2020 Grants Awarded

Alaska Conservation Foundation awarded 89 grants totaling $1,024,4576.59 in fiscal year 2020 (July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020) to support efforts across Alaska.

Agency Fund Grants 

Alaska Conservation Foundation holds various endowment funds, including Agency Funds, that generate a spendable balance each year. This balance may be requested as a grant award by the organization the fund was created to support and may be awarded annually. Grants totaling $13,468.59 were awarded to:

  • Northern Alaska Environmental Center – $3,468.59
    Fairbanks, AK
    Northern Guardian Fund payout
  • Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies – $10,000 
    Homer, AK
    Support for Inspiration Ridge maintenance and operations

Alaska Defense Fund Grants

This fund, created in November 2016, intends to support critical, front-line conservation work in Alaska and responds to emerging threats to Alaska’s public lands and waters. Grants were awarded totaling $304,800 to:

  • Alaska Center Education Fund – $15,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for Electric Grid Reform
  • Alaska Center Education Fund – $13,500
    Anchorage, AK
    General Support
  • Alaska Community Action on Toxics – $10,000
    Anchorage, AK
    General Support
  • Alaska Marine Conservation Council- $30,000
    Anchorage, AK
    General Support
  • Alaska Public Interest Research Group – $10,000
    Anchorage, AK
    General Support
  • Cook Inletkeeper – $20,000
    Homer, AK
    Executive Director Transition
  • Cook Inletkeeper – $10,000
    Homer, AK
    General Support
  • Gwich’in Steering Committee – $10,000
    Fairbanks, AK
    General Support
  • Native Movement – $15,000
    Fairbanks, AK
    Just Transition Summit
  • Native Movement – $10,000
    Fairbanks, AK
    General Support
  • Northern Alaska Environmental Center – $20,000
    Fairbanks, AK
    General Support
  • Renewable Energy Alaska Project – $20,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Electric Grid Reform
  • Southeast Alaska Conservation Council – $15,000
    Juneau, AK
    General Support
  • Susitna River Coalition – $15,000
    Talkeetna, AK
    General Support
  • Trustees for Alaska $30,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Legal Services to Protect Alaska
  • United Tribes of Bristol Bay – $10,000
    Dillingham, AK
    General Support

Conservation Achievement Awardee Grants

Each year, Alaska Conservation Foundation honors members of our community who go above and beyond to protect Alaska. Certain awards allow the awardee to suggest organizations to receive a small amount of grant funding from Alaska Conservation Foundation. Grants totaling $2,000 were awarded to:

  • Southeast Alaska Conservation Council – $1,000
    Juneau, Alaska
    Recommendation from Celia Hunter Conservation Achievement award recipient
  • Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition – $1000
    Fairbanks, AK
    Recommendation from Olaus Murie Conservation Achievement award recipient

Discovery Grants

Grant awards to support small, grassroots organizations working to advance the conservation movement in Alaska. Grants totaling $19,570 were awarded to:

  • Alaska Center Education Fund – $2,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for AYEA alumni reunion and training
  • Alaska Common Ground – $2,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for Climate Change Convening
  • Alaska Common Ground – $1,000
    Anchorage, AK
    “Who’s Doing What on Climate Change in Anchorage and Beyond”
  • Alaskans for Palmer Hayflats – $2,000
    Palmer, AK
    Support for leadership development and collaboration with tribal partners
  • Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust – $2,000
    Dillingham, AK
    Support for Alaska Statewide Land Trust Convening  
  • Green Star of Interior Alaska – $1,950
    Fairbanks, AK
    Strategic Planning
  • Interior Alaska Land Trust – $1,600
    Fairbanks, AK
    Support to attend Land Trust Alliance Conference
  • Kachemak Bay Conservation Society – $2,000
    Homer, AK
    Advocating for a Kenai Peninsula Borough Sustainable Resources Commission
  • Kachemak Heritage Land Trust – $1,025
    Homer, AK
    Support to attend “Leading Conservation that Build Community” conference
  • Southeast Alaska Conservation Council – $2,000
    Juneau, AK
    Support for facilitated justice, diversity equity and inclusion training with board and staff
  • Takshanuk Watershed Council – $1,995
    Haines, AK
    Support for capacity building through travel to nearby communities

