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Colorado · Public charity

Western Conservation Foundation

Building leaders to protect the west's land, air, and water.

$7.6M
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
114
Grants FY2024
94
Organizations funded FY2023
24%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$43,750
Largest grant, FY2024
$310,000
Organizations funded a year
87 to 111
FY2017 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
17
Total assets, FY2024
$8.1M

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 24% of the organizations Western Conservation Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 13% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 87% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $889k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’20’21’22’23
EnvironmentCommunity ImprovementEducationPublic BenefitAnimalsCivil RightsOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2024still arriving111$7.5M24%
FY202394$6.6M24%
FY202287$6.5M24%
FY202197$6.7M25%
FY2020111$7.1M62%
FY201791$7.1Mn/a
100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Environment$37MAnimals$3.3MPhilanthropy$1.0MHuman Services$607kPublic Benefit$569kCommunity Improvement$133kRecreation & Sports$72kArts & Culture$65kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

NH
WA
ID
MT
MN
WI
MI
NY
MA
OR
NV
WY
IN
OH
PA
CA
UT
CO
VA
MD
AZ
NM
SC
DC
TX

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

Show all 254 grantees
All grantees of Western Conservation Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Western Conservation Action$2,226,000621%
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers$2,107,780630%
National Wildlife Federation$1,467,48860%
Hispanic Access Foundation$1,458,932635%
Vet Voice Foundation Inc$1,355,110618%
Montana Wilderness Association$1,134,000611%
Conservation Colorado Education Fund$1,073,700615%
Nevada Conservation League Ed Fund$959,800637%
New Mexico Wilderness Alliance$881,00069%
Arizona Wildlife Federation$860,000554%
New Mexico Wildlife Federation$823,113619%
Institute for a Progressive Nevada$822,375638%
Western Resource Advocates$796,00062%
Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund$711,300631%
Montana Wildlife Federation$695,000621%
League of Conservation Voters Education Fund$686,11161%
Mt Mountain Mamas$671,000561%
Trout Unlimited Inc$666,08060%
Continental Divide Trail Coalition$635,500620%
Coalition to Protect Americas National$620,500643%
Sierra Business Council$619,97566%
California Environmental Voters Education Fund$529,080615%
Conservation Voters New Mexico Education Fund$516,200617%
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Inc$507,74563%
Indigenous Voices Nevada$469,637365%
Conservation Voters for Idaho Education Fund Inc$421,500640%
Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project$396,920330%
CalWild$368,000514%
Arizona Interfaith Power and Light$353,000582%
The Surfrider Foundation$348,00032%
Nevada Wildlife Federation$314,500565%
Utah Dine Bikeyah$313,175124%
Arizona Ecumenical Council$309,200519%
Mormon Women For Ethical Government Foun dation$307,750541%
Solar United Neighbors Inc$302,50051%
Public Citizen Foundation Inc$288,55051%
Partnership for Responsible Business$288,3526100%
Sierra Club Foundation$288,00050%
Rep Environmental Education Foundation$286,902522%
Community Initiatives$282,67260%
Presbyterian Church USA$277,0504n/a
Arizona Trail Association$274,00056%
The Grand Canyon Trust Inc$266,20051%
The Frontera Land Alliance$265,200336%
The National Religious Partnership for the Environment Inc$257,000520%
Outside Las Vegas Foundation$203,10058%
Public Land Solutions$202,600419%
The California Desert Land Conservancy$198,71032%
Wilderness Workshop$191,00053%
Arizona Technology Council$190,00035%
Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce$185,96746%
Southwest Organizing Project$182,00034%
Local First Arizona Foundation$180,00031%
North Main Street Fund$180,00033%
Bonneville Environmental Foundation$178,00014%
The Trust for Public Land$177,10030%
Tuleyome$176,000321%
Clean Air Task Force Inc$175,00020%
Wild Arizona$165,00059%
Center for the Future of Arizona$165,00032%
The Oregon League of Conservation Voters Education Fund$164,000312%
Outdoor Afro$161,05023%
San Juan Citizens Alliance$159,00058%
Alliance for a Just Society$158,91223%
Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks$158,350521%
Nfria-Wserc Conservation Center Inc$156,000610%
Nature for All$145,000114%
Colorado Farm & Food Alliance$145,0002n/a
GreenLatinos$143,50021%
Progressnow Colorado Education$139,84035%
Oregon Natural Desert Association$133,25024%
Rocky Mountain Wild$129,50058%
American Recreation Coalition$127,000210%
The Learning Council$125,500312%
Progressnow New Mexico Education Fund$125,210230%
Great Old Broads for Wilderness$125,00037%
Resources Legacy Fund$122,50030%
Idaho Wildlife Federation$121,00058%
Environment America Research and Policy Center Inc$120,60025%
The University of Montana Foundation$116,45030%
Arizona Public Health Association$107,000518%
Western Leaders Network$106,000246%
Good Business Colorado$105,00038%
California Trout Inc$102,00040%
California Native Plant Society$100,00021%
Virginia Organizing Inc$100,00021%
National Audubon Society Inc$97,00010%
Friends of the Earth$96,53821%
The Semilla Project$96,00027%
League of Oil & Gas Impacted Coloradans$95,0001n/a
Keystone Center$95,00031%
Wildearth Guardians$92,00031%
El M0VIMIENTO SIGUE INC$92,000127%
Vetsforward Civic Action$87,000232%
Physicians for Social Responsibility$87,00023%
The Chaparral Lands Conservancy$83,500213%
Climate Resolve$75,00022%
Native American Land Conservancy$75,00024%
Prickly Pear Land Trust$75,00022%
Arizona Pirg Education Fund Inc$73,000415%
General Assembly of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ Inc$71,2852n/a
Friends of Plumas Wilderness$70,000318%
Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas En Norte America$70,00026%
NM Comunidades En Accion Y De Fe$70,00024%
Cna Corporation$70,00030%
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Inc$70,00024%
Utah Clean Energy Alliance Inc$70,00021%
Tataviam Land Conservancy$68,00023%
Western Colorado Alliance$67,50026%
High Hopes Colorado$65,000110%
One Apia Nevada$65,00022%
Love Is King Inc$62,823224%
Wyoming Wildlife Federation$62,50053%
Sovereign Energy$60,00016%
Climate Advocates Voces Unidas$60,000110%
Justice Outside$60,00020%
Friends of the Dunes$57,00027%
Vote Solar$56,00011%
National Recreation and Park Association$55,00010%
Cultivando$55,00013%
The Aspen Institute Inc$52,50010%
Christian Coalition$52,0001n/a
Public Democracy America$51,000176%
Naeva$50,00012%
Colorado School of Mines Foundation$50,00010%
El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center$50,00010%
Water Foundation$50,00010%
Naleo Educational Fund$50,00011%
Searchlight New Mexico News$50,00015%
Alianza Coachella Valley$50,00012%
Taxpayers for Common Sense$50,00021%
State Innovation Exchange$49,00040%
Arizona Heritage Alliance$49,000544%
Montana Land Reliance Foundation Inc$47,00020%
Hunters of Color$46,00027%
Dolores River Boating Advocates$45,00035%
Arizona Solar Energy Industries Assoc$45,000110%
Colorado Canyons Association$45,000210%
Volcan Mountain Foundation$44,75018%
Spirit of the Sun Inc$43,000124%
Colorado Fiscal Institute$41,19032%
Earthworks$40,00011%
One Arizona$37,00020%
The Wilderness Society$35,00010%
Together Colorado$35,00017%
Pacific Crest Trail Association$35,00011%
Conservation Lands Foundation$35,00010%
Earth Care International Earth Care New Mexico$35,00013%
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center$35,00010%
Montana Public Interest Research Foundation$32,80026%
Center for Biological Diversity Inc$32,00010%
Posada$31,55013%
Community Partners$30,00010%
New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund$30,00013%
Western Environmental Law Center$30,00011%
The Conservation Alliance$30,00011%
Conservation Minnesota$30,00012%
National Association of Tribal Historic Officers Inc$30,00022%
Consumer Reports Inc$30,00010%
Outdoor New Mexico$30,000114%
Maryland League of Conservation Voters Education Fund Inc$30,00013%
Conservation Voters of Sc Educ Fund$30,00014%
Montana Audubon$30,00013%
Project on Government Oversight Inc$30,00010%
Land Trust Alliance Inc$29,50010%
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada$29,5001n/a
Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis Inc$28,00010%
Evangelical Environmental Network$28,00014%
BlueGreen Alliance Foundation$27,00010%
Nwccog Foundation Inc$26,500164%
350 Colorado$26,00024%
La Raza Services Inc$25,50020%
Conservation Legacy$25,00010%
Comite Civico del Valle Inc$25,00010%
Montana Trout Unlimited$25,00012%
Sequoia Riverlands Trust$25,00011%
Blue Star Families Inc$25,00011%
Rocky Mountain Community Radio$25,000231%
Friends of the Verde River$25,00011%
Oil & Gas Action Network$25,00011%
New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light$25,000115%
Tad Consulting Group Inc$25,000113%
Heart of the Rockies Initiative$24,50021%
Orange County Coastkeeper$24,20011%
The Ole Education Fund$23,31012%
UltraViolet Education Fund$23,07011%
The Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance$23,00019%
Clean Water Fund$22,70010%
Bicycle Colorado$22,00011%
Wisconsin Conservation Voices Inc$22,00014%
Green House Collaboration$22,000111%
New Mexico Land Conservancy$22,00011%
Central Valley Partnership$20,50015%
University of Colorado Foundation$20,00010%
American Security Project$20,00013%
Colorado Rising for Communities$20,00012%
Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition$20,0001n/a
Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico Inc$20,00010%
New Mexico Community Capital$20,00010%
Black Mesa Trust inc$20,000110%
Chimney Rock Interpretive Association Inc$20,000111%
Friends of the Owyhee$20,00017%
Park County Environmental Council$20,0001n/a
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center$20,00010%
Conservative Alliance for Solar Energy I$20,0001n/a
Amargosa Land Trust$20,00015%
Gathering Waters Inc$20,00014%
High Ground Institute Inc$19,50015%
Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudios$18,00014%
Nevada Solar Owners Association$18,0001n/a
Colorado Wildlife Federation Inc$18,00016%
Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center$17,00019%
Greater Washington DC Chapter 9th & 10th Horse Cavalry Association$15,0001n/a
Sustainable Markets Foundation$15,00010%
Colorado Civic Engagement Roundtable$15,00011%
The Voter Participation Center$15,00010%
Interwest Energy Alliance$15,00011%
Save Red Rock Canyon Community Deve$15,000128%
The California Chaparral Institute$15,000122%
Colorado Public Interest Research Foundation Inc$15,00014%
Colorado Hispanic Chamber of Commerce$15,00011%
Wild Earth Society Incorporated$14,99410%
Health Action New Mexico$12,60014%
Outdoor Alliance$12,50011%
Advocates for the West Inc$12,50011%
New Mexico Asian Family Center$12,00010%
Grand Staircase - Escalante Partners Inc$12,00012%
Young Invincibles$11,50010%
The Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts$11,00012%
Montana Renewable Energy Association$10,0001n/a
Voces Unidas Action Fund$10,00013%
Washington Conservation Action Education Fund$10,00010%
New Mexico Voices for Children$10,00010%
Headwaters Economics Inc$10,00010%
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project$10,00010%
Arkansas Valley Coalition for a Sustainable Energy Future$10,0001n/a
Resource Media$10,00010%
Center for Civic Policy$10,00010%
The Thompson Divide Coalition$10,0001n/a
Iaf Inc$10,000121%
Clean Energy Economy for the Region$10,00011%
The Escalante and Boulder Utah Chamber of Commerce$9,7001n/a
American Fly Fishing Trade Association Inc$9,00012%
Montana Environmental Information Center$9,00010%
Hispano Round Table De Nuevo Mexico$8,5001n/a
High Country Conservation Advocates$7,50012%
Utah Outdoor Partners$7,500124%
New Mexico Association of Soil and Water Conservat$7,00010%
Renewable Northwest Project Dba Renewable Northwest$7,00011%
Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce$7,00013%
Oregon Natural Resources Council Fund Oregon Wild$6,5001n/a
Sustainable Development Strategies Group$6,000112%
National Security Forum of Northern Nevada Inc$6,00019%
The Wildlands Conservancy$6,00010%

Plus 1 recipient with no EIN on record ($19k), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Western Conservation Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 25 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 200 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetWestern Conservation Action: $2,226,000 over 6y, 21% of budgetBackcountry Hunters & Anglers: $2,107,780 over 6y, 30% of budgetNational Wildlife Federation: $1,467,488 over 6y, 0.3% of budgetHispanic Access Foundation: $1,458,932 over 6y, 35% of budgetVet Voice Foundation Inc: $1,355,110 over 6y, 18% of budgetMontana Wilderness Association: $1,134,000 over 6y, 11% of budgetConservation Colorado Education Fund: $1,073,700 over 6y, 15% of budgetNevada Conservation League Ed Fund: $959,800 over 6y, 37% of budgetNew Mexico Wilderness Alliance: $881,000 over 6y, 8.8% of budgetArizona Wildlife Federation: $860,000 over 5y, 54% of budgetNew Mexico Wildlife Federation: $823,113 over 6y, 19% of budgetInstitute for a Progressive Nevada: $822,375 over 6y, 38% of budgetWestern Resource Advocates: $796,000 over 6y, 2.0% of budgetMontana Conservation Voters Education Fund: $711,300 over 6y, 31% of budgetMontana Wildlife Federation: $695,000 over 6y, 21% of budgetLeague of Conservation Voters Education Fund: $686,111 over 6y, 0.9% of budgetMt Mountain Mamas: $671,000 over 5y, 61% of budgetTrout Unlimited Inc: $666,080 over 6y, 0.2% of budgetContinental Divide Trail Coalition: $635,500 over 6y, 20% of budgetCoalition to Protect Americas National: $620,500 over 6y, 43% of budgetSierra Business Council: $619,975 over 6y, 6.3% of budgetCalifornia Environmental Voters Education Fund: $529,080 over 6y, 15% of budgetConservation Voters New Mexico Education Fund: $516,200 over 6y, 17% of budgetTheodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Inc: $507,745 over 6y, 2.5% of budgetIndigenous Voices Nevada: $469,637 over 3y, 65% of budgetConservation Voters for Idaho Education Fund Inc: $421,500 over 6y, 40% of budgetNuestra Tierra Conservation Project: $396,920 over 3y, 30% of budgetCalWild: $368,000 over 5y, 14% of budgetArizona Interfaith Power and Light: $353,000 over 5y, 82% of budgetThe Surfrider Foundation: $348,000 over 3y, 2.1% of budgetNevada Wildlife Federation: $314,500 over 5y, 65% of budgetUtah Dine Bikeyah: $313,175 over 1y, 24% of budgetArizona Ecumenical Council: $309,200 over 5y, 19% of budgetMormon Women For Ethical Government Foun dation: $307,750 over 5y, 41% of budgetSolar United Neighbors Inc: $302,500 over 5y, 1.0% of budgetPublic Citizen Foundation Inc: $288,550 over 5y, 0.7% of budgetPartnership for Responsible Business: $288,352 over 6y, 100% of budgetSierra Club Foundation: $288,000 over 5y, 0.2% of budgetRep Environmental Education Foundation: $286,902 over 5y, 22% of budgetCommunity Initiatives: $282,672 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetArizona Trail Association: $274,000 over 5y, 5.9% of budgetThe Grand Canyon Trust Inc: $266,200 over 5y, 0.8% of budgetThe Frontera Land Alliance: $265,200 over 3y, 36% of budgetThe National Religious Partnership for the Environment Inc: $257,000 over 5y, 20% of budgetOutside Las Vegas Foundation: $203,100 over 5y, 8.1% of budgetPublic Land Solutions: $202,600 over 4y, 19% of budgetThe California Desert Land Conservancy: $198,710 over 3y, 1.7% of budgetWilderness Workshop: $191,000 over 5y, 3.1% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 200.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Resources Legacy FundCA135.4× affinity80 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Resources Legacy Fund · The Wilderness Society · Patagoniaorg · United States Energy Foundation · Western Conservation Action · Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated · The Energy Foundation · Conservation Lands Foundation · Wilburforce Foundation · The Pew Charitable Trusts · The Partnership Project Inc · Natural Resources Defense Council Inc

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Western Conservation Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Western Conservation Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Western Conservation Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Western Conservation Foundation

How much does Western Conservation Foundation give?
Western Conservation Foundation reported 114 grants totaling $7,581,562 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 87 and 111 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
What does Western Conservation Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2024, its largest causes are Environment (86%), Animals (8%), Philanthropy (2%).
Who are Western Conservation Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2024: Western Conservation Action ($2.2M), Backcountry Hunters & Anglers ($2.1M), National Wildlife Federation ($1.5M).
Does Western Conservation Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 24% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Which funders back the same organizations as Western Conservation Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Resources Legacy Fund, The Wilderness Society, Patagoniaorg.
Where is Western Conservation Foundation based?
Western Conservation Foundation is based in CO.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 261 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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