G O FORWARD CHARITABLE TRUST is a major funder of environmental conservation and climate science, channeling large, unrestricted operating grants to national environmental NGOs and regional Greater Yellowstone/Wyoming conservation groups. It also makes sizable, repeat gifts to cultural institutions (notably performing arts organizations) and to select educational and medical institutions. The foundation favors institutional, general operating support over project-restricted funding and appears to balance national advocacy/science organizations with place-based conservation and cultural anchors.
G O Forward Charitable Trust’s recent giving is defined by seven-figure, general operating support across environmental conservation, climate science, and select cultural institutions. In 2025, the largest recent grant in the file was $1,544,700 to the Ordway Center for Performing Arts in Saint Paul, alongside a series of $1,044,700 awards to groups such as Wyoming Outdoor Council, Earthjustice, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Natural Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, Wilderness Society, Ocean Conservancy, The Schubert Club, Woodwell Climate Research Center, Yale University, Environmental Defense Incorporated, The Nature Conservancy, and World Resources Institute. That pattern points to a funder that supports both national advocacy and science organizations and place-based institutions with steady operating dollars. The trust also backs recurring recipients at substantial levels. Several organizations appear more than once in the recent-grants list, including Ocean Conservancy, Ordway Center for Performing Arts, The Schubert Club, Wilderness Society, Yale University, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Wyoming Outdoor Council, World Resources Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, and Earthjustice. The mix spans environmental protection, climate research, performing arts, and major universities or health institutions, but the common thread is flexible institutional support rather than project-by-project awards.
Environmental and climate organizations make up a large share of the recent awards. The trust gave $1,044,700 to Earthjustice for general operating support and the same amount to Natural Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, Wilderness Society, Ocean Conservancy, and The Nature Conservancy. It also supports land, wilderness, and conservation work tied to the Greater Yellowstone region. Recent grants include $1,044,700 to Wyoming Outdoor Council and $1,044,700 to Greater Yellowstone Coalition, both listed as general operating support. Another clear theme is institutional support for conservation science and research. Woodwell Climate Research Center received $1,044,700, while Woods Hole Research Center received $920,000, each for general operating support. Outside the environmental field, the trust backs arts institutions and major education and health organizations, including $1,544,700 to Ordway Center for Performing Arts and $1,000,000 to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
$18.6M
$302.7M
$14.1M
$21.6M
Most grants fall between $106K and $920K, with a median of $240K.
25th Percentile
$106K
Median
$240K
75th Percentile
$920K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving with repeat multi-year/general operating grants to a core set of organizations. Many top grantees receive multiple large gifts (often three grants), indicating stable long-term partnerships; funding skews toward large national enviro/conservation NGOs and targeted regional nonprofits rather than many small or new entrants.
Notable grantees: World Wildlife Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Ordway Center for Performing Arts, Yale University
Grant sizes cluster at the upper end of the range: the typical grant size is $105,545 at the 25th percentile, $239,790 at the median, and $920,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards often land at $920,000, $1,044,700, or $1,000,000, which suggests a preference for large, ongoing institutional support. Several recipients appear across multiple recent grants, including Ocean Conservancy, Ordway Center for Performing Arts, The Schubert Club, Wilderness Society, Yale University, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Wyoming Outdoor Council, World Resources Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, and Earthjustice. The trust is a Regular Funder, does not fund individuals, and makes no program-related investments.
The grants are entirely domestic: 56 grants, or 100.0%, go to US recipients. Washington, DC appears repeatedly through organizations such as World Wildlife Fund, Wilderness Society, Ocean Conservancy, and Environmental Defense Fund. Other frequent recipient locations include Saint Paul, MN; New York, NY; Baltimore, MD; Falmouth, MA; and Bozeman, MT. Maryland is the top state by grant count, even though the trust’s headquarters are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The recent grants center on environmental conservation, climate science, and general operating support for institutions. Environmental groups include Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, Wilderness Society, Ocean Conservancy, and The Nature Conservancy. The trust also supports arts, education, and health institutions such as Ordway Center for Performing Arts, Yale University, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Yes. The listed recent grants are all marked general operating support, including large awards to organizations in conservation, science, arts, education, and health. That pattern indicates flexibility in how recipients use the funds rather than project-only grants.
