Free funder guide · Wisconsin · Last checked 27 September 2026
Which Wisconsin environmental funders actually accept applications
Most private foundations in Wisconsin have already told the IRS they won't read your proposal. This page explains how to spot them, and lists 15 secular funders of environmental and conservation work in Wisconsin that do take applications, with what they fund, what they have given, and when they next open.
Wisconsin foundations are more open than those in Minnesota, Illinois or Michigan, but most of the open ones that made an environmental grant in their latest filing also gave to a church, a religious school or another faith-based charity, so only three private foundations are listed. The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, the Fund for Lake Michigan and the state's own grant programs are the most reachable money for small conservation groups here.
From my own read of IRS filings, September 2026
In Wisconsin, 572 of the 859 private foundations with $1 million or more in assets that I could check tick the box on their tax return saying they don't accept unsolicited requests. That is 67%.
That leaves 287 larger Wisconsin foundations that say they will read an application. It is a lower share of closed doors than in Minnesota (75%, 676 of 907), Illinois (77%, 1,722 of 2,235) and Michigan (72%, 690 of 964), counted the same way.
How I counted: every private non-operating foundation with a Wisconsin address on the IRS Exempt Organizations Master File (September 2026 release) reporting assets of $1 million or more, checked against its most recent e-filed Form 990-PF (tax years 2024 to 2026, almost all 2024 or 2025). There are 861; 2 had no e-filed return I could find, so they are left out of the count. Operating foundations, which mostly run their own programs, are left out, as they were for Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan. Counting them too gives 69% (634 of 925).
What the checkbox means
One small box on the tax return tells you whether to bother.
Every private foundation files Form 990-PF with the IRS each year. Part XIV, line 2 of that return has a checkbox. A foundation that ticks it is telling the IRS, in writing, that it chooses its grantees itself. A proposal sent to it is usually wasted work.
"Check here if the foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."Form 990-PF, Part XIV, line 2
A foundation that leaves the box empty has to fill in lines 2a to 2d instead: who receives applications, what form they should take, any deadlines, and any limits on who or what it funds. For many small family foundations, those four lines are the only published guidelines they have.
The box does not tell you whether a foundation funds your kind of work. For that, read line 3a, the list of grants it actually paid. Check both before you write a letter of inquiry. Any foundation's return can be read free on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
15 funders
Open to applications, and funding environmental work in Wisconsin.
Every funder below is secular, says it accepts applications (on its website or its tax return), and has paid grants to environmental or conservation groups in its most recent filing. Government programs are the exception: they file no tax return. Community foundations are listed by the program that fits environmental groups. Grant examples come from each funder's latest IRS filing unless the funder's own site is named.
Verified date on the funder's own site on 27 Sept 2026Expected based on last cycle; next not yet postedRolling applications any timeFiling only no website; from the tax return, confirm first
Statewide and regional public grantmakers
01
Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
Madison · statewide
Small grants for conservation and environmental education in Wisconsin through several funds: the C.D. Besadny Conservation Fund (habitat, imperiled species, climate resilience, projects that engage people left out of conservation), the Bird Protection Fund and the Go Outside Fund (getting Pre-K to 12 students outdoors). Open to 501(c)(3) public charities; one application per organization per cycle.
Typical grant
C.D. Besadny grants up to $5,000 for projects with a total budget of $25,000 or less; Go Outside grants $100 to $1,500 (its site). Grants in its 2025 filing include Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance $29,352, Landmark Conservancy $28,368, The Prairie Enthusiasts $25,547 and Friends of Cedarburg Bog $23,173 (the filing does not say which fund paid them).
Next deadline
Standing annual dates: Go Outside Fund March 1 and September 1; Bird Protection Fund July 1; C.D. Besadny Fund September 1 Verified. The next one is the Go Outside Fund on March 1.
How to apply
Application form from each fund's page, emailed to [email protected]. Paper applications are not accepted.
