Bird Protection Fund

The Bird Protection Fund supports the highest priority conservation needs for Wisconsin’s birds throughout their lifecycle – from their breeding grounds in Wisconsin to their migratory habitat in Central and South America.

Projects supported by the Bird Protection Fund include conservation of Wisconsin’s most threatened and endangered bird species; creation and protection of critical breeding, stopover, and overwintering habitat; research and monitoring; and education and outreach.

Grantmaking Priorities:

• Projects that directly address high priority conservation needs for Wisconsin’s birds.
• Projects that align with state, regional, and national bird conservation plans and strategies, such as the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II, the Wisconsin Important Bird Areas Strategy, and the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan.
• Projects that engage local communities, particularly those who have been historically marginalized, underrepresented, or excluded.
• Projects that focus on boreal and grassland bird habitat and conservation.
  

Eligibility:

• Applicant must be one of the following: a public charity with approved 501(c)(3) exempt status (under section 509(a)(1), 509(a)(2), or 509(a)(3) Type I and Type II); a federal, state, or local governmental unit, an American Indian nation or tribal community; or an accredited college or university. The following types of organizations are not eligible for funding: individuals; businesses; section 509(a)(3) Type III supporting organizations; private foundations; and private operating foundations.
• Only one application will be accepted per organization per grant cycle.

How to Apply:

1. Determine if your project addresses our grantmaking priorities and meets our eligibility requirements.
2. Complete the application (paper copies of applications are not accepted).
3. Submit all materials to NRFgrants@WisConservation.org by July 1.
4. Applicants will be notified within 8 to 10 weeks following the submission deadline.
5. If awarded, checks will be mailed within 4 weeks after award notification.

Questions about your application?

If you have questions, please reach out to Marie Jensen, our Conservation Program Specialist, at Marie.Jensen@WisConservation.org. 

2026 Projects

1. Advancing Conservation for Grassland Birds using Wisconsin’s Important Bird Area (IBA) System

The Grassland Bird Habitat Initiative will provide targeted funding and technical support to Wisconsin Important Bird Area (IBA) partnerships to advance habitat restoration, management, and protection for declining grassland birds. Through a competitive proposal process, selected IBA partners will implement high-impact conservation projects that address habitat loss, improve conditions for priority grassland species, and strengthen local conservation partnerships. The project will showcase grassland bird conservation efforts, helping expand awareness and inspire continued action across Wisconsin’s network of Important Bird Areas. Partner: Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership

2. Audubon Conservation Ranching 

The Audubon Conservation Ranching program partners with Wisconsin farmers to improve grazing management on working lands, creating healthier grassland habitat for birds while also benefiting soil, water, and agricultural operations. This project will support critical bird monitoring on participating farms, providing data that measures how grassland birds respond to habitat improvements and helps landowners refine conservation practices. By engaging volunteers, landowners, and local communities, the project advances statewide grassland bird conservation while contributing to regional and national conservation goals. Partner: Audubon Great Lakes

3. Birds Across the Curriculum: Classrooms in Action

FIELD Edventures‘ Birds Across the Curriculum program provides K–12 educators with year-long professional development, classroom resources, and implementation funding to integrate bird conservation into everyday teaching. The project will equip 30 educators with lessons, tools, and mini-grants to engage students in bird monitoring, habitat stewardship, and hands-on conservation activities, including schoolyard habitat improvements and community science. By connecting bird conservation to core curriculum and empowering educators statewide, the program inspires the next generation of environmental stewards while expanding public engagement in bird conservation. Partner: FIELD Edventures

4. Bird Collision Corps and Lights Out Wisconsin

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance is leading the statewide Lights Out Wisconsin and Bird Collision Corps initiatives to reduce bird deaths caused by artificial light at night and window collisions. Funding will support community science, volunteer training, public outreach, and partnerships that help communities, businesses, and municipalities adopt bird-friendly lighting and building practices. By engaging people across Wisconsin in practical conservation actions, the project will reduce threats to migratory birds while building a stronger, more inclusive statewide bird conservation network. Partner: Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

