The Edward K. Love Conservation Foundation makes targeted, high-value grants to major conservation and natural history institutions, primarily in the St. Louis/Missouri region. Its support is largely unrestricted operating funding for established organizations that conserve biodiversity, manage public gardens/zoos, and provide conservation education and outreach. The foundation favors a small number of repeat grantees rather than broad, dispersed giving.
Edward K Love Conservation Fdn directs most of its giving toward established conservation institutions in Missouri, with repeated support for organizations tied to birds, plants, zoos, and habitat protection. The pattern is not broad-based small grants; it is a concentrated portfolio of high-value awards, many at six figures, to groups with long operating histories and public-facing conservation missions. In the recent grants list, the foundation backed the Audubon Society of Missouri with $150,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for unrestricted general support, showing a clear preference for sustained institutional backing. It also gave $100,000 in 2025 to St Louis Zoo for unrestricted general support, alongside another $100,000 to the zoo in 2023 and 2024, which points to repeat support for zoological conservation work. Botanical and habitat organizations also appear regularly, including Missouri Botanical Gardens, Center for Plant Conservation, Missouri Prairie Foundation, and Forest Park Forever Inc. The overall picture is of a funder that supports conservation infrastructure rather than isolated projects, with repeat grants to a small group of grantees over multiple years.
Bird conservation and habitat protection are central to the foundation’s giving. It awarded $150,000 to Audobon Society of Missouri in both 2023 and 2024 for unrestricted general support, and also gave $30,000 in 2023 and $50,000 in 2024 to Missouri Chapter of the National Audubon Society. Botanical institutions are another recurring focus: Missouri Botanical Gardens received $80,740 in 2023, $80,000 in 2024, and $75,000 in 2025, all for unrestricted general support. Plant conservation appears through $50,000 grants in 2023 and 2024 to Center for Plant Conservation, plus another $25,000 in 2025. Habitat and prairie preservation show up in gifts such as $75,000 in 2025 to Missouri Prarie Foundation and $25,000 in 2025 to Great Rivers Habitat Alliance.
Typical awards cluster tightly around the same range: p25 is $45,000, median is $50,000, and p75 is $80,185. The foundation’s recent grants show strong repeat giving, with several organizations funded in multiple years rather than receiving one-off awards. Most grants are unrestricted general support, and the recent list includes only nonprofit organizational recipients. Program-related investments are not part of the pattern, and individuals are not funded. The grant history suggests a small set of continuing institutional relationships rather than a rotating roster of new grantees.
$650K
$5.2M
$1.3M
$745K
Most grants fall between $45K and $80K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$45K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$80K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MO.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated, large-dollar grants to a handful of repeat grantees; primarily multi-grant support to established regional institutions rather than many small or one-off awards.
Notable grantees: Audubon Society of Missouri, St. Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Garden
Grantmaking is concentrated in Missouri, especially Columbia and St. Louis/Saint Louis. Columbia recipients include Audobon Society of Missouri, Missouri Prairie Foundation, Mo Coop Fish & Wildlife, and Missouri Chapter of the National Audubon Society. St. Louis-area recipients include St Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Gardens, Center for Plant Conservation, Forest Park Forever Inc, Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, and The Nature Conservancy. Outside Missouri, the recent list includes Ducks Unlimited in Memphis, TN and National Audubon Society in New York, NY. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
The foundation supports conservation and natural history institutions, especially those involved in bird conservation, botanical gardens, plant conservation, zoos, habitat protection, and conservation education. Recent recipients include Audobon Society of Missouri, Missouri Botanical Gardens, St Louis Zoo, and Missouri Prairie Foundation.
Yes. The recent grants list is dominated by unrestricted general support, including repeated awards to Audobon Society of Missouri, St Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Gardens, and Ducks Unlimited. One exception in the list is a $25,000 grant to Great Rivers Habitat for "PRESERVE THE 100 YEAR."
Typical grants are relatively large and tightly grouped: p25 is $45,000, the median is $50,000, and p75 is $80,185. Recent awards also include larger six-figure grants such as $150,000 and $100,000.