Donor-Advised Fund Grants

Alaska Conservation Foundation holds endowment funds, including Donor-Advised Funds, which generate a spendable amount each year. Donor advisors may recommend grant awards within the spendable amount aligned with the purpose of the fund and Alaska Conservation Foundation’s mission and vision. Grants totaling $27,830 were awarded to:

Deborah Williams Fund

  • Alaska Center Education Fund – $1,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Organizational support for AYEA

Jeanne Williams Donor Advised Fund 

  • Alaska Wilderness League – $1,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Protect Arctic Refuge Research
  • Alaska Center Education Fund – $1,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Alaska Youth for Environmental Action Climate Change Work
  • Defenders of Wildlife – $1,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for Izembek National Wildlife Refuge
  • Earthjustice – $1,000
    Juneau, AK
    Support for the Tongass National Forest
  • Renewable Energy Alaska Project – $500
    Anchorage, AK
    General Operating Support
  • Trustees for Alaska – $1,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for Izembek National Wildlife Refuge
  • Wilderness Watch – $500
    Missoula, MT
    Support for Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

Martha Levensaler Fund

  • Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition – $2,500
    Fairbanks, AK
    Support for Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition Organizer Program
  • Eyak Preservation Council – $1,500
    Cordova, AK
    Support for Strategic Planning

Studebaker Family Fund

  • The Alaska Center Education Fund – $3,366
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for Trailside Discovery Camp and Alaska Youth for Environmental Action
  • Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies – $3,366
    Homer, AK
    Support for environmental education
  • Discovery Southeast – $3,366
    Juneau, AK
    Support for environmental education
  • Friends of Creamer’s Field – $3,366
    Fairbanks, AK
    Support for environmental education
  • Wrangell Institute for Science and Education – $3,366
    Wrangell, AK
    Support for environmental education

Ted Smith Conservation Internship Programs Grants

The Ted Smith Conservation Internship Program offers students from Alaska and around the country interested invaluable conservation work experience at host organizations throughout the state. Grants totaling $78,000 were awarded to:

  • Alaska Community Action on Toxics – $6,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association – $6,000
    Sitka, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Audubon Alaska – $6,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies – $6,000
    Homer, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Cook Inletkeeper – $6,000
    Homer, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Discovery Southeast – $6,000
    Juneau, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Kenai Watershed Forum – $6,000
    Soldotna, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Municipality of Anchorage – $6,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Sitka Conservation Society – $6,000
    Sitka, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Southeast Alaska Conservation Council – $6,000
    Juneau, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • The Alaska Center – $6,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Internship Stipend
  • Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council – $12,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Internship Stipends
     

General Program Grants

Grants awarded that align with Alaska Conservation Foundation’s mission, vision, and values that support either protecting public lands and waters and/or building resilience to climate change. Grants totaling $20,000 were awarded to: 

  • Alaska Public Interest Research Group – $5,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Matching grant to support the expansion of environmental advocacy
  • Coalition for Green Capitol – $15,000
    Washington, DC
    Support for research to explore the potential for a Green Bank in Anchorage

Landscape Conservation Cooperative Grants

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives are public-private partnerships that bring together Tribes, First Nations, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, and industry to address the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing environment. Grants totaling $240,668 were awarded to: 

