Wild Geese Foundation

/

OVERVIEW: The Wild Geese Foundation supports organizations that are committed to creating a fair and just society and environmental causes. It funds groups and projects related to LGBTQ issues; youth causes; food security; reproductive freedom; Black, Indigenous, and People of Color organizing; and environmental justice.

IP TAKE: The Wild Geese Foundation is a GUTC signatory that supports progressive organizations across the United States, with an emphasis on community-based, grassroots organizations. This is not a very transparent funder, with only a one-page website and no list or database of previous grants. However, smaller groups will find this to be an accessible and approachable grantmaker. While its online application process is only for returning grantees, it is open to receiving inquiries from organizations interested in working together. However, new grantseekers should be aware that it has recently shifted its focus to prioritize organizations that primarily serve and are led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

PROFILE: The Wild Geese Foundation was established as the Two Sisters and a Wife Foundation in 2009, by writer, professor, and activist Sara Whitman and her sister Catherine. After her sister passed, Sara decided the original name of the foundation no longer fit and decided to change the name based on Mary Oliver’s poem “Wild Geese.” Wild Geese, a GUTC signatory, seeks to “defend human rights and promote environmental justice” through grantmaking, which "supports work that promotes equality and respects the diversity of human expression and identity." The foundation prefers a broad-approach to giving rather than dedicating itself to distinct programs; however, it does prioritize support for six focus areas: LGBTQ, Youth, Food Justice, Reproductive Justice, BIPOC Organizing, and Climate Justice.

Grants for LGBTQ+

The Wild Geese Foundation’s grants for LGBTQ+ support organizations that work to “create a safe space for all from cradle to grave.” Recent grantees include Sam and Devorah Retreat for Trans Youth, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, Gender Benders, and Montana Two Spirit Society.

Grants for Climate Change

The Wild Geese Foundation’s grants for climate change support efforts to “wean us from extractive methods of energy production and fossil fuels” and to “build resilient and regenerative economies in healthy communities.” Recent grantees include Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Mill City Grows, Greenroots, and Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs.

Grants for Racial Justice

The Wild Geese Foundation’s grants for racial justice primarily center around operational and capacity building support for BIPOC-led organizations in order to ““liberate BIPOC communities from centuries of white supremacy and violence.” Recent grantees include Witness to Mass Incarceration, Fort Belknap Indian Community, and Resources for Organizing and Social Change.

Grants for Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture

The Wild Geese Foundation’s grants for food and agriculture support community-based efforts to “create sustainable agriculture and to expand access to affordable and healthy food in the state of Massachusetts.” Recent grantees include Agrarian Land Trust, Food Project, Boston Food Forest Coalition, and Urban Farming Institute.

Grants for Women and Girls

The Wild Geese Foundation’s grants for women and girls primarily center around reproductive justice and support organizations that promote the right of “freedom and self-determination” for women. Recent grantees include Reproductive Equity Now, Equality Health Center, Hardy Girls Healthy Women, and Women’s Emergency Network.

Grants for Education and Youth

The Wild Geese Foundation’s grants for youth support “projects that uplift youth and young people knowing that a society in which youth cannot thrive is unsustainable and unlivable.” Recent grantees include Esperanza Academy, Chica Project, Building Audacity, Carolina Youth Action Project, and Apprentice Learning.

Important Grant Details:

The Wild Geese Foundation’s grants generally range from $2,500 to $15,000. To get a sense of the types of organizations Wild Geese supports, explore its grants list.

  • The Wild Geese Foundation funds organizations throughout the United States, but tends to prioritize those in its home state of Massachusetts.

  • Grants for food security and sustainable agriculture generally center around Massachusetts.

  • Wild Geese supports smaller, community-based, and grassroots groups through its grantmaking, and will not consider applications from organizations with budgets over $5 million.

  • This funder is not currently accepting applications from first-time grantees, although it runs an online application program for its existing and repeat grant partners, with deadlines generally falling in May and October.

Grantseekers interested in working with the foundation may use the contact form on the organization’s website to get in touch.

PEOPLE:

Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).

LINKS: