Western Conservation Foundation
Western Conservation Foundation is a public charity based in Denver, Colorado, founded in 2005. It provides grants to nonprofits for public education activities and efforts to build leaders among people who work, live, and play in the West’s outdoors.
Western Conservation Foundation at a glance
In short: Western Conservation Foundation gave $7.6M across 114 grants in 2024 (avg $66K), top state Colorado. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $7,566,562
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 114
- +18.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $66,373
- -3.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $43,287
- Total assets
- $8,064,628
- +1.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (38 of 114, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (17% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Western Conservation Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; its grantmaking is by invitation only.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1675 Larimer Street Suite 420, Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (720) 454-3351
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Western Conservation Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Western Conservation Action ($310K). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
511 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 264 grants of 511 (52%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s mission and programs refer to the West and Western United States, but the sources do not specify a more detailed general geographic focus. Its filing says special-opportunity grants can support projects that complement its mission but fall outside targeted geographies. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado (17%), California (15%), New Mexico (14%), the District of Columbia (10%), and Montana (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 114 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Western Conservation Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 38 of 114 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $82K. How we count
Medians: $27K first-time, $60K repeat.
- 38% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+10%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $6.6M (2023) to $7.6M (2024). In 2024 it made 114 grants totaling $7.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Western Conservation Action Denver, CO | Conservation Educati | $310,000 |
| Vet Voice Foundation Portland, OR | Conservation Educati | $287,000 |
| New Mexico Wilderness Alliance Albuquerque, NM | Conservation Educati | $282,300 |
| Arizona Wildlife Federation Mesa, AZ | Conservation Educati | $229,000 |
| National Wildlife Federation Reston, VA | Conservation Educati | $221,216 |
| Sierra Club Foundation Oakland, CA | Conservation Educati | $201,000 |
| Trout Unlimited Arlington, VA | Conservation Educati | $185,000 |
| League of Conservation Voters Educa Washington, DC | Clean Energy Educati | $178,440 |
| Western Resource Advocates Boulder, CO | Conservation Educati | $177,000 |
| Mountain Mamas Bozeman, MT | Clean Energy Educati | $167,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Western Conservation Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,064,628 | $14,580,557 | $14,382,287 | $7,566,562 | 114 | $141,716 |
| 2023 | $7,928,047 | $14,955,171 | $13,894,191 | $6,618,271 | 96 | $166,171 |
| 2022 | $6,746,323 | $12,702,937 | $12,592,869 | $6,712,520 | 89 | $60,937 |
| 2021 | $6,156,193 | $13,024,526 | $12,667,108 | $6,909,907 | 100 | $12,526 |
| 2020 | $5,766,397 | $13,556,318 | $13,649,325 | $7,362,540 | 112 | $17,668 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website says its grants support nonprofit public education and leadership-building activities. Its filing describes Accountability work as building champions for conservation by bringing new voices to conservation debates, identifying timely issues, and educating the public about actions by public officials that affect natural resources in the Western United States. Special Opportunities fund projects that complement the foundation’s mission but fall outside targeted geographies.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantee missions. Western Conservation Action says it works to increase the strength, effectiveness, and political power of the Western conservation movement. The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance says it works to enjoy, protect, and restore wilderness in New Mexico, including through research and public education. The Arizona Wildlife Federation describes its work as promoting conservation and management of wildlife and other natural resources. Western Resource Advocates describes itself as a regional advocacy organization working on climate change and clean energy and protecting air, land, water, and wildlife in the West.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 114 grants totaling $7,566,562. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $310,000, with a median of $43,286. The largest grants included $310,000 to Western Conservation Action, $287,000 to Vet Voice Foundation, $282,300 to the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, $229,000 to the Arizona Wildlife Federation, and $221,216 to the National Wildlife Federation. The listed purposes for these grants were conservation education.
The foundation’s website states that grantmaking is by invitation only. Its filing says it reviews grantees’ exempt status and proposed spending plans, uses grant agreements to define permitted uses and restrictions, and requires grantees to report how funds were spent.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Brendon Cechovic as CEO; Shara Kaplin as “Chief of Sta”; Leah Wieneke as “Chief Ops of”; Aaron Browning as “Dir Fed Publ”; and Monica Piergrossi as “Program Dire.” It also lists Brennan Bilberry, Lisa Pawlek Jaguzny, Chris Killingsworth, Molly Mcusic, and Bill Roberts as board members.
Western Conservation Foundation is led by Brendon Cechovic, CEO since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 5 of 10 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Brendon Cechovic
CEO
Chief Executive Officer → CEO, 2022
On filings since 2020
28 hrs/week
$196K (2020) → $191K (2024)
Aaron Browning
Director Fed Publ
Director of Federal Public Lands → Director of Federal Public, 2021
Director of Federal Public → Director Fed Publ, 2022
On filings since 2020
39 hrs/week
$160K (2020) → $204K (2024)
Monica Piergrossi
Program Director
On filings since 2020
13 hrs/week
$97K (2020) → $61K (2024)
Leah Wieneke
Chief Ops of
Chief Operating Officer → COO, 2022
COO → Chief Ops of, 2023
On filings since 2020
29 hrs/week
$158K (2020) → $145K (2024)
Shara Kaplin
Chief of Sta
Chief of Staff → Chief of Sta, 2022
On filings since 2020
28 hrs/week
$179K (2020) → $164K (2024)
Brennan Bilberry
Board Member
Board Member & Treasurer → Board Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Killingsworth
Board Member
Board Member & President → Board Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Molly McUsic
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Pawlek Jaguzny
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bill Roberts
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: William Roberts (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Sara Moffat (2020–2022) — Government R
- Former: Sarah Cobler (2020–2022) — State Lands
- Former: Niki Hawthorne (2021–2022) — Director Special
- Former: Greta Bagwell (2020–2021) — Deputy Director of Fed Public Lands-Dc
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $204K, to Aaron Browning (DIR Fed Publ). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Western Conservation Foundation
How much does Western Conservation Foundation give each year?
Western Conservation Foundation gave $7.6M across 114 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $6.6M across 96 grants.
What is Western Conservation Foundation's typical grant size?
Western Conservation Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $43,287, and its average grant was $66,373, across 114 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Western Conservation Foundation that year got $35K on average.
Where does Western Conservation Foundation give grants?
Western Conservation Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 17% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (15%) and New Mexico (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (10 grants), Denver, CO (9 grants), Santa Fe, NM (9 grants) and Albuquerque, NM (6 grants).
Does Western Conservation Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 1% of Western Conservation Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 114) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Conservation Educati" (80 grants) and "Clean Energy Educati" (33 grants).
Who are Western Conservation Foundation's largest grantees?
Western Conservation Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Western Conservation Action ($310,000), Vet Voice Foundation ($287,000) and New Mexico Wilderness Alliance ($282,300), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Western Conservation Foundation?
Western Conservation Foundation reported $8.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $14.6M.
What does Western Conservation Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website says its grants support nonprofit public education and leadership-building activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Western Conservation Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; its grantmaking is by invitation only. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Western Conservation Foundation's EIN?
Western Conservation Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-1107506. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Western Conservation 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 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 7, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Western Conservation Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Western Conservation Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/western-conservation-foundation-morg_3a6efcbe5d0142e081dfee237fa463d8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_331107506_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Western Conservation Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/western-conservation-foundation-morg_3a6efcbe5d0142e081dfee237fa463d8},
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 Western Conservation 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.
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