The Cinnabar Foundation Is All About the Local Environment in Montana
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Also known as “Montana’s Conservation Fund,” the Cinnabar Foundation is the philanthropic legacy of Len and Sandy Sargent. The Sargents were philanthropists and activists who were passionate about the environment in Montana. Established in 1983, the Cinnabar Foundation has supported Montanans’ right to a healthy and clean environment.
Here’s a look at the Cinnabar Foundation’s grantmaking and how organizations can secure support from this funder in the region.
The competitive grant program
There is one annual funding cycle for competitive grants at the Cinnabar Foundation. It has provided over $9.6 million in grants for conservation programs and projects and is committed to Montana and the Greater Yellowstone area.
For its competitive grants, Cinnabar offers special project grants from $1,000 to $15,000 for specific projects, programs and campaigns. It also awards general operating grants in this same monetary range to cover the essential costs of running a nonprofit.
The non-competitive grant program
There is also a non-competitive grant program to support organizations at the board’s discretion. The foundation awards Sargent Legacy Grants to recognize outstanding conservation work over many years, and Tawney Opportunity Grants to provide “unanticipated bursts of enabling energy” to help organizations face unexpected challenges outside of the foundation’s regular grant cycle.
The board of directors occasionally presents Jim Posewitz Professional Conservationist Awards to recognize outstanding natural resource management and conservation professionals. It also gives Len and Sandy Sargent Stewardship Awards to recognize exceptional volunteers, as well as Rick Hubbard Sargent Innovation Awards to recognize innovative conservation work that pushes boundaries.
Funding priorities
Under the umbrella of environmental conservation, the Cinnabar Foundation supports a number of projects and organizations. That includes sustainable agriculture and community conservation with grants that promote open space and wildlife habitats. Conservation education and research grants fund environmental awareness, field work and citizen science. Environmental advocacy grants build constituencies and issue awareness.
Meanwhile, private land conservation grants help protect wildlife, agricultural lands and open space. Grants for public lands aim to preserve public access and advocate on behalf of those lands. The foundation also provides grants for water quality and fisheries. Recently, it has given priority to proposals that address the following:
Stewardship of public lands
Public and private land use
Indiscriminate extraction of natural resources
Air and water quality
Conservation and environmental policy advocacy
Sample grantees
The Cinnabar Foundation chooses select grantees to highlight on its website. Here are some featured grantees:
Park County Environmental Council
Montana Association of Land Trusts
Montana Wilderness Association
Ecology Project International
Clark Fork Coalition
Applying for a grant
The Cinnabar Foundation accepts grant applications during the first quarter of the year and opens its grant cycle between late January and late March. Grantseekers must submit their applications online through the funder’s website. The foundation’s grants manager is available for questions via email. Cinnabar typically announces funding decisions by the end of May.
Learn more about this funder in IP’s complete profile of the Cinnabar Foundation, which is part of our Montana funding guide.
