Wild Sheep Foundation
The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) is a public charity based in Bozeman, Montana, formed in 1978. It raises and directs funding to support wild sheep conservation and management, including habitat work and efforts to restore wild sheep populations.
Wild Sheep Foundation at a glance
In short: Wild Sheep Foundation gave $9.0M across 62 grants in 2025 (avg $144K). 58% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,957,260
- +6.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 62
- +19.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $144,472
- -10.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $7,978,087
- -6.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 58% first-time grantees (36 of 62, 2025)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Wild Sheep Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Applications for the FY 2026–27 Grant-in-Aid cycle are submitted online through WSF’s application portal. Applicants should review the GIA Guidelines and Requirements and use the sample application for reference; a completed budget template must be uploaded. Applicants may submit more than one application, but each must be for a different program or project and have a unique name. Funding decisions prioritize alignment with WSF’s mission, Conservation Vision 2030, and current Grant-in-Aid priorities. Applicants who are not WSF Chapters or Affiliates are asked to coordinate with local chapters or affiliates where applicable; letters of support or other written documentation of that collaboration are required where applicable. Prior grant-agreement terms must be met for proposals to remain eligible. Grantees must provide project-start notification and written updates; WSF may withhold up to 25% of an award until reporting requirements are satisfied.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are due by 11:59 PM MDT on July 31, 2026.
- Deadline
- Applications are due by 11:59 PM MDT on July 31, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: 412 Pronghorn Trail, Bozeman, MT 59718
Phone: (406) 404-8750
Website: https://wildsheepfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Wild Sheep Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was State Fish & Game Program Funding ($6.0M). Together the top 10 received $7.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
230 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 153 grants of 230 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
WSF describes its Grant-in-Aid funding as directed primarily to wild sheep conservation and management programs in North America and central Asia. Its conservation work also involves state, provincial, territorial, and tribal/First Nation wildlife agencies.
Is Wild Sheep Foundation open to new grantees?
58%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 36 of 62 grantees (58%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $36K; repeat grants $295K. How we count
Medians: $16K first-time, $48K 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3.1M (2020) to $9.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 62 grants totaling $9.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| State Fish & Game Program Funding | Sheep Enhancement | $6,011,824 |
| Arizona Game & Fish | — | $357,900 |
| Wild Sheep Legacy Foundation | Sheep Enhancement | $324,825 |
| Leading Edge Aviation LLC | Sheep Enhancement | $162,867 |
| Heli Source Ltd | Sheep Enhancement | $118,753 |
| Town of Vail | Sheep Enhancement | $117,924 |
| Conservation Visions | Sheep Enhancement | $100,000 |
| Gia 2425-55 | Sheep Enhancement | $98,556 |
| Vectronic Aerospace | Sheep Enhancement | $82,550 |
| Conklin Foundation | Sheep Enhancement | $76,450 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,978,087 | $14,811,770 | $15,229,843 | $8,957,260 | 62 | $496,924 |
| 2024 | $8,527,230 | $14,448,948 | $14,023,871 | $8,423,137 | 52 | $707,101 |
| 2023 | $7,462,307 | $10,665,444 | $10,294,388 | $5,269,349 | 52 | $384,322 |
| 2022 | $6,437,324 | $8,357,473 | $9,068,255 | $4,331,168 | 30 | $-720,020 |
| 2021 | $7,619,364 | $9,442,244 | $8,255,652 | $4,230,719 | 34 | $1,016,352 |
| 2020 | $7,221,633 | $8,086,144 | $7,883,720 | $3,144,949 | 37 | $114,433 |
| 2019 | $5,630,188 | $7,792,380 | $7,822,344 | $3,493,258 | 37 | $154,731 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
WSF’s stated mission is to enhance wild sheep populations, promote scientific wildlife management, and educate the public and youth on sustainable use and the conservation benefits of hunting while promoting the interests of the hunter.
Its conservation programs include trap and transplant, habitat enhancement and acquisition, and disease research and separation strategies. For its 2026–27 Grant-in-Aid cycle, WSF identifies priorities such as active habitat management, water development and enhancement, managing invasive species and feral ungulates, and collaborating on wild sheep translocations and herd establishment or augmentation.