5. Building Community Stewardship for the Kickapoo-Wildcat Important Bird Area

The Kickapoo Bird Habitat Initiative will strengthen conservation of the Kickapoo-Wildcat Important Bird Area by combining long-term bird monitoring, habitat planning, and community engagement across public, Tribal, and private lands. Funding will support breeding bird surveys, landowner consultations, and conservation partnerships that identify priority areas, improve forest habitat connectivity, and guide management actions for declining forest bird species. Through collaboration with landowners and conservation partners, the project will build a lasting stewardship network to protect one of Wisconsin’s most important habitats for birds. Partner: Valley Stewardship Network

6. Bus to Nature

The BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin’s Bus to Nature program removes transportation barriers so youth and families from historically underserved communities can experience Wisconsin’s parks, wildlife areas, and bird habitats. Funding will support field trips that engage participants in birding, community science, environmental education, and outdoor recreation while fostering connections to nature and conservation. By expanding access to meaningful outdoor experiences, the project helps cultivate a more diverse and inclusive community of future birders, conservation advocates, and environmental stewards. Partner: BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin

7. Chimney Swift Monitoring and Occupancy During the Breeding Season in Green Bay

Chimney swifts have experienced one of the steepest population declines of any North American bird species, yet the factors limiting their recovery remain poorly understood. This project will monitor chimney swift nesting sites in northeast Wisconsin to determine occupancy trends, identify habitat characteristics associated with successful nesting, and evaluate whether nest site availability may be contributing to population declines. Through collaboration among UW-Green Bay, conservation partners, students, homeowners, and community scientists, the project will generate critical information to guide future chimney swift conservation efforts. Partner: University of Green Bay

8. Creating Benefits for Birds and People Through an Inclusive Bird Conservation Partnership in Milwaukee

Lake Michigan Bird Observatory is leading a coalition of community partners to secure Urban Bird Treaty City designation for Milwaukee, creating a coordinated framework for urban bird conservation. Funding will support completion of the city’s Bird Agenda, improvement of habitat, bird-safe building, community engagement initiatives, and inclusive outreach that expands opportunities for historically marginalized communities to participate in bird conservation. By uniting local organizations around shared conservation goals, the project will make Milwaukee a safer city for birds while strengthening community connections to nature. Partner: Lake Michigan Bird Observatory

9. Eagle Nest Camera

The Bad River Tribe’s eagle cam project will provide a live view of an eagle nest to strengthen community engagement, cultural connection, and public awareness of local wildlife. The project will create opportunities for Tribal members and community participants to observe eagle behavior, submit observations, and build a deeper understanding of eagle ecology. Funding will support the installation and operation of the livestream platform, creating a long-term educational resource that connects people with conservation and the natural resources of the Bad River community. Partner: Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

10. Managing Historical Grasslands at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant Important Bird Area (IBA)

The Badger History Group and partners are restoring 112 acres of the historical grasslands tract at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant Important Bird Area by removing invasive shrubs and trees to expand and reconnect critical grassland habitat. This funding will complete the initial restoration of the remaining 62 acres while supporting bird and habitat monitoring to measure how species of concern respond to habitat improvements. The project will strengthen habitat for declining grassland and savanna birds, inform future restoration efforts, and engage partners, volunteers, and the public in long-term stewardship of the land. Partner: Badger History Group, Inc

11. MOTUS Bird Detection Tower

The Red Cliff Treaty Natural Resources Wildlife Program will install a MOTUS Wildlife Tracking System tower to expand monitoring capacity for migratory birds and better understand species using the Red Cliff Reservation during migration. The automated radio telemetry system will detect tagged birds moving through the region and provide valuable data on migration patterns, species presence, and habitat use. Funding will support the purchase and installation of the MOTUS tower, strengthen local bird conservation efforts, and provide new opportunities for research and collaboration. Partner: Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa

12. Neotropical Flyways Project – Restoring and protecting strategic stopover and non-breeding sites in northwest Columbia

