World Wildlife Fund Inc
World Wildlife Fund Inc. is a Washington, DC-based public charity, formed in 1961. It works to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth, partnering with businesses, governments, scientists, Indigenous people, and local communities. The organization says it works across nearly 100 countries.
Key facts about World Wildlife Fund Inc
In short: World Wildlife Fund Inc gave $8.2M across 66 grants in 2025 (avg $124K), top state Virginia. 53% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 52-1693387
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,157,225
- Grants made (2025)
- 66
- Average grant
- $123,594
- Median grant
- $44,097
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (35 of 66, 2025)
- Total assets
- $777,252,801
- Primary geography
- Virginia (29% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$777.3M
-0.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.2M
-22.6% YoY
Grant Count
66
-5.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$124K
-18.0% YoY
Is World Wildlife Fund Inc open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 35 of 66 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $51K; repeat grants $205K. How we count
Medians: $36K first-time, $60K 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
WWF states that its mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Its filing describes programs in global conservation, international country programs, public education, and public affairs. It says its conservation work addresses ecosystems, freshwater, food sources, human-wildlife conflict, energy, and forest management.
The 2025 filing lists grants for conservation. Among the supported organizations, The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation says it works to build up Tribal communities and protect Tribal lands. Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences describes its work as ocean ecosystem research, education, and technology transfer. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions says it works to accelerate the transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and a thriving, just, and resilient economy.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, WWF reported 66 grants totaling $8,157,225. Grant amounts ranged from $5,750 to $2,181,960, with a median of $44,096. The largest awards included $2,181,960 to The Nature Conservancy, $697,549 to Stanford University, $665,654 to Windward Fund, $425,656 to Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, and $350,000 to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Each was listed for conservation.
WWF also describes the Arctic Community Wildlife Grants program, which supports conservation, stewardship, and research focused on coastal US Arctic ecology, community sustainability, and priority Arctic wildlife. Its 2024 call anticipated an average award of $25,000 per project per year, with funding determined annually and proposals evaluated on an ongoing basis. US-based applicants—including community groups, Tribal councils, governments, universities, and nonprofit organizations—were eligible under that call.
WWF’s Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program lists fellowships for graduate study. The Food Systems Fellowship is listed as active, with awards up to $60,000 for eligible applicants from specified countries. The Current and Aspiring University Faculty Fellowship is listed as active, with awards up to $90,000 for eligible university faculty in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean pursuing doctoral study in conservation-related fields. WWF’s Conservation Futures Fellowship page gave an April 15, 2026 deadline; that application cycle has passed.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from World Wildlife Fund Inc
Environmental and Social Impact Grant
World Wildlife Fund Inc
Amount
Up to US $15,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Russell E. Train Fellowships: WWF Current and Aspiring University Faculty Fellowship Grant
World Wildlife Fund Inc
Amount
Up to US $90,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Russell E. Train Fellowships: WWF Food Systems Fellowship Grant
World Wildlife Fund Inc
Amount
Up to US $60,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Ready to take the next step with World Wildlife Fund Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
WWF says it works in nearly 100 countries and across forests, river systems, wetlands, savannas, and ocean habitats. Its filing describes work in places including Alaska’s Bristol Bay, Montana’s Great Plains, forests in Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia, the mountains of Nepal and Bhutan, and African deserts and savannas.