The top state by grant count is Missouri. Recipient cities show a strong concentration in Columbia and St. Louis/Saint Louis, with additional grants in Jefferson City, Memphis, and New York.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Audobon Society of Missouri in 2023 and 2024, St Louis Zoo in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Missouri Botanical Gardens in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Center for Plant Conservation in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| FOREST PARK FOREVER INC | ST LOUIS, MO | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| ST LOUIS ZOO | ST LOUIS, MO | $100,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $75,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI PRARIE FOUNDATION | COLUMBIA, MO | $75,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI | COLUMBIA, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| GREAT RIVERS HABITAT ALLIANCE | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| CENTER FOR PLANT CONSERVATION | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| CONSERVATON FOUNDATION OF MISSOURI | JEFFERSON CITY, MO | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI BIRDING SOCIETY | COLUMBIA, MO | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| FOREST PARK FOREVER INC | ST LOUIS, MO | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| ST LOUIS ZOO | ST LOUIS, MO | $100,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI PRARIE FOUNDATION | COLUMBIA, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| CURATORS OF THE UNIV OF MISSOURI | COLUMBIA, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| GREAT RIVERS HABITAT ALLIANCE | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | PRESERVE THE 100 YEAR |
| CONSERVATON FDN OF MO CHARITABLE TR | JEFFERSON CITY, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| CENTER FOR PLANT CONSERVATION | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| AUDOBON SOCIETY OF MISSOURI | Columbia, MO | $150,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| ST LOUIS ZOO | ST LOUIS, MO | $100,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $80,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| CENTER FOR PLANT CONSERVATION | ST LOUIS, MO | $50,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI PRARIE FOUNDATION | COLUMBIA, MO | $50,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY | Columbia, MO | $50,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MO COOP FISH & WILDLIFE | COLUMBIA, MO | $50,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| GREAT RIVERS HABITAT | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,000 | 2024 | PRESERVE THE 100 YEAR |
| CONSERVATON FOUNDATION OF MO CHARITABLE TR | JEFFERSON CITY, MO | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| AUDOBON SOCIETY OF MISSOURI | Columbia, MO | $150,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| ST LOUIS ZOO | ST LOUIS, MO | $100,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $80,740 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| CENTER FOR PLANT CONSERVATION | ST LOUIS, MO | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI PRARIE FOUNDATION | COLUMBIA, MO | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MO COOP FISH & WILDLIFE | COLUMBIA, MO | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| MISSOURI CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY | Columbia, MO | $30,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| GREAT RIVERS HABITAT | ST LOUIS, MO | $25,000 | 2023 | PRESERVE THE 100 YEAR |
| CONSERVATON FOUNDATION OF MO CHARITABLE TR | JEFFERSON CITY, MO | $25,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
FOREST PARK FOREVER INC
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
ST LOUIS ZOO
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS
$75,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
DUCKS UNLIMITED
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
CURATORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
$25,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
CONSERVATON FOUNDATION OF MISSOURI
$25,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
MISSOURI BIRDING SOCIETY
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
FOREST PARK FOREVER INC
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
ST LOUIS ZOO
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
DUCKS UNLIMITED
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
CURATORS OF THE UNIV OF MISSOURI
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
CONSERVATON FDN OF MO CHARITABLE TR
$25,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
$25,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
AUDOBON SOCIETY OF MISSOURI
$150,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
ST LOUIS ZOO
$100,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS
$80,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
MISSOURI CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
DUCKS UNLIMITED
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
MO COOP FISH & WILDLIFE
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
GREAT RIVERS HABITAT
$25,000PRESERVE THE 100 YEAR
CONSERVATON FOUNDATION OF MO CHARITABLE TR
$25,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
AUDOBON SOCIETY OF MISSOURI
$150,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
DUCKS UNLIMITED
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
MO COOP FISH & WILDLIFE
$50,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
MISSOURI CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY
$30,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
GREAT RIVERS HABITAT
$25,000PRESERVE THE 100 YEAR
CONSERVATON FOUNDATION OF MO CHARITABLE TR
$25,000UNRESTRICTED GENERAL