Milwaukee · Lake Michigan basin in Wisconsin, priority to southeastern Wisconsin
On-the-ground projects with direct, measurable effects on water quality in the Lake Michigan watershed: habitat protection, polluted runoff, stream and wetland restoration, and the monitoring and planning that lead to them. It generally does not fund stand-alone education, advocacy or general research. It also considers a few projects in Madison Gas and Electric's service area.
Typical grant
Plans to award $700,000 to $900,000 a quarter (its site). Its 2025 awards list includes Door County Land Trust, Glacial Lakes Conservancy, Mequon Nature Preserve, Heckrodt Wetland Reserve and Wisconsin Wetlands Association (amounts not published). Its tax filings show its grants paid through one fiscal partner, so they do not name grantees.
Next deadline
Pre-proposals accepted all year. For the December board meeting: pre-proposal by October 16, 2026, full proposal by November 13, 2026 Verified. Later pre-proposals go to the 2027 meetings.
How to apply
Pre-proposal in its Foundant portal; an invited full proposal follows. Allow three to six months from pre-proposal to contract.
Cost-share grants for lakes, rivers and wetlands: education, assessment and planning, restoration, and aquatic invasive species prevention and control. Nonprofit conservation organizations can apply once the DNR has confirmed their eligibility.
Typical grant
Education up to $5,000 at 67% of project costs; planning up to $10,000 or $25,000 at 67%; restoration up to $50,000 at 75% (its applicant guide).
Next deadline
Full applications are due November 15 each year; in 2026 that is November 16, 2026, because the 15th is a Sunday Verified. The 2026 pre-application was due September 15. A nonprofit new to the program must file its eligibility form by May 1, so a first-time applicant is realistically aiming at the 2027 cycle. Healthy Lakes and Rivers applications are accepted all year Rolling.
How to apply
Eligibility form 8700-380 to the regional environmental grant specialist, then a pre-application and application by email to [email protected].
Madison · the 15 counties on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior
Federal coastal-zone money run by the Department of Administration for coastal wetland protection and habitat restoration, nonpoint pollution control, coastal planning, Great Lakes education, and public access. Private nonprofits are eligible; projects must be in a county on Lake Michigan or Lake Superior.
Typical grant
About $1.2 million in total for the 2027-2028 round; applicants asking for more than $100,000 should talk to the program first. Projects of $60,000 or less need a 50% match, larger ones 60% (its request for proposals).
Next deadline
November 3, 2026 for the 2027-2028 round Verified. Projects are selected in spring 2027 and begin July 1, 2027.
How to apply
The 2027-2028 application forms from the program page, sent to [email protected]. A recorded applicant workshop is on the page.
Cost-share grants for new urban and community forestry work: tree inventories and plans, planting projects and program building. Open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Wisconsin as well as local governments and tribes.
Typical grant
Regular grants up to $25,000; startup grants up to $5,000; both require cost-share (its site).
Next deadline
Applications are accepted July 1 to October 1 each year; the 2026 window closes October 1, 2026 Verified.
How to apply
Application through the DNR urban forestry grants page; staff hold virtual office hours during the window.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Sustain Our Great Lakes
Washington, DC · Great Lakes basin in Wisconsin
Habitat restoration, nature-based stormwater infrastructure, and invasive species control that protects restored habitat, anywhere in the United States part of the Great Lakes basin. Large awards, so best for a group with a shovel-ready project and partners.
Typical grant
$200,000 to $1,000,000 (2026 request for proposals). Wisconsin grants in its latest filing, which does not name the program: Harbor District $325,573 (Milwaukee shoreline), Woodland Dunes Nature Center $301,434 (fish passage), Science on a River $190,000 (Sheboygan), Mequon Nature Preserve $145,706 (wetland restoration).
Next deadline
About May 2027 for pre-proposals Expected. In 2026 pre-proposals were due May 28 and full proposals August 6; the 2027 request for proposals is not posted yet.
