The Sally Mead Hands Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on environmental causes, primarily funding climate education/advocacy and global conservation organizations. Most support is unrestricted operating funds, aimed at sustaining organizational capacity rather than one-off projects. Grants are large and focused, with a clear preference for a small number of environmental nonprofits.
Highly concentrated giving: few, large grants (including repeat funding) focused on operating support for environmental organizations rather than broad or small-scale distribution.
Notable grantees: Citizens Climate Education Corp, World Wildlife Fund
Sally Mead Hands Foundation’s recent grantmaking is marked by repeated operating support to environmental organizations, with Citizens Climate Education Corp and World Wildlife Fund receiving the largest awards in the record. The foundation backs climate education and advocacy alongside conservation work, and it does so at a scale that places many grants in the $75,000 to $220,000 range. Several recipients return across multiple years, which points to sustained support rather than one-time project funding. The foundation’s pattern also shows a mix of national and regional environmental work. The Nature Conservancy, Project Drawdown, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and Environmental Law & Policy Center each appear in the grant record, suggesting interest in both broad climate action and place-based conservation. Most awards are listed as operating funds, indicating that the foundation often funds organizational capacity. Wisconsin-based grantees also appear repeatedly, including Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, and Milwaukee-area organizations, even as the overall giving footprint extends beyond the state.
Climate public education and advocacy is a clear theme. Citizens Climate Education Corp received $310,000 in 2023, $212,000 in 2024, and $220,000 in 2025, all for operating funds. Environmental policy work also appears through Environmental Law & Policy Center, which received $120,000 in 2023, $110,000 in 2024, and $110,000 in 2025. Conservation is the other major thread. World Wildlife Fund received $220,000 in 2023, $160,000 in 2024, and $150,000 in 2025 for operating funds. The Nature Conservancy received $102,000 in 2023 and $160,000 in 2025, while Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin received $100,000 in 2023 and $120,000 in 2024. The foundation also supported Project Drawdown with $100,000 in 2023 and $100,000 in 2024, and Maine Coast Heritage Trust with $75,000 in 2024 and $80,000 in 2025.
Typical awards cluster in the mid-five-figure to low-six-figure range: p25 is $5,000, median is $25,000, and p75 is $60,000, while the recent grant list shows many larger operating gifts. The record also shows repeat support across multiple years for several recipients, including Citizens Climate Education Corp, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Project Drawdown, and Maine Coast Heritage Trust. That repeated pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. Sally Mead Hands Foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$2.2M
$33.4M
$5.2M
$2.7M
Most grants fall between $5K and $60K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$60K
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Grants are national, with all recorded recipient-country data in the US. Wisconsin is the top state by grant count, and 22% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients include Madison’s Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin and Milwaukee’s Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, alongside Chicago organizations such as Environmental Law & Policy Center and Planned Parenthood of Illinois. The list also includes Washington, DC, Arlington, VA, San Francisco, Boston, Topsham, and Ann Arbor.
The foundation focuses on environmental causes, especially climate education and advocacy and international wildlife and biodiversity conservation. In the recent grant record, those themes appear through recurring operating support to Citizens Climate Education Corp, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Project Drawdown, and Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
The recent grants are listed primarily as operating funds. That pattern appears across major awards such as Citizens Climate Education Corp, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and Environmental Law & Policy Center, indicating a preference for general operating support rather than restricted project funding.
The typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $60,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants table also shows many awards much larger than that, including multiple $75,000, $100,000, $120,000, $160,000, $212,000, $220,000, and $310,000 grants.
Wisconsin is the top state by grant count, and 22% of grants go to recipients in Wisconsin. Recent Wisconsin recipients include Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin in Madison and Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Citizens Climate Education Corp in 2023, 2024, and 2025; World Wildlife Fund in 2023, 2024, and 2025; The Nature Conservancy in 2023 and 2025; and Project Drawdown in 2023 and 2024. This points to recurring support over time.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CITIZENS CLIMATE EDUCATION CORP | CORONADO, CA | $320,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE | BOULDER, CO | $147,500 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| ENVIRONMENTAL LAW & POLICY CENTER | CHICAGO, IL | $110,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| CERES | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND | COLCHESTER, VT | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF WISCONSIN | MILWAUKEE, WI | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF ILLINOIS | CHICAGO, IL | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| PROJECT DRAWDOWN | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| TRANSPORTATION RIDERS UNITED | DETROIT, MI | $90,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| MAINE COAST HERITAGE TRUST | TOPSHAM, ME | $77,500 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| CLIMATE XCHANGE | BOSTON, MA | $75,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF THE GREAT PLAINS | OVERLAND PARK, KS | $70,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CHICAGO, IL | $60,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| GRID ALTERNATIVES | OAKLAND, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| RENEW WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| MIDWEST RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION | CUSTER, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| SAVANNA INSTITUTE | MADISON, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES | MADISON, WI | $40,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| HEALTHY CLIMATE WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $38,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| CENTER FOR NEIGHBORHOOD TECHNOLOGY | CHICAGO, IL | $35,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| LAC COURTE OREILLES OJIBWA PUBLIC BROADCASTING CORP | HAYWARD, WI | $20,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| COMMON THREADS | AUSTIN, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION | LEWISTON, ME | $15,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF DANE COUNTY INC | MADISON, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| FRIENDS OF PBS WISCONSIN INC | MADISON, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO ASSOCIATION INC | MADISON, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL | LANSING, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| EDITORIAL CARTOONING INITIATIVE | SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| 1000 FRIENDS OF WISCONSIN | MADISON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| ELEVATE ENERGY | CHICAGO, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| MICHAEL FIELDS AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE (WISCONSIN WOMEN IN CONSERVATION) | EAST TROY, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| GALIN SCHOLARS INC | MADISON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| VOCES DE LA FRONTERA | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| CONWAY AREA HUMANE SOCIETY | CONWAY, NH | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| WISCONSIN WATCH | MILWAUKEE, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| CENTRO HISPANO INC | MADISON, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $7,500 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| SEA MEADOW MARINE FOUNDATION | YARMOUTH, ME | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS | BROOKLYN, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| BREAKTHROUGH URBAN MINISTRIES | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| SEEDS OF PEACE | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| WESTOVER SCHOOL | MIDDLEBURY, CT | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| ATLANTIC CENTER FOR THE ARTS | NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM | CHICAGO, IL | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| OPEN COMMUNITIES | EVANSTON, IL | $2,000 | 2026 | OPERATING FUNDS |
| CITIZENS CLIMATE EDUCATION CORP | CORONADO, CA | $220,000 | 2025 | OPERATING FUNDS |
OPERATING FUNDS
TRANSPORTATION RIDERS UNITED
$90,000OPERATING FUNDS
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF THE GREAT PLAINS
$70,000OPERATING FUNDS
GRID ALTERNATIVES
$50,000OPERATING FUNDS
MIDWEST RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION
$50,000OPERATING FUNDS
WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
$40,000OPERATING FUNDS
HEALTHY CLIMATE WISCONSIN
$38,000OPERATING FUNDS
LAC COURTE OREILLES OJIBWA PUBLIC BROADCASTING CORP
$20,000OPERATING FUNDS
MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION
$15,000OPERATING FUNDS
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF DANE COUNTY INC
$15,000OPERATING FUNDS
EDITORIAL CARTOONING INITIATIVE
$10,000OPERATING FUNDS
MICHAEL FIELDS AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTE (WISCONSIN WOMEN IN CONSERVATION)
$10,000OPERATING FUNDS
GALIN SCHOLARS INC
$10,000OPERATING FUNDS
CONWAY AREA HUMANE SOCIETY
$10,000OPERATING FUNDS
WISCONSIN WATCH
$10,000OPERATING FUNDS
SEA MEADOW MARINE FOUNDATION
$5,000OPERATING FUNDS
SEEDS OF PEACE
$5,000OPERATING FUNDS
ATLANTIC CENTER FOR THE ARTS
$2,000OPERATING FUNDS
CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM
$2,000OPERATING FUNDS