Keystone Initiative Grants

The Foundation awards matching grants under our Keystone Initiatives to achieve measurable outcomes in the conservation of fish, wildlife, plants and the habitats on which they depend. Awards are made on a competitive basis to eligible grant recipients, including federal, tribal, state, and local governments, educational institutions, and non-profit conservation organizations. Project proposals are received on a year-round, revolving basis with two decision cycles per year. Grants generally range from $50,000-$300,000. A minimum of 1:1 non-federal match is required; however, most competitive projects have at least 2:1 in non-federal match.

Applicants who submitted full proposals in the June cycle will be notified of Board decisions in late November 2008.

Current Grant Cycle

Apply For A Grant

Preproposal: Sept. 2, 2008

Full Proposal: Nov. 1, 2008

Board Decision: May 2009

Funding Priorities

The Foundation has established funding priorities under each of the following Keystone Initiatives. Click on each of the Keystone Initiatives listed below to learn more about the Foundation’s objectives for each initiative and funding priorities. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Initiative Lead prior to submitting a pre-proposal to discuss the applicability of a project to the Foundation’s priorities.

Bird Conservation

Fish Conservation

Marine and Coastal Conservation

Wildlife and Habitat Conservation

In addition to these priorities, the Foundation also has an interest in projects that further our collective understanding of the most cost-effective opportunities to achieve measurable impact in the following areas:

Control of invasive species
Enhancing delivery of ecosystem services in agricultural systems
Minimizing the impact on wildlife of emerging energy sources
Developing future conservation leaders and professionals

Applicants may submit pre-proposals in accordance with these guidelines for projects that address any of these issues or discuss potential proposals with the appropriate Partnership Office in advance of a submission.

Please note that many of the funding priorities identified above have dedicated funding that is awarded competitively through the Foundation's Special Grant Programs. Applicants are encouraged to review the list of Special Grant Programs to determine if there are other appropriate opportunities for funding.

Evaluation

Consistent with the Foundation’s goal to demonstrate measurable impact under each of these Keystone Initiatives, applicants invited to submit full proposals under the Keystone Initiative Grants will be required to prepare a detailed logic framework that identifies the specific activities, anticipated outputs and outcomes and indicators to be used to measure a project’s impact. Applicants should review the Foundation’s requirements and guidance for preparing a meaningful project evaluation to become familiar with these requirements.

Additional Keystone Guidelines

Learn more about additional requirements and funding restrictions.

Application Process

The Foundation is transitioning into a new on-line grant application and management system. The new application will be available March 1, 2008 for the April 1 pre-proposal deadline. Additional information regarding content and access to the system will be posted in February. Pre-proposals that have already been submitted in the current system for the April 1 deadline will be migrated into the new system for consideration.

Project pre-proposals are accepted throughout the year and slated for review and action within the following cycles:

Project Pre-Proposal Received By:	Project Full Proposal Due:	Board of Directors Decision:
April 1	June 1	Mid-November of the same year
September 1	November 1	Mid-April of the next year

Proposals received after a deadline may be postponed to the next decision cycle at the Foundation's discretion. The Foundation’s Board of Directors may elect to fund, postpone, or decline funding for any proposal.

Additional Questions
If after careful review of these guidelines you have additional questions, please contact the appropriate Initiative Lead or Partnership Office.