The Teach a Man to Fish Foundation appears to make highly concentrated, mission-driven investments in conservation-focused education. Its entire reported grantmaking is a single, large award to Walking Softer to support innovation, academic programs, and scholarships that raise awareness of conservation. This suggests the foundation prioritizes programmatic and scholarship support that builds capacity and public understanding rather than broad, diversified grantmaking.
Teach a Man to Fish Foundation’s reporting centers on one outsized conservation-education commitment: a $8,065,650 grant to Walking Softer for innovation and awareness through academic programs and scholarships. That award sets the tone for a funder that appears to use grantmaking to build educational pathways, public understanding, and capacity around conservation rather than spread support across many unrelated areas. The broader recent record shows the same pattern at a much smaller scale. The foundation also supported St Mary’s School in Aliso Viejo, California, for programs that help empower students and nurture their interests, and it backed the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative in Kinnear, Wyoming, for buffalo restoration through conservation efforts. Those grants point to a mix of student support, wildlife-related conservation, and program funding. Other recent awards extend into food security, climate recovery, family assistance, cancer research, and hospital operations, but each appears as a targeted program grant rather than a broad, diversified portfolio. The foundation’s giving is entirely reported in the United States and is tightly concentrated in California-recipient grantmaking.
In conservation education and awareness, Teach a Man to Fish Foundation gave $8,065,650 to Walking Softer to support innovation and awareness through academic programs and scholarships. That single award shows education as a central mechanism for its conservation work. Its wildlife-related giving also reaches habitat and species protection. The foundation awarded $10,000 to Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative for the restoration of buffalo populations through conservation efforts, and another $10,000 to African Wildlife Foundation for conservation efforts for African wildlife. The portfolio also includes practical support tied to community needs. It gave $10,000 to Hole Food Rescue Corp to reduce food waste and cultivate food security, and $10,000 to Climate Justice Alliance to support frontline groups rebuilding cities struck by a climate disaster. Smaller health-focused awards went to Miracles for Kids Inc. for families with critically ill members and to Hospital of St Johns for hospital operations.
$8.5M
$144.4M
-$5.3M
$10.7M
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Extremely concentrated: one very large grant to a single grantee (Walking Softer), indicating targeted, high-impact funding rather than many small or distributed grants.
Notable grantees: Walking Softer
The foundation’s recent grant sizes are extremely skewed. In the 2025 file, the largest award was $8,065,650, while the median grant in the listed recent set is $10,000 and the upper quartile is also $10,000, indicating a cluster of smaller grants around a single very large commitment. It is a private foundation and a regular funder, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The pattern looks concentrated rather than recurring across many grantees: one organization appears in two 2025 entries, while most others appear once. Grant purposes are programmatic, scholarship-oriented, or direct service support, with no visible application details in the data.
Grantmaking is entirely U.S.-based in the available record, with 13 grants and 100% of grants going to recipients in the United States. California is the top giving state by grant count, and several recipients are in Irvine, Aliso Viejo, and Los Angeles. Outside California, the recent list includes Jackson, Wyoming; Kinnear, Wyoming; Durango, Colorado; Berkeley, California; Washington, DC; and Atlanta, Georgia. The recipient distribution is local in scope.
Recent grants show support for conservation education and awareness, scholarships, student programs, buffalo restoration, African wildlife conservation, wilderness preservation, food security, climate-disaster rebuilding, family basic needs, cancer research, and hospital operations. The largest grant was to Walking Softer for academic programs and scholarships tied to conservation awareness.
Yes. The geographic scope is listed as local, and 100% of the reported grants go to recipients in the United States. California is the top state by grant count, with recipients in cities including Irvine, Aliso Viejo, and Los Angeles.
The listed recent grants are centered at $10,000: the median is $10,000 and the upper quartile is also $10,000. That sits alongside one much larger award of $8,065,650, so the distribution is highly concentrated around a few smaller program grants and one major grant.
