"In the end, we conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught." Baba Dioum Senegalese poet

Volunteers with the Yellow Creek Botanical Institute in North Carolina help develop sustainable product technologies for several species of plants already in demand for the natural products industry.

The NFF is the only conservation organization focused on addressing the challenges that face America’s National Forests. It stands apart from similar organizations through its commitment to facilitating local involvement and encouraging grassroots participation in forest stewardship.

The NFF provides financial support to our partner organizations and raises funds to effectively double or triple the total contribution to numerous local conservation initiatives. Involving a variety of stakeholders in forest stewardship provides further leverage by expanding the number and quality of skills dedicated to ensuring successful outcomes.

We fund our work and that of our partners through these partnership programs:

Matching Awards Program - Nonprofit organizations dedicated to addressing the issues directly affecting natural resource issues on National Forests can apply for funding twice a year.

Community Assistance Program - Newly forming organizations can apply for grants of $5,000 to $15,000. Funds may be used for a variety of needs including: basic start-up and operating costs, materials and equipment, technical assistance, training, community outreach, obtaining 501(c)(3) status, program development, nonprofit management skill-building, and communications.

**CAP award recipients, once they demonstrate success in building organizational capacity and are able to raise non-federal match money, make natural fits to apply for MAP awards, and are encouraged to develop conservation projects that could be funded by the MAP.

Wilderness Stewardship Challenge - In celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Wilderness Act, the Forest Service issued a Wilderness Stewardship Challenge, calling for all Wilderness Areas in the National Forest System to be managed to standard within the next decade. The NFF will increase the resources available to meet this challenge by providing matching grants of up to $50,000 to nonprofit partners to implement projects that directly benefit Wilderness Areas within our National Forests System.

Unsure for which program you or your group should apply? Click here >>>

The National Forest Foundation offers technical assistance to organizations in the West that work on collaborative solutions to benefit National Forest lands.

The Western Collaboration Assistance Network (WestCAN) seeks to broaden the community of people working together toward shared goals on public lands issues. By providing "nuts and bolts" technical assistance and documenting best practices and lessons learned, we hope to raise the general knowledge and skill level of collaborative stewardship practitioners and prevent repetition of common mistakes. We encourage those experienced in the field to share their expertise with others new to collaboration to help us all improve overall effectiveness, spur innovation, and recognize successes.

Science-based conservation - In 2002, the NFF formed a partnership with the National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry (NCSSF) to plan and oversee a multi-year program of research, assessment and tool-development needed to design, implement and evaluate sustainable forestry practices in the U.S.

Need help applying for 501(c)(3) status or developing a sustainable community organization?

Visit our Partnership Resource Center.