Maki Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Maki Foundation’s conservation grants focus on environmental advocacy and policy change for the protection and conservation of wilderness and public lands. Its marine and freshwater grants support river and water basin protection and conservation. Maki funds animal and wildlife organizations that work to protect multiple species, as well as, wildlife habitats.
IP TAKE: This is an accessible funder with clear deadlines. It limits its grantmaking to organizations working in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. A pretty focused funder, the Maki Foundation is also approachable and responsive, so reach out with general questions should you have any. But your work must align closely with their mission to stand a chance of qualifying.
PROFILE: Established in 1981, the Maki Foundation supports “organizations working to improve public lands policy, protect biological diversity, and defend wildlands.” Pronounced Ma-k-há, the Lakota word for “[l]and ground, or earth,” the foundation seeks grassroots and local organizations working within its areas of grantmaking interest.
Grants for the Environment
The Maki Foundation’s grants focus on wildlands and wildlife protection in the Rocky Mountain states. It “generally look[s] for small organizations for whom a relatively small grant can make a significant difference.” The foundation’s grantees tend to be grassroots organizations “with a focus on activism and policy change,” whose projects prioritize public lands management.
Grants for Environmental Conservation and Justice
Conservation organizations receiving past support include the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, which received funding for its Ecological Connectivity Conservation program; and the Western Environmental Law Center, which received a grant for its Defending Colorado from Fracking program. To learn more about the types of organizations Maki supports, explore its grantee list.
Grants for Marine and Freshwater
Marine and freshwater organizations receiving past support include Friends of Clearwater, which received funding for its work protecting the Clearwater Basin; and the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, which received a grant for its Clean Water for Salmon and People project. To learn more about the types of organizations Maki supports, explore its grantee list.
Grants for Animal Welfare & Wildlife
Past Maki grantees for animals and wildlife include the Lobo Coalition, which received a grant for its work to save and protect Mexican gray wolves; and the Craighead Institute, which received support for its work providing wildlife corridors across highways. To learn more about the types of organizations Maki supports, explore its grantee list.
Important Grant Details:
Maki Foundation grant amounts typically range between $1,000 and $5,000. According to the foundation’s website, it does not generally award grants to organizations with annual budgets of over $1 million. It generally funds projects, but occasionally provides grants for general support.
Maki accepts unsolicited grant applications on a rolling basis; however, grantseekers must submit their applications by May 1 for grant consideration in the current year. The foundation encourages first time grantees to contact staff and send a brief letter of inquiry prior to submitting an application.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