How to apply
Pre-proposal in NFWF's Easygrants system; invited applicants submit a full proposal.
Milwaukee · Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties
Its third grant cycle each year includes an environment priority: habitat restoration, stormwater management through green space, reducing water pollution, and land conservation and management, especially in communities hit hardest by environmental harm. Applicants need at least four unrelated board members and a board that is at least 10 percent people of color.
Typical grant
No set range; one to three year requests considered (its site). Environmental grants in its 2024 filing include Urban Ecology Center $552,036, Milwaukee Riverkeeper $203,300 (Nichols Creek), Mequon Nature Preserve $170,613 and Nearby Nature Milwaukee $152,500 (the filing does not separate open-cycle grants from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
The 2026 cycle with environment ran August 21 to September 11 and is closed; next about August to September 2027 Expected. Two partner cycles that list environment are open or opening: West Bend Insurance Company's Charitable Fund (Washington County) closes October 9, 2026, and the Greater Cedarburg Foundation (Ozaukee County) runs October 12 to 30, 2026 Verified.
How to apply
Online grant portal; the foundation holds open office hours before each cycle.
Madison Community Foundation: Community Impact Environment grants
Madison · Dane County
Community Impact grants, one of whose five focus areas is the environment: conserving, restoring and teaching about Dane County's natural spaces. Program and capital grants, including land acquisition.
Typical grant
Not published. Environmental grants in its 2024 filing include Gathering Waters $50,000, Aldo Leopold Nature Center $50,000 (capital) and Foundation for Dane County Parks $25,000.
Next deadline
The 2026 cycle has ended. In 2026 the letter of inquiry portal opened March 2 and letters were due June 3, with invited full proposals in July; next about March to June 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Letter of inquiry in its GoApply portal; invited applicants send a full proposal. One application per cycle.
Greater Green Bay Community Foundation: Funds for Greater Green Bay
Green Bay · Brown, Kewaunee and Oconto counties
Its general grant program, open to all nonprofits, with environment and conservation among its named focus areas. The foundation asks applicants to talk to its Community Impact Team before applying.
Typical grant
Up to $20,000 (its site). Environmental grants in its filing for the year to June 2025 include Friends of the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary $106,780, Green Bay Botanical Garden $64,595, Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust $12,700 and New Bird Alliance $10,000.
Next deadline
Two cycles a year on a standing schedule: winter opens November 1 and closes January 11; summer opens May 1 and closes July 1 Verified. The next one is the winter cycle opening November 1.
How to apply
Online application after a conversation with the Community Impact Team.
Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region: Community Vision Fund
Appleton · Calumet, Outagamie, Shawano and Waupaca counties and the Neenah-Menasha area
Annual Responsive Grants from its unrestricted fund: flexible general operating or program support for nonprofits in its area, whatever the mission. A pilot the foundation started after its 2025 nonprofit survey.
Typical grant
$1,000 to $15,000 (its site). Environmental grants in its 2024 filing include Heckrodt Wetland Reserve $353,584, Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust $96,399, Friends of the 1000 Islands $65,250 and Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance $35,400 (the filing does not separate these from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
Cycle 3 closes September 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Verified. In 2026 the cycles ran in March, June and September; 2027 dates are not posted yet Expected.
How to apply
Online grant portal; guidelines are on the Community Vision Fund page.
Door County Community Foundation: Sustainability Grants
Sturgeon Bay · Door County
Operating support for Door County charities through one application that can draw on several funds, including its Green Fund for land protection, environmental education and invasive species work. Its Healthy Water Door County grants protect local water and are reviewed monthly.
Typical grant
Sustainability Grants average $5,000 (its site). Environmental grants in its filing for the year to June 2025 include Friends of Peninsula State Park $152,000, Door County Land Trust $122,877 and Open Door Bird Sanctuary $31,590 (the filing does not separate these from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
Due the fourth Monday of March, June, September and December at 4 p.m.: the fall cycle closes September 28, 2026 and the winter cycle December 28, 2026 Verified. Healthy Water grants: any time Rolling.