One organization appears more than once in the 2025 recent-grants list: Walking Softer received two grants, one for $8,065,650 and another for $300,000. Most other grantees appear only once, so the pattern suggests limited recurrence rather than a broad multi-grantee cycle.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walking Softer | Jackson, WY | $8,065,650 | 2025 | To support innovation and awareness of conservation through their academic programs and scholarships. |
| WALKING SOFTER | JACKSON, WY | $300,000 | 2025 | To support innovation and awareness of conservation through their academic programs and scholarships. |
| ST MARY'S SCHOOL | ALISO VIEJO, CA | $20,100 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO HELP EMPOWER STUDENTS AND NURTURE THEIR INTERESTS. |
| Great Old Broads for Wilderness | DURANGO, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF WILDERNESS AND WILD LANDS. |
| Hole Food Rescue Corp | JACKSON, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE REDUCTION OF FOOD WASTE & CULTIVATE FOOD SECURITY. |
| MIRACLES FOR KIDS INC | IRVINE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | TO PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH CRITICALLY-ILL WITH FOOD, CLOTHING, AND SHELTER. |
| AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION EFFORTS FOR AFR%ICAN WILDLIFE. |
| CLIMATE JUSTICE ALLIANCE | BERKELEY, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT FRONTLINE GROUPS REBUILDING CITIES STRUCK BY A CLIMATE DISASTER. |
| WIND RIVER TRIBAL BUFFALO INITIATIVE | KINNEAR, WY | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE RESOTRATION OF BUFFALO POPULATIONS THROUGH CONSERVATION EFFORTS. |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | ATLANTA, GA | $7,500 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT RESEARCH EFFORTS INTO CANCER TREATEMENTS AND CURES. |
| HOSPITAL OF ST JOHNS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT HOSPITAL OPERATIONS IN PROVIDING HEALTHCARE TO PATIENTS. |
| Walking Softer | Jackson, WY | $3,664,279 | 2024 | To support innovation and awareness of conservation through their academic programs and scholarships. |
| MRV Collective | SEBASTOPOL, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CLIMATE CHANGE & BIODIVERSITY LOSS MEASUREMENT, REPORTING, AND VERIFICATION. |
| New Venture Fund | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT POSITIVE IMPACT IN RACIAL EQUITY AND JUSTICE PROJECTS. |
| Council on Strategic Risks | DENTON, MD | $200,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE RESEARCH AND ANTICIPATION OF CORE SYSTEMIC RISKS TO SECURITY. |
| DeployUS Inc | LEXINGTON, MA | $150,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE IMPROVEMENT OF US CLIMATE POLICY. |
| Citizens for Responsible Energy Solution | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 2024 | TO DEVELOP AND SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES. |
| GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | FAIRFAZ, VA | $150,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY. |
| LIFE CAMP INC | JAMAICA, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | TO DEVELOP AND NURTURE A CULTURE OF PEACE AND END GUN VIOLENCE IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES |
| Sepsis Alliance | SAN DIEGO, CA | $100,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF SEPSIS. |
| Aspen Center for Environmental Studies | ASPEN, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EDUCATION. |
| One22 RESOURCE CENTER | JACKSON, WY | $40,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FACING FINANCIAL AND CULTURAL CHALLENGES IN THE GREATER TETON AREA. |
| Upper Reaches (Headwaters Outdoor School) | MOUNT SHASTA, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION IN HISTORIC SKILLS USED ON EARTH. |
| Hole Food Rescue Corp | JACKSON, WA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE REDUCTION OF FOOD WASTE & CULTIVATE FOOD SECURITY. |
| Dolphins Cycling Challenge Inc | MIAMI GARDENS, FL | $25,000 | 2024 | To increase cancer awareness and educate the community regarding cancer prevention and treatment. |
| Brennan Center for Justice | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE LEGAL WARS TO BUILD AN AMERICA THAT IS DEMOCRATIC, JUST, AND FREE. |
| Surfrider Foundation | SAN CLEMENTE, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT WORKS THAT PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE WORLD'S OCEANS AND BEACHES. |
| Doug Coombs Foundation | JACKSON, WY | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT YOUTH TO GROW AND THRIVE BY REDUCING BARRIERS TO OUTDOOR RECREATION. |
