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Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation

Annual Giving
$9.8M
Grant Range
$5K - $3.3M

Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $9,843,175 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $209.9 million
  • Number of Grants: 60 awards (2023)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $3,300,000
  • Typical International Grants: $10,000 - $200,000
  • Median Grant: $100,000
  • Average Grant: $225,500
  • Geographic Focus: International (Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Latin America & Caribbean) and Transboundary Rockies region (Montana, southern Canada, neighboring states)
  • Application Process: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited proposals

Contact Details

Website: https://www.lcaof.org/
Email: lcaof@lcaof.org
Phone: (212) 333-2536
Location: New York, NY

Overview

The Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation was established in 1987 by fashion designer Liz Claiborne and her husband Art Ortenberg after a transformative wildlife safari to Kenya and Tanzania. With assets of approximately $210 million, the foundation is dedicated to the survival of wildlife and wildlands and to the vitality of human communities with which they are inextricably linked. The foundation focuses its grantmaking on terrestrial landscapes that support a wide range of biodiversity across five geographic regions: Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Latin America & the Caribbean, and the Transboundary Rockies. Operating with a distinctive philosophy that "nature and people can and must thrive together," LCAOF emphasizes community-based conservation solutions where local voices guide sustainable approaches. The foundation has evolved from early research and field projects through crisis-response funding during elephant and tiger poaching crises to current work managing human-wildlife conflict as populations rebound.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation organizes its grantmaking by five geographic regions, supporting conservation field projects, applied ecological research, and training and education in wildlife management:

Asia Program - Supporting wildlife conservation across Asian landscapes including tiger conservation in Thailand's Western Forest Complex, protection of Sumatra's Leuser Ecosystem (rhino, orangutan, tiger, elephant), and exploratory grants to locally-embedded organizations in Borneo. The foundation has invested over $13 million in Asian tiger conservation since inception.

Sub-Saharan Africa Program - Addressing illegal wildlife trade, species monitoring, community-led conservation solutions, rangeland management, land tenure security for pastoralists, enterprise development, and human-wildlife conflict prevention across Kenya, Tanzania, Gabon, Mozambique, and the KAZA region. Over $11.5 million invested since inception.

Madagascar Program - Supporting community land protection, protected area management, and forest loss prevention in this biodiversity hotspot through partnerships with botanical gardens, conservation organizations, and universities.

Latin America & Caribbean Program - Securing jaguar habitat in the Maya Forest Corridor, developing regenerative economies with Indigenous communities, and protecting the Selva Maya landscape from fire and development across Argentina, Belize, and Guatemala.

Transboundary Rockies Program - Community-based conservation, habitat restoration, public and private land protection, civic engagement, and Indigenous-led conservation through partnerships with organizations like the Blackfeet Nation, Greater Yellowstone Coalition (including a $1 million grant for gold mine threat elimination), Clark Fork Coalition, and Wild Montana. Over $18.5 million invested in the Rocky Mountain region since inception.

Priority Areas

  • Species and Habitat Protection: Focus on large mammals, predators, migratory species, and the ecosystems they depend on
  • Community-Based Conservation: Solutions that directly benefit local communities while protecting wildlife
  • Human-Wildlife Coexistence: Strategies to reduce conflict and enable people and wildlife to thrive together
  • Indigenous-Led Conservation: Supporting Indigenous communities in conservation leadership
  • Land Tenure and Rights: Strengthening community land rights, particularly for pastoralists and hunter-gatherers
  • Sustainable Livelihoods: Alternative income generation and regenerative economies compatible with conservation
  • Science-Informed Management: Applied research, species monitoring, and evidence-based policy
  • Protected Area Management: Strengthening management plans, governance, and wildlife corridors
  • Anti-Trafficking Efforts: Investigation and prosecution of illegal wildlife trade

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated on their website, the foundation's clear focus on wildlife conservation in specific geographic regions suggests they do not fund:

  • Projects outside their five geographic focus areas
  • Conservation work unrelated to terrestrial wildlife and landscapes
  • Marine or aquatic conservation (terrestrial focus)
  • General environmental issues not connected to wildlife conservation
  • Grants to individuals
  • Projects without clear community engagement components

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Dame Alison Richard (Co-Trustee) - British anthropologist and conservationist with degrees from Cambridge University and London University. Former Yale Provost (1994-2002), Director of Yale Peabody Museum (1991-1994), and Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University (2003-2010). Recognized for lemur research in southern Madagascar and awarded Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in 2010. Currently chairs Advisory Boards for the Cambridge Conservation Initiative and Yale Peabody Museum and serves as trustee of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Victor A. Kovner (Co-Trustee) - Yale College and Columbia Law School graduate who served as New York City Corporation Counsel (1990-1991) and spent 14 years on the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct as Chair. Long-time attorney for Arthur Ortenberg and executor of his estate, as well as trustee of the Elisabeth Claiborne Residuary Trust. Partner at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, specializing in First Amendment and communications law.

Executive Leadership

Kent Wommack (Executive Director) - Joined LCAOF in September 2016 after 34 years with The Nature Conservancy, where he led successful state and country programs in Maine, Australia, and Canada, and directed the Global Lands Strategy Team. Featured in the book "Nature Keepers." Wommack emphasizes that "Community-based solutions are key to the future of conservation efforts in East Africa, and these approaches rely on talented and committed local African conservation leaders."

Senior Program Team:

  • Lillian Bigelow (Senior Program Officer) - Joined April 2018 from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, works with civil society organizations and government entities on community-led conservation
  • Jessica Deichmann (Program Officer) - Joined February 2023 after 12 years as a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution conducting applied conservation research across multiple continents
  • Aria Gallo (Senior Program Associate) - Joined June 2020, manages grantmaking portfolios and leads capacity building efforts, co-chairs the Biodiversity Funders Group's Global Conservation Program
  • Lila Harmar (Program Assistant) - Joined September 2024 from the Environmental Defense Fund where she worked on Caribbean climate resilience projects
  • Lori Cohen (Operations Manager) - Joined January 2007, holds a History degree and studied conservation biology at Columbia University

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding.

The foundation proactively identifies and develops relationships with conservation organizations working in their priority landscapes. According to their website, they work closely with grantees to develop grant-making initiatives and conservation projects of appropriate size and scale. Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on the foundation's strategic priorities and existing relationships with conservation organizations in their focus regions.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation identifies potential grantees through their strategic focus on specific "globally significant wildlife landscapes" where they maintain ongoing presence and relationships. Based on their documented approach:

  • Regional Program Focus: The foundation maintains dedicated program portfolios for each of their five geographic regions (Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Latin America & Caribbean, Transboundary Rockies), with program officers responsible for developing and maintaining relationships within each region.

  • Long-Term Landscape Commitment: LCAOF pursues both "short-term catalyzing opportunities" and long-term partnerships in selected landscapes. They tend to work in the same priority landscapes over time, building deep relationships with organizations operating in those areas.

  • Capacity Building Network: Aria Gallo, Senior Program Associate, leads the foundation's capacity building efforts and co-chairs the Biodiversity Funders Group's Global Conservation Program, suggesting participation in conservation funder networks may provide visibility.

  • Existing Grantee Relationships: Review their "Recent Grants" page on their website (https://www.lcaof.org/recent-grants) to understand which organizations they currently support. Organizations working in similar landscapes or as partners to current grantees may have better positioning.

  • Advisory Board Connections: The foundation maintains an Advisory Board that includes conservation experts such as Karen Poiani, Yolanda Kakabadse, and Shivsharan Someshwar, suggesting engagement in broader conservation networks.

Decision Timeline

No public information available about decision timelines, as the foundation operates through invitation and strategic relationship development rather than formal application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. With 60 grants awarded in 2023 totaling $9.8 million, the foundation maintains a focused portfolio of strategic partnerships rather than processing competitive applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to invitation-only funding model.

Application Success Factors

Since LCAOF does not accept unsolicited proposals, these factors reflect what the foundation values in their proactive grantmaking based on their stated evaluation criteria and documented approach:

Five Key Enabling Conditions

The foundation explicitly evaluates all potential grantees and conservation projects based on these criteria:

  1. Sound Ecological Information - "Sufficient and reliable scientific information is essential to understand a species or landscape's importance and status." Projects must be grounded in solid science and ecological research.

  2. Well-Managed Protected Areas - Requires science-based management plans, effective governance, adequate funding, community support, and wildlife corridors for species connectivity. The foundation recognizes protected areas alone cannot guarantee survival, particularly for large predators and migratory species.

  3. Supportive Government - "Conservation cannot succeed without the support of government agencies and sound public policies." Projects must demonstrate engagement with and support from relevant government entities.

  4. Empowered Local Communities - Communities must be engaged stakeholders who support and benefit from conservation activities. The foundation's core belief is that "nature and people can and must thrive together," emphasizing that "local voices guide sustainable solutions" and that long-term success requires "listening to people closest to the ground rather than imposing external solutions."

  5. Sustainable Financial Support - Multiple funding sources including public funding, philanthropy, and private sector revenues. The foundation seeks landscapes where these enabling conditions can be strengthened for lasting conservation success.

Strategic Priorities Reflected in Recent Grants

  • Anti-Trafficking and Law Enforcement: Conservation Justice in Gabon investigating illegal wildlife trade and supporting prosecution of traffickers
  • Species Monitoring Systems: SMART patrol systems and population monitoring for tigers, elephants, rhinos, orangutans
  • Community Land Rights: Ujamaa Community Resource Team strengthening land tenure for pastoralists and hunter-gatherers in Tanzania
  • Indigenous Partnerships: Blackfeet Nation collaborations and work with Guarini people in Argentina
  • Human-Wildlife Coexistence: Southern Rift Association of Landowners maintaining rangelands with coexistence strategies
  • Landscape-Scale Collaboration: Maliasili Initiatives pooling funding across three African regions to accelerate community-led solutions
  • Alternative Livelihoods: Niassa Carnivore Project developing income alternatives alongside carnivore threat reduction
  • Conservation Finance Innovation: Re:wild receiving major PRI (Program-Related Investment) loan for Maya Forest Corridor jaguar habitat

Foundation Philosophy

The foundation's evolution reflects adaptive learning: from early research and conferences, through heavy investment during poaching crises, to current emphasis on managing human-wildlife conflict as populations rebound. Organizations demonstrating adaptive management and long-term commitment to complex landscapes align with this approach.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model means traditional grant-seeking strategies do not apply - the foundation proactively identifies partners in their strategic landscapes rather than responding to applications
  • Focus on the five enabling conditions - organizations must demonstrate strength in ecological science, protected area management, government relations, community empowerment, and diverse funding
  • Community-based conservation is non-negotiable - solutions must "serve the needs of both nature and people" with local communities as engaged stakeholders and beneficiaries
  • Long-term landscape commitment - the foundation invests deeply in selected "globally significant wildlife landscapes" over time rather than spreading funding widely
  • Geographic focus is specific - work must occur in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Latin America & Caribbean, or the Transboundary Rockies region
  • Grant sizes vary dramatically - from $5,000 to $3.3 million depending on project scope, with international grants typically in the $10,000-$200,000 range (median $100,000)
  • Relationships with current grantees matter - operating in the same landscapes as existing partners or serving as their collaborators may provide visibility to program officers who manage regional portfolios

References

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