  • Alaska Tribal Conservation Alliance – $2,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for the 2019 ATCA Summit
  • Alaska Maritime Prevention & Response Network – $9,550
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for Geofences projects
  • Marine Exchange of Alaska – $16,800
    Juneau, AK
    Mitigating disturbance to critical shoreline habitat for marine mammals in the rapidly changing Alaska Arctic 
  • Aleut Village of St. Paul – $35,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Mitigating disturbance to critical shoreline habitat for marine mammals in the rapidly changing Alaskan Arctic
  • Sitka Conservation Society – $55,000
    Sitka, AK
    Support for LCC Communications
  • Wildlife Management Institute – $41,318
    Washington, DC
    Support for Northern Latitudes Partnership
  • Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska – $65,000
    Juneau, AK
    Support for Northern Latitudes Partnership
  • Tu’dese’cho Wholistic Indigenous Leadership Development Society – $16,000
    Vancouver, BC
    To conduct organizational strategic planning sessions, to create a WILD program handbook, and to conduct Indigenous youth leadership development on the land.

Rapid Response Grants

Alaska Conservation Foundation’s Rapid Response grants enable organizations to respond quickly to fast-breaking, unforeseen Alaska environmental threats of statewide or national significance. Grants totaling $80,488 were awarded to: 

  • The Alaska Center – $10,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for Dunleavy Budget Response
  • Northern Alaska Environmental Center – $8,500
    Fairbanks, AK
    Support for Road to Ambler DEIS technical comments
  • Wild Salmon Center – Alaska Program – $10,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support sending Bristol Bay residents to Kenai River Classic to pressure decision-makers to oppose Pebble Mine
  • Eyak Preservation Council – $2,500
    Cordova, AK
    Support for outreach and engagement regarding Controller/Katalla Bay Oil & Gas Exploration
  • Sitka Conservation Society – $10,000
    Sitka, AK
    Support to work on the Tongass Roadless Rule
  • Alaska Longline Fisherman’s Association – $10,000
    Sitka, AK
    Support to use fisheries data to support the Roadless Rule
  • Susitna River Coalition – $9,488
    Sitka, AK
    Support to work to Stop the Susitna-Watana Project
  • Alaska Longline Fisherman’s Association – $10,000
    Sitka, AK
    Inspiring environmental advocacy through Alaskan seafood
  • Salmon State – $10,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for digital organizing around Pebble Mine

Restricted Grants

Grants that are awarded via donors who apply a specific restriction to their funding. A grant totaling $13,500 was awarded to:

  • Alaska Wildlife Alliance – $13,500
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for wolves and wolf habitat protection

Sustainable Southeast Partnership Grants

The Sustainable Southeast Partnership is an innovative network in Southeast Alaska working to achieve ecological, cultural, and economic vitality for the region. Grants totaling $224,162 were awarded to:

  • Organized Village of Kake – $40,810
    Kake, AK
    Support for Kake Community Catalyst
  • Organized Village of Kasaan – $1,602
    Kasaan, AK
    Support for “Kasaan Day”
  • Renewable Energy Alaska Project – $1,250
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for “We live here” place-based mapping and communication camp
  • Sitka Conservation Society – $10,500
    Sitka, AK
    Support for the creation and sharing of storytelling pieces on ceremonies and the importance of the herring, to build support for stewardship and indigenous sovereignty
  • Renewable Energy Alaska Project – $50,000
    Anchorage, AK
    Support for the SSP Regional Energy Catalyst
  • Spruce Root, Inc – $120,000
    Juneau, AK
    Support for General SSP network administration

Indigenous Voices Fund Grants

Grants to elevate the Indigenous voices on the issues of the Arctic Refuge and Tongass National Forest. Grants totaling $28,905 were awarded to:

  • United Tribes of Bristol Bay – $15,000
    Dillingham, AK
    Travel to Dillingham and Iliamna
  • Salmon State – $13,905
    Anchorage, AK
    Bristol Bay Travel Campaign Spring 2020

Watchable Wildlife Conservation Trust Grants

Support for projects that enhance sustainable wildlife viewing, promote wildlife education and conserve the biological diversity of Alaska. Grants totaling $9,985 were awarded to: 

  • Takshanuk Watershed Council – $4990
    Haines, AK
    Support for Chilkat River eagle counting program with local students
  • Sitka Sound Science Center – $4995
    Sitka, AK
    Support for aquarium updates