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The Bobolink Foundation

Annual Giving
$14.3M
Grant Range
$1K - $3.1M

The Bobolink Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $14,270,051
  • Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $500 - $3,100,000
  • Median Grant: $30,000
  • Geographic Focus: National and international (throughout the Americas)
  • Total Assets: $273 million
  • Number of Annual Grants: Approximately 49

Contact Details

Address: 401 N Michigan Ave, Suite 1940, Chicago, IL

Website: https://www.bobolinkfoundation.org/

Note: The foundation does not provide phone or email for grant inquiries and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Overview

The Bobolink Foundation was established in 1986 by Henry "Hank" Paulson, former Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO, and U.S. Treasury Secretary (2006-2009), and his wife, Wendy Paulson, a former public school teacher, environmental educator, and birding expert. With assets of $273 million and annual grantmaking of approximately $14.3 million, the foundation focuses exclusively on environmental conservation with particular emphasis on bird conservation, grasslands, coastal ecosystems, and community-based conservation efforts. The foundation is chaired by Wendy Paulson, whose passion for ornithology and environmental education drives much of the foundation's strategic direction. As a private family foundation, Bobolink has established an "ever-growing group of conservation collaborators" and operates on an invitation-only basis, supporting both large international organizations like The Nature Conservancy and Re:wild, as well as smaller regional outfits such as Wisconsin's Driftless Area Land Conservancy and Arizona's Cuenca los Ojos.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Bobolink Foundation does not operate formal grant programs with application cycles. Instead, grants are awarded through trustee discretion to pre-selected organizations. Recent grants (2023) include:

  • Large Unrestricted Gifts: $2,000,000 - $3,100,000 (for major conservation partners)
  • Project-Specific Grants: $500,000 - $1,900,000 (for specific conservation initiatives)
  • Standard Grants: $30,000 - $200,000 (most common grant size)
  • Small Grants: $500 - $30,000 (for smaller regional organizations)

Most individual grants are $200,000 or less, with occasional million-dollar-plus grants for major conservation initiatives.

Priority Areas

The foundation identifies four primary areas of focus:

1. Grasslands of the Americas Protecting endangered prairies and native pollinators, recognizing grasslands as "the least protected, most altered, and imperiled biomes on Earth." This program supports organizations working to conserve and sustain grassland environments throughout American communities.

2. Coastal Conservation Primary regional focus on Georgia's Altamaha River Basin and its rich ecosystem, with special attention to conservation of shorebird populations. Grants support coastal habitat protection and restoration.

3. Wildlife and Wild Landscapes of the Americas The largest geographic footprint of the foundation's giving areas, focusing on places where "wide ranging animals freely roam" with particular emphasis on areas home to "imperiled megafauna." Grantmaking spans throughout the Americas, from Mexico to Argentina.

4. Community-Based Conservation Supports community efforts to "care for nearby nature" as a means of sustaining conservation efforts, particularly when funding for public agencies wanes. This area reflects the Paulsons' belief that conservation projects require strong local support to succeed.

Cross-Cutting Priority: Bird conservation is a unifying theme across all areas, reflecting Wendy Paulson's expertise and passion as an ornithologist and birder. Recent grantees include American Bird Conservancy, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, BirdNote, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their focused approach means they do not fund:

  • Projects outside of environmental conservation and biodiversity protection
  • Organizations without established relationships to the foundation or its network
  • Unsolicited proposals from any organization

Governance and Leadership

Wendy Paulson, Chairman

  • Former public school teacher in Boston
  • Environmental educator known as "The Nature Lady" in Barrington Public Schools
  • Has led bird walks for more than 30 years
  • Deeply involved in the foundation's strategic direction
  • Quote on conservation philosophy: "There is a prevailing tone that nature is really important, and that we humans need to respect that and behave accordingly."
  • Quote on restoration: "And we found that if you restore the grasslands, the birds will come back."

Henry M. "Hank" Paulson Jr., Founder & Board Member

  • Former Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs
  • U.S. Treasury Secretary (2006-2009)
  • Co-founder of the Paulson Institute

The foundation operates as a private family foundation with the founders, particularly chair Wendy Paulson, and their interests driving grantmaking decisions. The assets are managed by the board of directors.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Bobolink Foundation explicitly states that it "does not accept unsolicited proposals" and only makes contributions to pre-selected charitable organizations. The foundation prefers to support organizations that "find us through this network and our own active engagement."