| Fish For Life Inc | SAN CLEMENTE, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT FISHING ADVENTURES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN. |
| Urban Strategies Council | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE FAMILIES IN OAKLAND AND THE EAST BAY. |
| Orphaned Starfish Foundation | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT ORPHANS, VICTIMS OF ABUSE, SURVIVORS OF TRAFFICKING, INDIGENOUS CHILDREN, AT-RISK YOUTH, AND REFUGEES BREAK THEIR CYCLES OF ABUSE AND POVERTY. |
| Innocence Project Inc | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE EXONERATION OF THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED. |
| West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF HEALTHY HOMES, JOBS, AND NEIGHBORHOODS IN WEST OAKLAND. |
| California Coastkeeper Alliance | SACRAMENTO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE PROTECTION OF SWIMMABLE, FISHABLE, AND DRINKABLE WATERS. |
| Santa Catalina Island Conservancy | LONG BEACH, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CONSERVATION OF CATALINA ISLAND. |
| Elizabeth W Murphy School Inc | DOVER, DE | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN DELAWARE'S FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. |
| Algalita Marine Research and Education | LONG BEACH, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE ELIMINATION OF PLASTIC POLLUTION. |
| Best Friend Animal Society | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE SAVING OF HOMELESS ANIMALS. |
| Great Old Broads for Wilderness | DURANGO, CO | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF WILDERNESS AND WILD LANDS. |
| Pachamama Alliance | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE THAT WORKS FOR ALL. |
| Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs | CALABASAS, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS. |
| The Good Nation Foundation Inc | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT LONG LASTING IMPACT BY ADDRESSING SOCIETAL PROPLEMS. |
| Shields for Families | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT CHILD AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH, CHILD WELFARE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREASTMENT, AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. |
| Kindness Campaign | AUSTIN, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE TEACHING OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUG HHANDS-ON CURRICULUM. |
| Progressive Animal Welfare Society Inc | LYNNWOOD, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT THE REHABILITATION OF ORPHANED AND INJURED WILDLIFE. |
| Families in Rich Encounters | MISSION VIEJO, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPROT THE ENRICHMENT OF FAMILIES LIVES THROUGH COUNSELING SERVICES. |
| Walking Softer | Jackson, WY | $5,417,585 | 2023 | To support innovation and awareness of conservation through their academic programs and scholarships. |
| Stars & Stripes Children's Foundation | Irvine, CA | $220,000 | 2023 | To change the lives of young people by helping them overcome obstacles and reach their full potential. |
| Trust for Rural African Development | Tustin, CA | $125,000 | 2023 | To support the economic activities, empowerment and capacity building activities/ projects of the less privileged groups: women, orphans, refugees, youth and elderly, in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa respectively. |
| MAPS | San Jose, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | TO HELP WITH EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL, LEGAL, AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS FOR PEOPLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE CAREFUL USES OF PSYCHEDELICS |
Walking Softer
$8,065,650To support innovation and awareness of conservation through their academic programs and scholarships.
WALKING SOFTER
$300,000To support innovation and awareness of conservation through their academic programs and scholarships.
ST MARY'S SCHOOL
$20,100TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO HELP EMPOWER STUDENTS AND NURTURE THEIR INTERESTS.
TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF WILDERNESS AND WILD LANDS.
TO SUPPORT THE REDUCTION OF FOOD WASTE & CULTIVATE FOOD SECURITY.
TO PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH CRITICALLY-ILL WITH FOOD, CLOTHING, AND SHELTER.
TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION EFFORTS FOR AFR%ICAN WILDLIFE.
CLIMATE JUSTICE ALLIANCE
$10,000TO SUPPORT FRONTLINE GROUPS REBUILDING CITIES STRUCK BY A CLIMATE DISASTER.
TO SUPPORT THE RESOTRATION OF BUFFALO POPULATIONS THROUGH CONSERVATION EFFORTS.
