOMA, CA | GRANT | $2,000 |
| ANABAM | GRANT | $10,000 |
| AS YOU SOW BERKELEY, CA | GRANT | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Leslie Weeden – President
- Barbara Daugherty – Vice President
- John Weeden – Secretary
- Margaret E Kennedy – Administrative Assistant
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LESLIE WEEDEN | PRESIDENT | — | — |
| BARBARA DAUGHERTY | VICE PRESIDENT | — | — |
| JOHN WEEDEN | SECRETARY | — | — |
| NICK LEIBOWITZ | TREASURER | — | — |
| ROBERT WEEDEN | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| NORMAN WEEDEN | DIRECTOR | — | — |
Contact Information
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 606 Bedford Hills, NY 10507-0606
Phone: 914-864-1375
Email: info@weedenfoundation.org
Website: weedenfoundation.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Weeden Foundation fund?
The Foundation's mission centers on protecting biodiversity as its overarching priority, with secondary focus areas addressing population stabilization and sustainable consumption patterns. **Primary Focus Areas:** • **Biodiversity Protection** – The Foundation's core mission, protecting endangered species and critical habitats • **Marine Wildlife Conservation** – Protecting endangered marine species in the Americas through research, advocacy, policy change, and habitat conservation • **Bird Co…
How do I apply for a grant from Weeden Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Total giving in 2024: $2,000,049 • Typical award range: $50,000–$52,000 • Recent grants include $52,000 to Resolve, $50,000 to Center for Biological Diversity, and $42,000 to The Pacific Forest Trust **Financial Capacity:** • Total assets: $37,710,205 (as of 2024) • Annual revenue: $3,354,762 (2024) • Annual expenses: $2,531,199 (2024) The Foundation made approximately 92 grants in 2024, with a total distribution of $1,306,050 documented across multiple grantees.
Where does Weeden Foundation make grants?
The Foundation protects biodiversity directly in four primary geographical program areas: • **Alaska** – Focused on Southeastern Alaska and the Tongass National Forest, maintaining Clinton-era Roadless Rule protections and expanding wilderness designations • **Montana** – Concentrated in the High Divide in Southwest Montana, identifying and protecting wildlife corridors, reducing livestock-carnivore conflict, and expanding critical habitat for endangered species • **California Floristic Provinc…
What size grants does Weeden Foundation award?
In 2024, Weeden Foundation awarded 132 grants totaling $2.0M — an average of about $15K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Weeden Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Weeden Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Weeden Foundation's EIN?
Weeden Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6109313. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Weeden Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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