Wilburforce Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 94-3137894 · since 1991wilburforce.org·Canada, Mexico, United States·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$19.3M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$12,000 to $160k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$50,000

Typical grant (median)

225 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

Wilburforce Foundation, based in Seattle, WA, funds science-driven conservation and sustainable policies in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with priority given to Western North America, so check your project sits within this geography and themes such as wildlands and wildlife, conservation science, environmental policy, grantee capacity, landscape connectivity or Indigenous-led conservation.
A realistic request falls between $12,000 and $160,000, the range covering about 8 in 10 of its 676 grants to organisations, with a median grant of $50,000; the roughly $1,300,000 grant went to MakeWay Foundation, an organisation it funds every year that regrants to others, so this is not a guide for a typical applicant.
It accepts applications on a rolling basis, but asks that you first speak with the appropriate staff member about your project before submitting a proposal.
With 82% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded in the two previous filings, this points to a foundation that leans toward sustained relationships, so a new applicant should expect the field to be competitive.
It does not fund agricultural issues, air quality or other clean air programs, energy-related programs, environmental education, environmental justice programs, land acquisition, marine or other water-only programs, pollution prevention or other pollution-related projects, fish recovery programs, sprawl or growth management programs, sustainable development, wildlife rehabilitation programs, youth education programs, deficit financing, indirect costs, overhead, or facilities administration to academic institutions or universities, endowment funds, funding of individual scholarships or fellowships, grants to individuals, grants to schools, or loans.

Overview

Wilburforce Foundation is a US private foundation based in Seattle, WA.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

Wilburforce Foundation supports organisations and individuals committed to science-driven conservation and sustainable policies with enduring effects on natural ecosystems. Its work centres on western North America, where it seeks to preserve irreplaceable biological diversity and ecological integrity, protecting wild places and the wildlife that depend on them. It invests in natural and social sciences to advance conservation solutions, works with grantees to defend and use policies that protect lands, waters and wildlife, and strengthens their capacity to achieve higher levels of effectiveness. It also connects partners and supports collaborative conservation efforts.

Themes

Wildlands and wildlife
Conservation science
Environmental policy
Grantee capacity
Landscape connectivity
Indigenous-led conservation

Geographic Focus

U.S; Canada; Mexico. Priority: Western North America.

What They Don't Fund

Agricultural issues
Air quality or other clean air programs
Energy-related programs
Environmental education
Environmental justice programs
Land acquisition
Marine or other water-only programs
Pollution prevention or other pollution-related projects
Fish recovery programs
Sprawl or growth management programs
Sustainable development
Wildlife rehabilitation programs
Youth education programs
Deficit financing
Indirect costs, overhead, or facilities administration to academic institutions or universities
Endowment funds
Funding of individual scholarships or fellowships
Grants to individuals
Grants to schools
Loans

How to apply

Organisations interested in submitting a grant proposal should first speak with the appropriate staff member about their project.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 82% 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 676 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The foundation favours science-driven conservation efforts and sustainable policies with meaningful and enduring impact on natural ecosystems.
It supports collaboration among diverse stakeholders, policy-informed conservation and social science research, and active constituencies for wildlife and wild places.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

District of Columbia16%

Montana11%

Washington9%

New Mexico7%

Oregon7%

Utah5%

6 other states: 19%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 25%

The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations Wilburforce Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
11% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
25% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

225 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $50,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 225 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$1k–$2.5k1%

$2.5k–$5k2%

$5k–$10k3%

$10k–$25k7%

$25k–$50k20%

$50k–$100k33%

$100k–$250k30%

$250k–$500k3%

$500k–$1M1%

Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Together Rising as an Environmental Community · Environmental - general support 2024
$800,0002024 tax year
Together Rising as an Environmental Community · Environmental - general support 2024
$800,0002024 tax year
Together Rising as an Environmental Community · Environmental - general support 2024
$800,0002024 tax year
MakeWay Foundation · Environmental - wilburforce canadian conservation fund
$264,0002024 tax year
Heart of the Rockies Initiative · Environmental - general support 2024
$250,0002024 tax year
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative · Environmental - general support 2024
$250,0002024 tax year
Grand Canyon Trust · Environmental - general support 2024
$250,0002024 tax year
New Venture Fund · Environmental - salmonstate: transboundary conservation
$250,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Jennifer Miller Herzog — Trustee
Lisa Weinstein — Exec-Direc / Secretary
Jim Orr — Trustee
Birch Beaudet — Trustee
Stephanie Nichols-Young — Director / Treasurer
Rosanna W Letwin — Director / President
Tim Greyhavens — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$21,909,521	$17,265,620	$132,279,015	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$24,792,572	$20,174,250	$140,661,587	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$24,586,083	$19,341,000	$153,324,043	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.