The grant-size distribution is weighted toward large awards. The 25th percentile is $105,545, the median is $239,790, and the 75th percentile is $920,000. In the recent-grants list, several awards are at $920,000, $1,044,700, or $1,000,000.
The grants are national in scope, with all 56 recent grants going to US recipients. Maryland is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities include Saint Paul, MN, New York, NY, Washington, DC, Bozeman, MT, Falmouth, MA, and Lander, WY.
Yes. Several organizations appear more than once in the recent-grants list, including Ocean Conservancy, Ordway Center for Performing Arts, The Schubert Club, Wilderness Society, Yale University, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Wyoming Outdoor Council, World Resources Institute, Natural Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, and Earthjustice.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORDWAY CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS | SAINT PAUL, MN | $1,544,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE INCORPORATED | NEW YORK, NY | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WILDERNESS SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE | BALTIMORE, MD | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL | NEW YORK, NY | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WOODWELL CLIMATE RESEARCH CENTER | FALMOUTH, MA | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE SCHUBERT CLUB | SAINT PAUL, MN | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WYOMING OUTDOOR COUNCIL | LANDER, WY | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GREATER YELLOWSTONE COALITION | BOZEMAN, MT | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| EARTHJUSTICE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| OCEAN CONSERVANCY | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,044,700 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER | RANCHO MIRAGE, CA | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ST JOHN'S HEALTH FOUNDATION | JACKSON, WY | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| JACKSON HOLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM | JACKSON, WY | $500,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE SCHUBERT CLUB | SAINT PAUL, MN | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| EARTHJUSTICE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| OCEAN CONSERVANCY | WASHINGTON, DC | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE | BALTIMORE, MD | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL | NEW YORK, NY | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WILDERNESS SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WYOMING OUTDOOR COUNCIL | LANDER, WY | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WOODS HOLE RESEARCH CENTER | FALMOUTH, MA | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GREATER YELLOWSTONE COALITION | BOZEMAN, MT | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ORDWAY CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS | SAINT PAUL, MN | $920,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ECOFLIGHT | ASPEN, CO | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ORDWAY CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS | SAINT PAUL, MN | $869,872 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $313,467 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION | MOOSE, WY | $313,467 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WYOMING WILDERNESS ASSOCIATION | SHERIDAN, WY | $258,277 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE SCHUBERT CLUB | SAINT PAUL, MN | $244,479 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $235,100 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA | SAINT PAUL, MN | $232,891 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| EARTHJUSTICE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $226,930 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WYOMING OUTDOOR COUNCIL | LANDER, WY | $156,734 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL | AVON, CT | $156,734 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WOODWELL CLIMATE RESEARCH CENTER | FALMOUTH, MA | $156,734 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN WYOMING | LANDER, WY | $126,929 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GREATER YELLOWSTONE COALITION | BOZEMAN, MT | $117,550 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $117,550 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| TETON YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES | JACKSON, WY | $101,543 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| JACKSON HOLE LAND TRUST | JACKSON, WY | $101,543 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| OCEAN CONSERVANCY | WASHINGTON, DC | $78,367 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE INCORPORATED
$1,044,700GENERAL OPERATING
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
$1,044,700GENERAL OPERATING
GENERAL OPERATING
YALE UNIVERSITY
$1,044,700GENERAL OPERATING
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$1,000,000GENERAL OPERATING
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND
$920,000GENERAL OPERATING
YALE UNIVERSITY
$920,000GENERAL OPERATING
WOODS HOLE RESEARCH CENTER
$920,000GENERAL OPERATING
YALE UNIVERSITY
$313,467GENERAL OPERATING
AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL
$156,734GENERAL OPERATING
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN WYOMING
$126,929GENERAL OPERATING