Grants are awarded based on trustee discretion, and funding opportunities are identified through the foundation's established network of conservation collaborators. Without a personal connection to Wendy Paulson or a past grantee, it is extremely difficult to gain Bobolink's attention.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation emphasizes the importance of personal relationships and in-person meetings. Wendy Paulson has described how major grant decisions weren't finalized "until they started having in-person meetings with the St. Simons Land Trust and the community members involved on the ground," reflecting their belief that "conservation projects simply don't work without that huge local support."

Potential pathways to connection:

  • Demonstrated community engagement: The foundation values organizations with strong local constituencies and community-based conservation approaches
  • Network connections: Being known to current grantees or operating within the foundation's existing conservation network
  • Geographic alignment: Working in priority regions (Georgia's Altamaha River Basin, American grasslands, coastal areas)
  • Subject matter alignment: Organizations focused on bird conservation, grassland preservation, or community-based conservation may be more likely to come to the foundation's attention
  • Public engagement: Wendy Paulson has led public bird walks and educational programs, indicating potential for connection through conservation education circles

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As an invitation-only funder, decision timelines are determined on a case-by-case basis through direct engagement with selected organizations.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis rather than an application/reapplication model.

Application Success Factors

Since this is an invitation-only funder, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, understanding what the foundation values can help organizations position themselves to potentially come onto the foundation's radar:

1. Strong Community Engagement The Paulsons place high value on local support and community involvement. Wendy Paulson has stated that conservation projects "simply don't work without that huge local support." Organizations should demonstrate deep community ties and local constituency building.

2. Place-Based Conservation Much of the foundation's giving is "place-based," devoted to specific geographic regions and ecosystems. Organizations working in the foundation's priority regions (particularly Georgia's Altamaha River Basin and American grasslands) may be more likely to align with their interests.

3. Bird Conservation Focus Given Wendy Paulson's expertise and passion for ornithology, projects that protect bird habitats or populations appear to receive particular attention. Recent grants have prioritized organizations involved in bird conservation.

4. Proven Track Record The foundation supports both large, established organizations (The Nature Conservancy, Re:wild) and smaller regional groups. What unites them appears to be demonstrated effectiveness in conservation work.

5. Grasslands and Coastal Ecosystems These are two of the four priority areas, with grasslands described as "the least protected, most altered, and imperiled biomes on Earth." Organizations working on these imperiled ecosystems align strongly with foundation priorities.

6. Habitat Restoration Success As Wendy Paulson noted: "And we found that if you restore the grasslands, the birds will come back." The foundation values restoration work with measurable impact on wildlife populations.

Recent Grant Examples:

  • The Nature Conservancy: $3.1M for unrestricted charitable gift; $1.9M for Coyne Creek Land Conservation
  • Re:wild: $2.0M for unrestricted charitable gift; $800K for Oncafari and Pantanal
  • New Venture Fund: $970K for Andes Amazon Fund capacity building
  • Friends of the Forest Preserves: $800K for unrestricted charitable gift

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only funder: The Bobolink Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Traditional grant writing will not result in funding from this source.

  • Network-driven approach: Funding opportunities are identified through the foundation's established network of conservation collaborators. Building relationships with current grantees may be the most viable path to visibility.

  • Community-based conservation is valued: Organizations with strong local support and community engagement align with the Paulsons' philosophy that conservation requires grassroots buy-in to succeed.

  • Bird conservation is a unifying priority: Across all four focus areas, projects that benefit bird populations—especially through habitat protection and restoration—appear to receive particular attention.

  • Geographic focus matters: Priority regions include Georgia's Altamaha River Basin, American grasslands, and coastal areas. Organizations working in these areas are more likely to align with foundation interests.

  • Range of grant sizes: While most grants are $200,000 or less, the foundation has demonstrated willingness to make multi-million dollar investments in established conservation partners through both unrestricted and project-specific funding.

  • Personal relationships matter: The Paulsons value in-person meetings and personal connections with grantees. Conservation work that intersects with Wendy Paulson's birding and education circles may have an advantage.

References

All sources accessed December 2025.

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