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Creative Conservationist Awards
conservation innovationcollaborationenvironmental impact+1 more
Who can apply: Open to individuals and organizations recognized for exceptional innovation, collaboration, and conservation leadership.
About Great Outdoors Foundation
Advance conservation through innovation, collaboration, and stewardship.
Focus Areas
Stream, wetland and floodplain restorationUpland conservation and habitatAgricultural water use efficiencyStormwater and infiltrationEdge-of-field treatment and infiltrationWater quality infrastructureRecreation and trail connectivity
Who They Fund
municipal parks and park authoritiesriver and watershed ecosystemslocal community recreational users
Funding Style
project-specific grants
About Great Outdoors Foundation
A $1,038,116 grant to the City of West Des Moines for Raccoon River Bridge is the clearest signal of how Great Outdoors Foundation funds: large, project-specific investments in conservation and recreation infrastructure. Across 2023 and 2024, the foundation supported bridge-related access, park work, wetland projects, shore development, and conservation implementation, using grants to move concrete projects forward rather than individuals. Its work links water quality, habitat, and public access, with recurring attention to wetlands, floodplain restoration, stormwater treatment, and trail connectivity. The foundation’s recent giving also shows a strong implementation role. It funded Design Workshop Inc for Two Rivers Park in both 2023 and 2024, and it made repeated awards to United Contractors for shore development. That pattern points to a funder that backs multi-year project delivery and infrastructure-related environmental work. Great Outdoors Foundation’s stated focus includes stream, wetland and floodplain restoration, upland conservation and habitat, agricultural water use efficiency, stormwater and infiltration, edge-of-field treatment and infiltration, water quality infrastructure, and recreation and trail connectivity. The result is a regional conservation funder that ties environmental outcomes to specific built projects and local watershed needs.
What Great Outdoors Foundation Funds
Water quality and watershed work appear throughout the foundation’s recent grants. Polk County Public Works received $100,000 in 2024 for a wetlands project, matching the foundation’s emphasis on wetland protection and water quality infrastructure. Recreation and trail connectivity are another clear theme. The foundation gave $264,661 in both 2023 and 2024 to Design Workshop Inc for Two Rivers Park, showing support for park planning and development over multiple years. Shoreline and bank stabilization also show up in the grant list. Meeco Sullivan received $106,984 in both 2023 and 2024 for shore development, and United Contractors received $67,000 in both years for the same purpose. Those awards fit the foundation’s conservation project implementation model, where funding supports specific site work rather than general operating support. Its active programs add another layer: the Conservation Fund is built to accelerate water-quality initiatives through training, resource hubs, playbooks, and outreach in Polk County and upstream communities.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$427K
Total Assets
$12.6M
Total Revenue
$5.6M
Total Expenses
$4.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $44K and $160K, with a median of $103K.
25th Percentile
$44K
Median
$103K
75th Percentile
$160K
Geographic Reach
Regional3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
HANNAH INMAN
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