Key Takeaways:
- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced an initial $32.8 million in grants under the new Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, generating nearly $42 million in total conservation impact when including $9.1 million in grantee matching contributions.
- The seven-year initiative, launched in 2025, aims to invest more than $200 million to benefit grasslands, cattle ranching communities, and wildlife across 4 million acres of grazing lands.
- Six organizations received the first round of grants: American Bird Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, Mule Deer Foundation, National Audubon Society, Sand County Foundation, and University of Missouri.
- The initial grants are expected to support voluntary conservation practices across nearly 2.5 million acres of U.S. grasslands, working with more than 750 private cattle ranch operations across 26 states.
- Funding partners include McDonald's USA, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and McDonald's USA beef and beverage suppliers Cargill, Golden State Foods, Lopez Foods, OSI, and The Coca-Cola Company.
NFWF Announces $32.8 Million in First-Round Grants Under Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has announced an initial award of $32.8 million in grants under the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, a landmark seven-year program supported by McDonald's USA, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and several McDonald's USA beef and beverage suppliers. With an additional $9.1 million in matching contributions from grantees, the first round of awards will generate nearly $42 million in total conservation impact.
About the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative
Launched in 2025, the Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative is designed to invest more than $200 million over seven years to support America's grasslands, cattle ranching communities, and wildlife populations. The initiative targets 4 million acres of grazing lands across the Great Plains, Rocky Mountain West, Midwest, West Coast, and Southeast. Grants under the program promote voluntary conservation practices intended to benefit both wildlife habitat and ranch productivity.
First-Round Grantees
The six organizations receiving grants in this initial round are:
