Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation

Quick Stats

• EIN: 36-2519612
• Foundation Type: Private Operating Foundation
• Assets: $47,041,231
• Annual Giving: $1,126,856 (2024)
• Grant Range: $250 - $948,970
• Number of Grants: 2 awards (2024), 3 awards (2023), 2 awards (2022)
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Ohio and Colorado; facility located in Dundee, IL
• Application Process: No public application process

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 9, Dundee, Illinois, 60118
Physical Address: 14N322 Il Rt 25, Dundee, IL 60118
Phone: (847) 741-8000
Website: https://mcgraw.org/

Overview

The Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation was established in 1962 by Max McGraw, founder of the McGraw Edison Co., and was reclassified as a private operating foundation in 1987. With assets exceeding $47 million, the foundation operates primarily as a research and education center on a 1,224-acre property in Dundee, Illinois, featuring hardwoods, prairies, lakes, gravel pits, and streams along the Fox River. While the foundation's primary focus is conducting its own conservation programs, it also makes a limited number of grants annually to external organizations. The foundation's mission is to "secure the future of hunting, fishing, and land management through programs of science, education, demonstration, and communication." For more than 60 years, the foundation has promoted groundbreaking wildlife and fisheries research and has emerged as a national thought leader in conservation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation makes a small number of strategic grants annually, typically 2-3 awards per year. As a private operating foundation, the majority of its resources support its own programs, with limited grantmaking to external organizations.

Grant Range: $250 - $948,970
Recent Grant Activity:

• 2024: 2 awards totaling $1,126,856
• 2023: 3 awards
• 2022: 2 awards

Application Method: No public application process; grants appear to be made by invitation or board discretion only.

Priority Areas

The foundation's grantmaking focuses on:

• Education: Supporting conservation education programs, particularly those related to hunting, fishing, and natural resource management
• Health Care: Limited healthcare-related grants
• Professional Societies & Associations: Support for organizations in the conservation and natural resources sectors

Geographic Focus: Primarily Ohio and Colorado, though the foundation's operational programs are based in Illinois.

Foundation's Own Programs

As an operating foundation, the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation primarily invests in its own direct charitable activities:

Research Programs:

• Urban coyote research (20+ years of study addressing gaps in urban coyote ecology)
• Aquaponics research for fish hatchery improvements
• Wetlands conservation research (including partnership on IMAX 3D film "Wings Over Water")

Education Programs:

• Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow (CLfT): Professional development programs for natural resource agency professionals and university students, celebrating 20 years with over 2,000 participants trained
• Youth conservation education programs
• Aquaponics in the classroom initiatives

Partnerships: Works with universities including University of Wisconsin-Madison, Penn State University, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Purdue University, and University of Tennessee. Major collaborations with Ducks Unlimited and National Audubon Society.

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly stated, as an operating foundation focused on hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation, the foundation is unlikely to support projects outside these core areas or outside their geographic priorities of Ohio and Colorado for external grants.

Governance and Leadership

Leadership Team:

• Charles S. Potter Jr.: President and CEO
• Kerry Luft: Executive Vice President, responsible for daily operations and oversight of shooting sports, hunting, fishing, land management, hospitality, education, and research teams. Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Director of the McGraw Center for Conservation Leadership.
• Crystal C. Shaw: Chief Operating Officer
• Maureen Chovancek: Director of Finance

The foundation is governed by a Board of Directors. David Kinnear has served as a Board Member since January 2010.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation is a private operating foundation that primarily conducts its own conservation, research, and education programs. The limited grants it makes to external organizations appear to be awarded at the discretion of the board or by invitation only.

The foundation's sister organization, the McGraw Foundation (a separate entity established in 1948), also accepts grant proposals by invitation only.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable due to the absence of a public application process. Grants appear to be awarded on a rolling basis at board discretion.

Success Rates

With only 2-3 grants awarded annually, the foundation makes very selective awards to external organizations. Success rates for unsolicited inquiries would be extremely low to non-existent given the lack of a public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to the absence of a public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's structure as a private operating foundation without a public application process, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations interested in the foundation's work should note:

Foundation's Operational Focus: The foundation demonstrates excellence in:

• Long-term, science-based research (e.g., 20+ years of urban coyote studies)
• Innovative educational programming (Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow has trained 2,000+ participants)
• Collaborative partnerships with universities and major conservation organizations
• Communication and demonstration projects (e.g., IMAX 3D film "Wings Over Water")

Partnership Approach: The foundation engages with external organizations primarily through:

• Research collaborations with universities
• Educational partnerships for Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow workshops
• Strategic partnerships with major conservation organizations (Ducks Unlimited, National Audubon Society)

Values and Priorities: The foundation's work reflects:

• Commitment to the role of hunting and fishing in American conservation
• Science-based approaches to wildlife management
• Professional development for natural resource professionals
• Long-term commitment to projects (multi-year, even multi-decade initiatives)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. The few grants made annually appear to be board-directed or invitation-only.
• Operating foundation structure: The foundation primarily operates its own programs rather than functioning as a traditional grantmaker. Its 1,224-acre facility in Dundee, IL serves as a research and education center.
• Limited external grantmaking: With only 2-3 grants per year, external grantmaking represents a small portion of the foundation's activities compared to its operational programs.
• Geographic limitation for grants: While the foundation's programs operate in Illinois, external grants focus on Ohio and Colorado.
• Partnership opportunities: Organizations may have better success seeking collaboration on research or educational initiatives rather than direct grants.
• Sister foundation: The McGraw Foundation is a separate but related entity that also makes grants by invitation only.
• Long-term conservation focus: The foundation demonstrates commitment to multi-year and even multi-decade initiatives in hunting, fishing, and wildlife management.

References

• Charity Navigator Profile: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/362519612 (Accessed February 24, 2026)
• Candid Foundation Directory: https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?key=MCGR009 (Accessed February 24, 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/362519612 (Accessed February 24, 2026)
• Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation Official Website: https://mcgraw.org/ (Accessed February 24, 2026)
• Instrumentl 990 Report: https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/max-mcgraw-wildlife-foundation (Accessed February 24, 2026)
• GuideStar Profile: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/36-2519612 (Accessed February 24, 2026)
• Conservation Leaders for Tomorrow: https://clft.org/facilities/max-mcgraw-wildlife-foundation (Accessed February 24, 2026)
• McGraw Foundation (sister organization): https://maxmcgrawfoundation.org/ (Accessed February 24, 2026)
• Wildlife Management Institute News: https://wildlifemanagement.institute/node/64 (Accessed February 24, 2026)