Wilburforce Foundation Conservation Grants

The Wilburforce Foundation Conservation Grants aim to enhance the conservation of vital lands, waters, and wildlife in Western North America. By 2025, their vision is to ensure native wildlife thrives across connected landscapes. The foundation supports organizations dedicated to strategic conservation efforts, focusing on habitat security and wildlife linkages. Grants are available to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations and similar entities, fostering initiatives that protect critical wildlife habitats and promote ecological integrity.

NOTE: Deadlines for submitting proposals are determined in consultation with the appropriate program officer prior to developing a proposal.
Our Funding Region
Wilburforce Foundation has identified thirteen geographic priority regions in western North America that are critical for wildlife and ecological resilience.
Additionally, we invest in cross-cutting programs that span all three regions to increase our chance of success on the ground.
Please reference the map of our funding areas that shows areas in which we have a funding interest. View the specialized Priority Region conservation priorities.
Priority RegionsAlaska/British Columbia:ArcticBC Central InteriorGreat Bear RainforestTongassTransboundary WatershedsNorthwest/SouthwestCascadiaGreat BasinSouthwest CrescentYellowstone to YukonCrown of the ContinentGreater Yellowstone EcosystemInland RainforestSalmon-Selway / Hells CanyonY2Y Far NorthOur Supporting ProgramsConservation Science: The Conservation Science Program enhances the ability of our grantees and partners to effectively adopt and share scientific information, methods, tools, and solutions.Conservation Law & Policy: The Conservation Law and Policy Program focuses on defending key environmental laws and increasing support for advancing conservation plans, policies, and practices.Capacity Building: The Capacity Building Program works with our grantee partners to develop individual and organizational competencies, and increase capabilities that contribute to sustainability and effectiveness.
Types of Support
Wilburforce makes investments that contribute to the following types of outcomes:

• Increasing the amount of protected critical wildlife habitat.
• Assuring the quality and extent of key connective lands between core habitat areas.Lessening immediate threats to critical wildlife habitat.

Improving management programs that preserve the ecological integrity of existing or proposed protected areas.Increasing knowledge of wildlife populations and/or improving management plans that ensure the viability of focal species in a region.Building the capacity of our grantees that are working to protect our priority areas.
Read about the Wilburforce Foundation's Strategic Framework here.

Eligibility

Applicant organizations must work on conserving important lands, waters and wildlife in Western North America and Canada.Applicant organizations should be classified as 501(c)(3) by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or 149(1)(f) by the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency. Wilburforce Foundation will consider funding a limited number of grants for organizations that do not have these legal designations.If you are seeking a grant but do not have public charity status, please raise this early in discussions with a Program Officer.Applicant organizations must be incorporated in the U.S., Mexico, or Canada, and have programs currently operating in our funding areas (see Overview).We will fund multiple-year grants only at our invitation. If you have a program that you believe may benefit from a multiple-year grant, please ask us if we will consider it before submitting a proposal.

Ineligibility

The foundation generally will not consider:Any of the following types of projects:Agricultural issues,Air quality or other clean air programs,Energy-related programs,Environmental education,Environmental justice programs,Land acquisition and/or stewardship,Marine or other water-only programs,Pollution prevention or other pollution-related projects,Salmon recovery programs,Sustainable development or other economically-based programs,Sprawl or growth management programs,Transportation-related programs,Wildlife rehabilitation programs,Youth education programs.Deficit financingEndowment fundsFunding of individual scholarships or fellowshipsGrants to cities, counties or other governmental agenciesIndirect costsLoans