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to Virginia (29%), the District of Columbia (16%), California (13%), Montana (10%), and Maine (10%). These figures describe grant recipients’ locations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 66 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 $1.5M (2019) to $10.5M (2024). In 2025 it made 66 grants totaling $8.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Nature Conservancy ($2.2M). Together the top 10 received $5.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
310 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 147 grants of 310 (47%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Conservation | $2,181,960 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Conservation | $697,549 |
| Windward Fund Washington, DC | Conservation | $665,654 |
| Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation Porcupine, SD | Conservation | $425,656 |
| Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences East Boothbay, ME | Conservation | $350,000 |
| World Resources Institute Washington, DC | Conservation | $259,999 |
| University of New Hampshire Durham, NH | Conservation | $209,174 |
| C2ES Washington, DC | Conservation | $207,605 |
| The University of Maine Bangor, ME | Conservation | $185,560 |
| Western Sustainability Exchange Livingston, MT | Conservation | $181,640 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
IRS filing figures for the listed years:
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $777,252,801 | $366,655,209 | $367,009,528 | $8,157,225 |
| 2024 | $783,902,488 | $374,807,108 | $361,352,195 | $10,544,463 |
| 2023 | $755,426,255 | $372,835,343 | $352,906,681 | $7,969,488 |
WWF’s financial page reports that 83% of spending in FY25 was directed to program expenses.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $777,252,801 | $783,902,488 | $755,426,255 |
| Revenue | $366,655,209 | $374,807,108 | $372,835,343 |
| Expenses | $367,009,528 | $361,352,195 | $352,906,681 |
| Net Investment Income | $21,780,172 | $15,304,308 | $9,672,271 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 17, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 19, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 5, 2022)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carter Roberts as President and CEO; Nikhil Sekhran as Chief Conservation Officer; Loren Mayor as Chief Operating Officer; Julie Miller as EVP, Philanthropic Partnerships; Marcene Mitchell as SVP Climate Change; Jason Clay as SVP Markets and Food; Terence Macko as SVP Marketing and Communications; Ginette Hemley as SVP Wildlife Conservation; Sheila Bonini as SVP Private Sector Engagement; and Mike Pejcic as Chief Financial Officer.
World Wildlife Fund Inc is led by Carter Roberts, President & CEO on every filing since 2019; 13 of 38 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carter Roberts
President & CEO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$858K (2019) → $1.2M (2025)
Christopher B. Field
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lawrence H. Linden
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Harris
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roger W. Sant
Director
Director → Vice Chairman, 2020
Vice Chairman → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ruth Defries
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Urs Holzle
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vincent S. Perez Jr.
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Virginia Busch
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Iris Mwanza
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Ubben
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amanda Paulson
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Clara Lee Pratte
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen McLaughlin
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Luis Alberto Moreno
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolina Schmidt
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gerald Butts
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Tyler
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Toddi Steelman
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Uzodinma Iweala
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ta Tom Barron
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ginette Hemley
Senior Vice President Wildlife Conservation
Senior Vice President Wildlife Conservation → Senior Vice President Policy & Govt Affairs, 2021
Senior Vice President Policy & Govt Affairs → Senior Vice President Wildlife Conservation, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$334K (2019) → $410K (2025)
Jason Clay
Senior Vice President Markets & Food
Senior Vice President Markets & Food → Senior Vice President Wildlife Conservation, 2021
Senior Vice President Wildlife Conservation → Senior Vice President Markets & Food, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$377K (2019) → $455K (2025)
Julie Miller
Executive Vice President & Philanthropic Partnerships
Senior Vice President Development → Executive Vice President & Philanthropic Partnerships, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$339K (2019) → $510K (2025)
Leroy Wade
Controller
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$187K (2019) → $243K (2025)
Margaret Ackerley
Senior Vice President
Senior Vice President & General Counsel → Senior Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2019
$402K (2019) → $167K (2025)
Mike Pejcic
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$99K (2019) → $388K (2025)
