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American Forest Foundation

Annual Giving
$3.4M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,360,113 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly available
  • Grant Range: Varies by program - sub-grants distributed through federal funding programs
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States), with emphasis on family forest owners in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee

Contact Details

Address: 2000 M Street, NW, Suite 550, Washington, DC 20036

Phone: 202-765-3660

Email: info@forestfoundation.org

Website: https://www.forestfoundation.org/

Overview

Founded over 40 years ago, the American Forest Foundation (AFF) is a national conservation organization with assets of approximately $157.8 million (2024) that empowers family forest owners to care for their lands and address conservation challenges. AFF's mission is to deliver meaningful conservation impact through the empowerment of family forest owners, working to provide clean water, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration and storage, and sustainable wood supplies. The organization primarily receives large federal grants (including $35 million from USDA's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities and $20 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds) and distributes sub-grants to partner organizations to support family forest owners. In 2024, AFF made 46 awards totaling $3.36 million, and in 2023 made 41 awards. Rita Hite became AFF's first woman president and CEO in 2022, bringing more than 20 years of experience shaping strategy and unlocking billions of dollars in support for family forest stewardship.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

American Forest Foundation does not operate traditional competitive grant programs. Instead, they distribute sub-grants to partner organizations as part of larger federally-funded initiatives. Recent sub-grant programs include:

Inflation Reduction Act Sub-Grants ($20 million total): Distributed to 10 partner organizations including The Nature Conservancy, Center for Heirs' Property Preservation, National Indian Carbon Coalition, Georgia Forestry Commission, Southwest Georgia Project, Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture/American Bird Conservancy, Upstream Tech, Planet Labs, Verra, and Vibrant Planet.

EFFICACI Initiative ($35 million total): Climate-smart commodities program developed with partners The Nature Conservancy, Purdue University, Center for Heirs Property Preservation, and Women Owning Woodlands.

Priority Areas

  • Supporting family forest owners with sustainable forest management
  • Climate-smart forestry and carbon sequestration
  • Wildfire mitigation and forest health
  • Wildlife habitat conservation
  • Underserved and Tribal landowner engagement
  • Rural community economic development through sustainable forestry
  • Market-based conservation solutions

What They Don't Fund

AFF does not provide direct grants to organizations outside of their federal funding partnerships. They focus specifically on programs that support family forest owners rather than general environmental or conservation projects unrelated to family-owned forests.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • Alex Alvarez, Chair - SVP and Chief Supply Chain Officer, Beam Suntory
  • Sophie Beckham, Vice Chair - VP and Chief Sustainability Officer, International Paper
  • Paige Goff, Treasurer - SVP of Sustainability, Domtar Paper
  • Vicki Christiansen, Secretary - Retired Chief, USDA Forest Service
  • Jasmine K. Brown, At-Large Member - PhD Candidate, Forestry, Michigan State University
  • Scott Deitz, At-Large Member - Founder and President, Convene Communication Strategies
  • Myron F. Floyd, At-Large Member - Dean, College of Natural Resources, NC State University
  • Josh Parrish, At-Large Member - Chief Growth Officer, Funga
  • Jennie L. Stephens, At-Large Member - CEO, Center for Heirs' Property Preservation
  • Tim Stout, At-Large Member - Founder, Northam Forest Carbon
  • Ed Villano, At-Large Member - Vice President of Marketing Americas, Medela
  • Jameson S. French, Past Chair - President and CEO, Northland Forest Products, Inc.
  • Eileen Morgan Johnson, Counsel - Partner, Whiteford Taylor & Preston, LLP

Executive Leadership

  • Rita Hite, President and CEO
  • Christine Cadigan, Executive Vice President, Carbon Origination
  • Jill Harris, Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations
  • Natalie King, Chief of Staff
  • William Martin, Executive Vice President, Business Innovation
  • Dawn Simmons, Vice President, People and Culture
  • Nathan Truitt, Executive Vice President, Climate Funding

Leadership Perspective

Rita Hite on the organization's opportunity: "Family-owned forests provide a unique and underutilized resource which we have yet to tap into fully to address urgent conservation challenges around climate change, wildfires and wildlife habitat."

On strategic direction: "Equipped with more than 80 years of working with family forest owners to care for their lands, our new strategic direction tackles this challenge head-on. We are building the highest quality forest carbon credit while improving forest health and creating meaningful benefits for rural family forest owners."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Important: American Forest Foundation does not have a traditional public application process for grant funding. Their grants to organizations are distributed as sub-awards within larger federally-funded initiatives, with partner organizations typically identified during the federal grant development phase.

Organizations that receive funding from AFF are generally selected through:

  • Strategic partnership development for federal grant proposals
  • Pre-existing relationships and collaborative project design
  • Invitation to join consortium-based federal funding applications

Getting on Their Radar

Partnership Development: Organizations interested in potential partnership opportunities should contact AFF directly through their website or by reaching out to Nathan Truitt, Executive Vice President of Climate Funding. AFF emphasizes that they "connect partners with opportunities across virtually every aspect of conservation — from carbon solutions and climate change to wildlife and wildfires."

Federal Funding Cycles: Organizations with expertise in family forest owner support, sustainable forestry, conservation technology, or rural landowner engagement may be considered as partners when AFF pursues large federal grants from agencies like USDA.

Field Events and Collaboration: AFF participates in field events and conservation forums. Past collaborations have included partnerships with state forestry commissions, conservation nonprofits, academic institutions, and community-based organizations working directly with landowners.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - funding decisions are made as part of federal grant award planning processes rather than through application review cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable due to invitation-only partnership model.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - partnership opportunities arise based on federal funding opportunities and strategic fit.

Application Success Factors

Since AFF operates through strategic partnerships rather than competitive applications, organizations positioned to become partners typically have:

Existing Landowner Networks: Organizations that already work with family forest owners, particularly underserved, Tribal, or small-acreage landowners. AFF specifically states their work "centers the voices of underserved, Tribal, and small-acreage landowners."

Technical Capacity: Partners often provide specialized capabilities such as remote sensing technology (Planet Labs, Upstream Tech), carbon verification (Verra), forestry extension services (state agencies like Georgia Forestry Commission), or community engagement expertise (Southwest Georgia Project, Center for Heirs' Property Preservation).

Geographic Focus: Organizations working in regions with significant family forest ownership, particularly in the Southeast and areas facing wildfire threats.

Alignment with Market-Based Solutions: AFF emphasizes "meaningful market-based solutions that bolster rural economies" and seeks partners who can help connect family forest owners to carbon markets, sustainable timber markets, and other economic opportunities.

Federal Funding Expertise: Given that AFF's grants flow from large federal awards, partners with experience in USDA programs, NRCS assistance, or other federal conservation initiatives are well-positioned.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • American Forest Foundation is not a traditional grantmaker but a conservation intermediary that sub-grants federal funding to partner organizations
  • There is no public application process; partnerships are developed strategically around federal funding opportunities
  • Organizations working directly with family forest owners, particularly in underserved communities, are most likely to be considered as partners
  • Technical partners providing remote sensing, carbon verification, or conservation technology have been included in recent initiatives
  • AFF prioritizes market-based conservation solutions that provide economic benefits to rural landowners
  • Partnership opportunities typically arise when AFF pursues large federal grants ($20-35 million range) from USDA and other agencies
  • Contact AFF's Executive Vice President of Climate Funding to explore partnership possibilities aligned with upcoming federal funding opportunities

References

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