Promoting conservation philanthropy and strategically directing resources to conservation organizations and initiatives 

Alaska Conservation Foundation closely monitors statewide conservation threats and works to protect the health, resilience, and connectivity of ecosystems and communities. We protect Alaska’s public lands and waters and build resilience to climate change by supporting grassroots advocacy, leading collaborative statewide climate change adaptation efforts and by continuing to strengthen Alaska’s conservation movement.

Supporting Grassroots Advocacy

As Alaska’s public lands are under continued political threat from industrial-scale mineral extraction – particularly in the Arctic, Bristol Bay and the Tongass – Alaska Conservation Foundation is funding grassroots efforts to protect these key areas. By strategically supporting organizations through grant awards, we are working to support the advocacy efforts of our partners who are working hard to protect Alaska’s public lands. Read more

Leading Collaborative Conservation Initiatives

Alaska Conservation Foundation helps coordinate a network of statewide climate change adaptation groups called Northern Latitudes Partnerships. These networks of federal, state, tribal, corporate and other regional players focus on developing collaborative community-supported solutions to issues brought about by our changing climate. To ensure an era of collective conservation arrives in Alaska, these partnerships aim to replicate the success of our long-running Sustainable Southeast Partnership (SSP). Read more

Strengthening Alaska’s Conservation Movement

To be effective, grassroots advocacy and collaborative conservation need a strong movement, which Alaska Conservation Foundation strives to make stronger by providing organizations around the state with training, facilitated meetings, interns, and funding through strategic grants. Read more

Alaska Conservation Foundation Awards $378,000 to 23 Grassroots Organizations Defending Alaska’s Public Lands

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Announcement banner: ACF awards $378K in Alaska Defense Fund Grants over a coastal sunset scene with mountains and water in the background (text visible on image)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — [July 10, 2026] — Alaska Conservation Foundation (ACF) today announced $378,000 in general operating support grants awarded through its Alaska Defense Fund to 23 grassroots conservation organizations and Tribal entities across the state. Established in 2016 to unite conservation efforts and provide essential resources to defend Alaska’s landscapes, communities, and ways of […]

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Rooted in Place, Building Across Borders

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Beaded heart pendant stitched with colorful seed beads on a black fabric square, with thread trailing from the edges

Earlier this year, Indigenous peoples from across interior Alaska and northern Canada gathered in Fairbanks for three days of conversation and knowledge-sharing about the future of Indigenous-led stewardship. The gathering, Building Connections to Strengthen Guardians & Indigenous-led Stewardship, brought close to 100 people together at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge to explore how Indigenous Guardians programs can […]

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SILA Mobilizes Against Oil Expansion in the Western Arctic

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Recently, we have seen a deluge of management plan reversals from the current federal administration across Alaska, especially in the Western Arctic. Additionally, projects are being fast-tracked, with short comment periods, and agencies denying requests for comment period extensions.  In 2025, we awarded Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic (SILA) a $9,500 Rapid Response grant […]

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Consent-Based Tribal Resolutions Toolkit & Webinar Recording

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Thank you to all who joined us for the webinar focused on Consent-Based Tribal Resolutions. You can find the recording and all the related webinar materials below.     The webinar covered Tribal-led and community-driven consent protocols for addressing hardrock mining projects and related infrastructure in Alaska, and explore the answers to questions you may […]

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A Grand Vision for Alaska: Forty-Five Years of Public Lands Protections

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Thank you for your interest in our webinar marking the 45th anniversary of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Whether you joined us live or plan to watch the recording, we’re grateful for your commitment to protecting Alaska’s irreplaceable public lands. Our conversation with John Leshy, Fran Ulmer, and Pat Pourchot offered crucial […]

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Community Leaders Gather To Protect the Kigluaik Mountains

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The Kigluaik Mountains north of Nome are more than landscape: they are sacred sites where Kauweragmuit people have journeyed for prophecy and survival, gathered for ceremony, and maintained connections spanning generations. Now, they face a threat from the proposed Graphite Creek mine, a large-scale open-pit graphite mine that would be located in the Kigluaik Mountains, […]

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Aleutian Pribilof Guardians Workshop: Working at the Speed of Trust

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Photography By Schuyler Alig The Aleutian Islands are located hundreds of miles from the Alaska mainland in the Bering Sea, accessible only by plane or boat, and often facing harsh, unpredictable weather. In August, Aleut/Unangax̂ Tribes, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, and other federal and regional partners came together to discuss opportunities for co-stewardship of […]

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Alaska Conservation Foundation Announces 2025 Conservation Achievement Awardees

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Anchorage, Alaska – August 1, 2025 – Alaska Conservation Foundation is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of the Alaska Conservation Achievement Awards, a yearly tradition that uplifts those working to ensure Alaska’s lands, waters, and communities remain resilient for generations to come. This year’s honorees span generations, geographies, and disciplines—from a young leader building […]

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From Public Land Sales to Roadless Rule: SEACC’s Fight for the Tongass

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When conservation threats evolve quickly grassroots organizations need funding that moves just as fast. The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) exemplifies this reality, demonstrating how critical rapid funding becomes when federal policy shifts overnight. Just two weeks ago, SEACC applied for urgent funding to oppose the proposed public lands sell-off buried in federal budget reconciliation […]

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