SELVA’s Neotropical Flyways Project is restoring critical stopover and non-breeding habitat for Wisconsin’s migratory birds in northwest Colombia through forest restoration and improved wetland conservation. Funding will support native tree planting, community-led wetland governance, environmental education, and partnerships with local landowners, schools, and communities to protect nearly 9,000 acres of wetlands and expand habitat across a network of working lands. By strengthening habitat and local stewardship along a key migratory flyway, the project supports full annual-cycle conservation for dozens of migratory bird species that breed in Wisconsin and across North America. Partner: SELVA Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotropico

13. Road to Recovery Evening Grosbeak Project

The Evening Grosbeak Working Group is engaging community scientists to help understand the causes behind the species’ dramatic decline by reporting color-banded and tagged birds, window collisions, and foraging observations. These observations will complement ongoing tracking efforts using bands and transmitters to identify migration routes, habitat needs, and threats affecting Evening Grosbeak populations across North America. Community participation will provide critical data to guide conservation actions for this declining boreal finch, including strategies to address habitat loss, food availability, and human-caused mortality. Partner: DNR-Natural Heritage Conservation

14. Saving Our Songbirds Together, Statewide

SOS Save Our Songbirds is empowering Wisconsin residents to take simple, effective actions that make urban and suburban landscapes safer and more welcoming for birds. Funding will expand statewide outreach by providing educational materials and community workshops that help people create bird-friendly habitats and reduce threats such as window collisions. By engaging new communities and partnering with local organizations, the project encourages thousands of people to take meaningful conservation actions that benefit migratory and resident birds year-round. Partner: SOS Save Our Songbirds

15. Building the Next Generation of Women Leaders in Migratory Bird Conservation

Finca Cántaros Environmental Association is helping Wisconsin’s migratory birds by protecting and restoring critical wintering habitat in Costa Rica while training the next generation of young rural women conservation leaders. Funding will expand bird banding, environmental education, and habitat restoration programs that engage local schools, strengthen community stewardship, and build expertise in bird conservation and monitoring. By connecting research, education, and gender equity, the project supports species such as the olden-winged warbler throughout their annual life cycle and helps sustain the habitats they depend on. Partner: Finca Cántaros Environmental Association

16. Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II Book Publication

The Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II is a statewide effort to document the distribution, abundance, and breeding status of Wisconsin’s birds through extensive field surveys, volunteer participation, and scientific analysis. Funding will support the final publication of the Atlas, ensuring this comprehensive resource is widely accessible to conservationists, researchers, land managers, educators, and the public. The completed Atlas will provide an essential baseline for tracking bird population changes and guiding future conservation strategies across Wisconsin. Partner: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

17. Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership Digital Resource Hub Development

The Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership will modernize and expand its website into a statewide digital resource hub that strengthens collaboration among bird conservation organizations, connects partners with critical resources, and supports coordinated conservation action. Funding will support website redevelopment, improved access to Important Bird Area information and conservation tools, partner networking, and centralized funding and engagement resources. By creating a more accessible and collaborative platform, the project will help Wisconsin’s conservation community share knowledge, align priorities, and accelerate efforts to protect birds and their habitats. Partner: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

18. Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds

Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds is a community science initiative documenting bird-building collisions in the Milwaukee metropolitan area to better understand and reduce one of the leading human-caused threats to migratory birds. Funding will support collision monitoring, data analysis, community education, and partnerships that identify high-risk buildings and promote practical bird-safe glass solutions. By engaging volunteers, building owners, and community partners, the project will generate conservation data and inspire actions that make urban landscapes safer for birds. Partner: Urban Ecology Center Inc

Great Wisconsin Birdathon

Ways to Give

• You can help us help the birds by making a donation to our Bird Protection Fund.
• Consider making a gift to the Birds of Wisconsin Legacy Fund, an endowment fund that provides sustainable funding for priority projects of the Bird Protection Fund.
• A majority of the funds raised through the Bird Protection Fund come from the Great Wisconsin Birdathon annual fundraising event. Help out by forming a team to count birds and raise money for bird conservation.

Banner photo by Hillary Thompson.

Great Wisconsin Birdathon photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt.