About American Forests
American Forests creates healthy and resilient forests, from cities to large natural landscapes, that deliver essential benefits for climate, people, water and wildlife.
Focus Areas
Climate changeSocial equityUrban forestryReforestationWater resourcesWildlife habitatResearch & tools
Who They Fund
municipal park systems and urban residents (e.g., Detroit, Phoenix, New York City)tribal lands and Indigenous communities (e.g., Northern Cheyenne, White Mountain Apache)post-wildfire landscapes and rural forest landowners/landscapesearly-career workforce / young adults in green jobs programs (Tree Corps, career pathways)
About American Forests
American Forests’ recent grantmaking is anchored by large-scale reforestation and urban tree equity work, with individual awards reaching into wildfire recovery, seedling production, and city canopy expansion. One of the largest recent grants went to Red Mtn Resource LLC for a package of restoration work that included vegetation control, aspen restoration, conifer removal, and planting on Castle and Windy fire footprints. Another major grant supported Greening of Detroit for Detroit tree equity programs, showing the foundation’s interest in both post-fire landscapes and urban communities. The foundation funds projects that put trees in the ground, support the crews and technical work behind planting, and help partners manage forests over time. Recent grants also show support for state forestry agencies, the U.S. Forest Service, tribal partners, and local conservation groups. Some awards back direct implementation, while others fund staffing, field crew support, and technical assistance tied to multi-site or multi-partner projects. Across these grants, the pattern is practical and place-based: planting, restoration, and forest resilience work carried out through specific projects rather than broad unrestricted support.
What American Forests Funds
Tree equity is a clear part of American Forests’ portfolio. They gave $205,000 to the City of Phoenix to improve tree equity in municipal parks, and $125,000 to Texas Trees Foundation for the AF Tree Equity Program. Urban forestry also appears in grants to organizations working on neighborhood canopy and park plantings. The Natural Areas Conservancy received $149,000 for Roots of Rock Nurseries and Plantings, including growing 3,000 climate-adapted trees and planting 3,000 trees in New York City parks. Speak for the Trees Boston received $145,360 for tree equity and mobilization projects, training, and tree plantings. On the reforestation side, the foundation supported West Forest Inc with $502,290 for biomass removal on the Rough fire footprint as part of the CCI Sequoia Wildfire Reforestation and Recovery Project. It also gave $233,122 to Crystal Clear Maintenance Inc for complete conifer hand planting and ground prep.
How American Forests Gives
Typical grants cluster around a median of $32,131, with a lower quartile of $18,000 and an upper quartile of $74,375. The recent list includes both modest project support and six-figure and seven-figure awards, especially for landscape-scale planting and restoration. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Red Mtn Resource LLC, Greening of Detroit, US Forest Service, Sierra Nevada Alliance, West Forest Inc, and La Cruz Habitat Protection Project Inc, which points to repeat project partnerships rather than one-time awards only. American Forests is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.3M
Total Assets
$17M
Total Revenue
$35.6M
Total Expenses
$32.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $18K and $74K, with a median of $32K.
25th Percentile
$18K
Median
$32K
75th Percentile
$74K
Geographic Reach
National37 states funded
About 5% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Paul Boynton
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