How to apply
Its Common Grant Application, signed by the chief executive, emailed to [email protected].
Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin: Wausau Marathon County Impact Grants
Wausau · Wausau and Marathon County
Projects and capacity building that make a long-term difference in the greater Wausau area and Marathon County, open to any 501(c)(3) cause. The foundation requires a conversation with its director of programs before you apply.
Typical grant
$1,000 to $100,000 depending on scope (its site). Environmental grants in its 2025 filing include Ice Age Trail Alliance $1,001,000, Monk Botanical Gardens $537,500 and North Central Conservancy Trust $21,000 (the filing does not separate these from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
Four deadlines a year: February 3, May 5, August 4 and October 27; the next is October 27, 2026 Verified.
How to apply
Discuss the idea with Kelly Price, Director of Programs and Donor Relations, then apply online.
No website; everything here comes from its tax filing for the year to March 2026. It limits grants to animal and wildlife conservation, nature education, habitat protection and food security, and its largest grants go to nature and science education in the Milwaukee area, led by the Urban Ecology Center.
Typical grant
Median $25,000 across its 17 grants. Examples: Urban Ecology Center $175,000, International Crane Foundation $80,000, Mequon Nature Preserve $75,000, Lake Michigan Bird Observatory $25,000, Restoring Lands $20,000, Gathering Waters $10,000.
Next deadline
None stated Filing only.
How to apply
No required form; send grant information to Laura J. Arnow, CPA, 3966 North Lake Drive, Shorewood, WI 53211.
Madison · Wisconsin land trusts and wildlife groups
No website; everything here comes from its 2025 tax filing. It considers only nature, wildlife and AIDS causes, and half of its 12 grants in 2025 were small general gifts to Wisconsin land trusts.
Typical grant
About $5,000 is typical across its 12 grants in 2025. Examples: Gathering Waters $6,650, Landmark Conservancy $5,250, Door County Land Trust $4,975, Groundswell Conservancy $4,975, Waukesha Land Conservancy $4,975, Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust $4,475.
Next deadline
No submission deadlines, per the filing Filing only.
How to apply
A request with your mission and financials to Jill Brodkey, 313 Sauk Creek Dr, Madison, WI 53717.
Direct conservation and science-based conservation, with priority for threatened or endangered species and their habitat. It also funds guide and assistance dogs. Ongoing operating support gets lower priority, and it does not fund groups whose main focus is advocacy or litigation.
Typical grant
Median $25,097 across its 31 grants in 2025. Its Wisconsin conservation grant was Wild Rivers Conservancy (Osceola) $23,000; other examples include Morton Arboretum $25,000 and Pines and Prairies Land Trust $10,920.
Next deadline
The 2026 round closed July 1, 2026. Its portal opens April 1 each year; groups not funded in the past three years must file an inquiry by June 1. Next round about April to July 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Online only, through its SmApply portal; first an initial inquiry, then an invited full application.
It is not exhaustive and it is not a ranking. Deadlines and guidelines change, so open each funder's own page before you start. Grants are competitive, and past grant sizes describe what a funder gave, not what it will give you. I list secular funders only.
The full version
Want this done for your own organization?
A Funding Roadmap ($1,200, flat fee) gives you ten to fifteen funders matched to your mission, place and size, the grants each one paid to groups like yours, how to apply, and a 12-month grant calendar. Every deadline is labeled the same way as on this page.
Email me your organization's name, rough budget and what you'd like funded. You'll get a written reply within two business days.
You fill in a short intake questionnaire, then answer one round of written follow-up questions.
About three weeks later you get the roadmap, a two-page note on how to use it, and 14 days of email questions.
Everything happens in writing. There are no calls or meetings.