The Foundation’s Project Committee reviews funding requests on a quarterly basis. The deadlines for applications in 2025 are 1/30, 5/1, 8/28, and 11/6. Please submit your application and all related materials no later than 5pm on the dates shown above.

Once submitted, your application will be reviewed by staff for completeness and then forwarded to our Project Committee for evaluation and determination of a final award. A decision on your application will be made approximately 30 days after each submission deadline passes.​

Your proposed project will be evaluated based on the following:

1. fit with the Foundation’s areas of interest

2. likelihood of success

3. significance at the local or state level

4. the presence of a contributing private or nonprofit partner

5. alignment with the Oregon Conservation Strategy

Projects that conserve or restore an Oregon Conservation Strategy habitat or Strategy species are given priority. Learn more about the Oregon Conservation Strategy here. Does your project lie within a Conservation Opportunity Area? Find out here.

1. We make cost reimbursement grants only.

2. Requested funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar, in cash, or in-kind from other sources. It’s appealing to the Foundation if the applicant's organization is a cash contributor to the project. We do not typically make multi-year grant awards.

3. Grant funds must be expended in the way outlined in your original application. If you need to reallocate expenditures for any reason, our office must be contacted first.

4. As requested in our application, a statement of support from a local, state, or federal biologist is required for fish, wildlife, or habitat-related projects. The same may be required for access projects if the need isn’t clearly demonstrated.

5. Overhead or administrative costs will not be reimbursed.

6. Salaries, except for project-related contract personnel, will not be reimbursed.

7. Other disallowable uses of Foundation funds include fundraising or advocacy activities, ongoing operating expenses, and pass-through grants.

8. A typical funding award is $5,000 or less. If your need for funding is greater than that, please contact tim@myowf.org at the Foundation office.

9. Projects taking place outside the state of Oregon will not be considered.

10. Only one applicant may apply for funding if the proposed project is being undertaken by a consortium.

11. Public recognition of the Foundation’s support by the grantee is expected. That can be in your own organization’s publications (including social media posts), the local newspaper, or a combination of these.

The following are additional project types/activities that are not eligible for grant funding from the Oregon Wildlife Foundation:

• Capital or endowment campaigns.

• Scholarships or fellowships, unless they are directly supporting a project in which the Foundation is a partner.

• Improvement of natural resources for private gain.

• Acquisition of land.

• Required mitigation or toxic cleanups.

• Wildlife rehabilitation or captive breeding programs.

• Predator control activities.

You will be notified by email and post mail with the Project Committee’s decision regarding your funding request.

Please note that if your funding request is approved, you are not eligible to apply for additional funding from the Foundation until we’ve received your final report, including all required documentary evidence.

A final report, including before/after high-resolution photos or a brief video, is a requirement of our funding support. Evidence of public recognition is also required.

Your report should answer the following questions:

• Progress and Results – Describe the progress made toward the project goals and objectives outlined in your grant application.

• Successes and Challenges – Describe the successes and challenges experienced during implementation and at project completion.

• Lessons Learned – Describe what you learned based on the results, successes, and challenges reported above. What will you do differently, if anything, based on your experience with this project?

• Additional Information – What else happened, if anything, that impacted you or your organization’s ability to implement the project as outlined in your grant application?

In order to promote your project to supporters and inform on your project, we request with your application that you provide images based on the following criteria:

At least two images (no more than 15) that visually identify your project. Images must be good quality or high resolution (most newer cell phones produce great images!). For example, a picture of research or surveying being conducted, a trail camera image of an animal, a close up or distant image reflecting your project’s process.

We request you be mindful of visible logos or other identifiable copyright infringements submitted video or images. For example, a Starbucks coffee cup in hand.

It’s best to start collecting photos upon grant approval to capture your project’s “before” stage. We want to coordinate directly with you, the on-the-ground project leaders to showcase our active collaboration. Images and video or any other content, like journal entries or infographics of your collected data are very helpful in communication with supporters.

Video content is always welcome. We request that submitted video play time not exceed five minutes. We also welcome shorter (20 sec. +) videos at the beginning of project acceptance to use as marketing materials for ongoing awareness and updates for your project. Example, “teaser trailer” style video that entices a potential donor to take action.

Please submit official name(s)/title for photo or video credits.

We may ask for a signed release form for people pictured.

For further information or any clarifications about the information listed here, please contact zachary@myowf.org.