Nikhil Sekhran
Chief Conservation Officer
Chief Conservation Officer → Chief Convervation Officer, 2020
Chief Convervation Officer → Chief Conservation Officer, 2021
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$345K (2019) → $655K (2025)
Sheila Bonini
Senior Vice President Private Sector Engagement
Senior Vice President Private Sector Engagement → Senior Vice President Markets & Food, 2021
Senior Vice President Markets & Food → Senior Vice President Private Sector Engagement, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$327K (2019) → $413K (2025)
Terence Macko
Senior Vice President Marketing & Communications
Senior Vice President Marketing & Committee → Senior Vice President Marketing & Communications, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$345K (2019) → $443K (2025)
Loren Mayor
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Opr Officer → Chief Operating Officer, 2022
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$459K (2021) → $642K (2025)
Marcene Mitchell
Senior Vice President Climate Change
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$414K (2023) → $449K (2025)
Jocelyn Starzak
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$409K (2025)
Elizabeth L. Littlefield
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Litterman
Vice Chairman
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelly Lazarus
Secretary
Secretary → Director, 2020
Director → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yolanda Kakabadse
Co-Chair
Director → Co-Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sanjeev Mehra
Co-Chair
Vice Chairman → Vice Chairman & Co-Chair, 2023
Vice Chairman & Co-Chair → Co-Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (22)
- Former: Jared M. Diamond (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Gina Barbieri (2023–2024) — Senior Advisor
- Former: Brenda Davis (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Leonardo Dicaprio (2019–2023) — Non-Voting Board Member
- Former: Pamela Matson (2019–2023) — Co-Chair
- Former: Sharon Youngblood (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Steve Luczo (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Jetsun Pema Wangchuck (2020–2023) — Non-Voting Board Member
- Former: John Sall (2019–2022) — Vice Chairman
- Former: Neville Isdell (2019–2022) — Co-Chair
- Former: Tammy Crown (2019–2022) — Vice Chairman
- Former: Wang Shi (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Martha Piper (2020–2022) — Former Officer
- Former: Rebecca Shaw (2021–2022) — Senior Vice President & Chief Scientist
- Former: Joel Jurgens (2022) — Chief of Party
- Former: David McCauley (2019–2021) — Senior Vice President Science
- Former: Marcia Marsh (2019–2021) — Senior Advisor
- Former: Amy Golden (2020) — Vice President Strategic Services
- Former: Elizabeth L Littlefie (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Mary Shaw (2019) — Senior Vice President Science
- Former: Mayari Pritzker (2019) — Director
- Former: Michael Bauer (2019) — Chief Financial Officer
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 $1.2M, to Carter Roberts (President & CEO). 13 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 1250 24Th Street Nw, Washington, DC 20037
Phone: (202) 293-4800
Website: https://worldwildlife.org
Frequently asked questions about World Wildlife Fund Inc
How much does World Wildlife Fund Inc give each year?
World Wildlife Fund Inc gave $8.2M across 66 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $10.5M across 70 grants.
What is World Wildlife Fund Inc's typical grant size?
World Wildlife Fund Inc's median grant in 2025 was $44,097, and its average grant was $123,594, across 66 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from World Wildlife Fund Inc that year got $51K on average.
Where does World Wildlife Fund Inc give grants?
World Wildlife Fund Inc's top state is Virginia, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were District of Columbia (16%) and California (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (7 grants), Seattle, WA (3 grants), Arlington, VA (2 grants) and Atlanta, GA (2 grants).
Does World Wildlife Fund Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 66 grants with a stated purpose on World Wildlife Fund Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Conservation" (66 grants).
Who are World Wildlife Fund Inc's largest grantees?
World Wildlife Fund Inc's largest 2025 grantees include The Nature Conservancy ($2,181,960), Stanford University ($697,549) and Windward Fund ($665,654), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is World Wildlife Fund Inc?
World Wildlife Fund Inc reported $777.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $366.7M.
What does World Wildlife Fund Inc fund?
WWF states that its mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Its filing describes programs in global conservation, international country programs, public education, and public affairs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from World Wildlife Fund Inc?
World Wildlife Fund Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check worldwildlife.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is World Wildlife Fund Inc's EIN?
World Wildlife Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1693387. 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 October 2026.
Here's the math on researching World Wildlife Fund Inc by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in World Wildlife Fund Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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