WSF directs funding to state, provincial, territorial, and tribal/First Nation wildlife agencies, as well as other program and project partners. Its Grant-in-Aid guidance prioritizes proposals aligned with its mission and Conservation Vision 2030, including those developed by or closely coordinated with WSF Chapters and Affiliates. Applicants are encouraged to provide strong cost-share or collaborative support; WSF says it rarely serves as the sole funding source.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, WSF reported 62 grants totaling $8,957,260. Grant amounts ranged from $5,030 to $6,011,824, with a median of $30,000. The largest listed award was $6,011,824 for “State Fish & Game Program Funding,” for sheep enhancement. Other notable awards included $357,900 to Arizona Game & Fish; $324,825 to Wild Sheep Legacy Foundation for sheep enhancement; $162,867 to Leading Edge Aviation LLC for sheep enhancement; and $117,924 to the Town of Vail for sheep enhancement.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gray Thornton as President/CEO; Charlie Kelly as Chair; Jann Demaske as Secretary; Larry Jacobs as Treasurer; and Clinton Bentley, Bralli Clifford, Sam Cunningham, Larry Johns, Kevin Kehoe, and Emilio Rangel as directors.
Wild Sheep Foundation is led by Gray Thornton, President on every filing since 2019; 1 of 12 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gray Thornton
President
On filings since 2019
60 hrs/week
$326K (2019) → $397K (2025)
Charlie Kelly
Chair
Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2024
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emilio Rangel
Director
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Logan Young
Director
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Clinton Bentley
Director
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sam Cunningham
Director
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bralli Clifford
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Kehoe
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Larry Johns
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kyle Stelter
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chairman, 2022
Vice Chairman → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Larry Jacobs
Treasurer
Director → Secretary, 2020
Secretary → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jann Demaske
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Glen Landrus (2019–2024) — Chairman
- Former: Peregrine L. Wolff Dvm (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Julie Chapman (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Larry McGovern (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Tony Caligiuri (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Clay Brewer (2019–2022) — Conservation
- Former: Wayne Henderson (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Glen Pyne Dvm (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Brett Jefferson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Chris Barker (2019) — Secretary
- Former: Darryl Williams (2019) — Treasurer
- Former: Karen Gordon (2019) — 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 $397K, to Gray Thornton (President/Ce).
Frequently asked questions about Wild Sheep Foundation
How much does Wild Sheep Foundation give each year?
Wild Sheep Foundation gave $9.0M across 62 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $8.4M across 52 grants.
What is Wild Sheep Foundation's typical grant size?
Wild Sheep Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $144,472, across 62 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Wild Sheep Foundation that year got $36K on average.
Does Wild Sheep Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 60 grants with a stated purpose on Wild Sheep Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Sheep Enhancement" (60 grants).
Who are Wild Sheep Foundation's largest grantees?
Wild Sheep Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include State Fish & Game Program Funding ($6,011,824), Arizona Game & Fish ($357,900) and Wild Sheep Legacy Foundation ($324,825), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Wild Sheep Foundation?
Wild Sheep Foundation reported $8.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $14.8M.
What does Wild Sheep Foundation fund?
WSF’s stated mission is to enhance wild sheep populations, promote scientific wildlife management, and educate the public and youth on sustainable use and the conservation benefits of hunting while promoting the interests of the hunter. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Wild Sheep Foundation?
Applications for the FY 2026–27 Grant-in-Aid cycle are submitted online through WSF’s application portal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Wild Sheep Foundation make grants?
WSF describes its Grant-in-Aid funding as directed primarily to wild sheep conservation and management programs in North America and central Asia. Its conservation work also involves state, provincial, territorial, and tribal/First Nation wildlife agencies.
What is Wild Sheep Foundation's EIN?
Wild Sheep Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1109229. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 27, 2026)
Live grants for the work Wild Sheep Foundation funds
Environment & Animals Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Figures come from Wild Sheep 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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