Bobolink Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- Bobolink Foundation's stated focus is collaborative biodiversity conservation in the Americas, covering grasslands, coastal conservation, wildlife and wild landscapes, and community-based conservation, so check that your work sits in one of these areas before you write.
- It does not review unsolicited proposals and funds by invitation only, so a cold request is unlikely to be considered; instead, aim to reach it through the conservation-collaborator network its website describes.
- A modest request fits its typical grants: about 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $5,000 and $715,000, and half of its grants to organisations were $30,000 or less, although its largest grant was $7,000,000.
- Relationships appear to matter, as 59% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings.
Overview
Bobolink Foundation is a US private foundation based in Chicago, IL.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website and other web pages about the foundation (rewild.org), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation supports collaborative biodiversity conservation in the Americas, emphasising grasslands, coastal conservation, wildlife and wild landscapes, and community-based conservation. Its mission is to advance conservation and stewardship of biodiversity through protecting natural areas, education and building local constituencies for nature. It values excellent conservation that engages and supports an empowered constituency, delivers measurable, on-the-ground improvements, is collaborative, benefits from effective organisations, builds on past success while applying new approaches, and is adaptive. The foundation combines financial support with active participation as volunteers, trustees and advisers, working with conservation collaborators.
Themes
- Biodiversity conservation
- Grasslands of the Americas
- Coastal conservation
- Wildlife and wild landscapes
- Community-based conservation
Geographic Focus
Priority: The Americas. (as reported in other published sources)
How to apply
Funding opportunities reach the foundation through its conservation-collaborator network and its own active engagement; it does not review unsolicited proposals. The website gives no applicant-led submission steps.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 59% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 144 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The foundation values conservation that engages and supports an empowered constituency.
- The foundation values measurable, on-the-ground improvements.
- The foundation favours collaborative conservation that benefits from effective organisations.
- The foundation values work that builds on past success while applying new approaches as needed.
- The foundation values adaptive conservation.
- Excellent conservation benefits from the support of effective organisations.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 9%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 6%
- The largest single recipient received 20% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 59% of grant dollars went to organisations Bobolink Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 4% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada, Brazil, The Netherlands).
- 3% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 44 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $30,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Nature Conservancy · Unrestricted Charitable Gift$7,000,0002024 tax year
- Rainforest Trust · Taquari $5M, Choc $2M$7,000,0002024 tax year
- Re:wild · Unrestricted Charitable Gift$2,250,0002024 tax year
- New Venture Fund · Andes Amazon Fund capacity building$685,7362024 tax year
- Friends of the Forest Preserves · Unrestricted Charitable Gift$450,0002024 tax year
- Friends of BirdLife International · Unrestricted Charitable Gift$305,0002024 tax year
- Oregon Desert Land Trust · Trout Creek stewardship endowment$280,0002024 tax year
- One Hundred Miles · Unrestricted Charitable Gift$275,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Justin Pepper — Executive Director
- Amanda Clark Paulson — Trustee / Part Time
- Henry Merritt Paulson III — Trustee / Part Time
- Wendy J Paulson — Trustee / Part Time
- Henry M Paulson JR — Trustee / Part Time
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $17,073,178 | $15,350,000 | $310,773,570 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $15,550,551 | $12,320,286 | $320,161,447 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $20,784,155 | $19,790,736 | $344,569,167 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to Bobolink Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL
- bobolinkfoundation.org
Applying to Bobolink Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Chicago, IL
- bobolinkfoundation.org