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
$7,500TO SUPPORT RESEARCH EFFORTS INTO CANCER TREATEMENTS AND CURES.
HOSPITAL OF ST JOHNS
$5,000TO SUPPORT HOSPITAL OPERATIONS IN PROVIDING HEALTHCARE TO PATIENTS.
Walking Softer
$3,664,279To support innovation and awareness of conservation through their academic programs and scholarships.
MRV Collective
$200,000TO SUPPORT THE CLIMATE CHANGE & BIODIVERSITY LOSS MEASUREMENT, REPORTING, AND VERIFICATION.
TO SUPPORT POSITIVE IMPACT IN RACIAL EQUITY AND JUSTICE PROJECTS.
Council on Strategic Risks
$200,000TO SUPPORT THE RESEARCH AND ANTICIPATION OF CORE SYSTEMIC RISKS TO SECURITY.
DeployUS Inc
$150,000TO SUPPORT THE IMPROVEMENT OF US CLIMATE POLICY.
TO DEVELOP AND SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES.
TO DEVELOP AND NURTURE A CULTURE OF PEACE AND END GUN VIOLENCE IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EDUCATION.
TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FACING FINANCIAL AND CULTURAL CHALLENGES IN THE GREATER TETON AREA.
Upper Reaches (Headwaters Outdoor School)
$25,000TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION IN HISTORIC SKILLS USED ON EARTH.
TO SUPPORT THE REDUCTION OF FOOD WASTE & CULTIVATE FOOD SECURITY.
To increase cancer awareness and educate the community regarding cancer prevention and treatment.
TO SUPPORT THE LEGAL WARS TO BUILD AN AMERICA THAT IS DEMOCRATIC, JUST, AND FREE.
Surfrider Foundation
$25,000TO SUPPORT WORKS THAT PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE WORLD'S OCEANS AND BEACHES.
TO SUPPORT YOUTH TO GROW AND THRIVE BY REDUCING BARRIERS TO OUTDOOR RECREATION.
Fish For Life Inc
$20,000TO SUPPORT FISHING ADVENTURES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN.
Orphaned Starfish Foundation
$10,000TO SUPPORT ORPHANS, VICTIMS OF ABUSE, SURVIVORS OF TRAFFICKING, INDIGENOUS CHILDREN, AT-RISK YOUTH, AND REFUGEES BREAK THEIR CYCLES OF ABUSE AND POVERTY.
West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF HEALTHY HOMES, JOBS, AND NEIGHBORHOODS IN WEST OAKLAND.
TO SUPPORT THE PROTECTION OF SWIMMABLE, FISHABLE, AND DRINKABLE WATERS.
TO SUPPORT THE CONSERVATION OF CATALINA ISLAND.
Elizabeth W Murphy School Inc
$10,000TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN DELAWARE'S FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.
TO SUPPORT THE ELIMINATION OF PLASTIC POLLUTION.
Best Friend Animal Society
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE SAVING OF HOMELESS ANIMALS.
TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION OF WILDERNESS AND WILD LANDS.
TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE THAT WORKS FOR ALL.
TO SUPPORT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS.
TO SUPPORT LONG LASTING IMPACT BY ADDRESSING SOCIETAL PROPLEMS.
TO SUPPORT CHILD AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH, CHILD WELFARE, SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREASTMENT, AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
Kindness Campaign
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE TEACHING OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUG HHANDS-ON CURRICULUM.
Progressive Animal Welfare Society Inc
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE REHABILITATION OF ORPHANED AND INJURED WILDLIFE.
Families in Rich Encounters
$2,000TO SUPPROT THE ENRICHMENT OF FAMILIES LIVES THROUGH COUNSELING SERVICES.
Walking Softer
$5,417,585To support innovation and awareness of conservation through their academic programs and scholarships.
To change the lives of young people by helping them overcome obstacles and reach their full potential.
Trust for Rural African Development
$125,000To support the economic activities, empowerment and capacity building activities/ projects of the less privileged groups: women, orphans, refugees, youth and elderly, in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa respectively.
TO HELP WITH EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL, LEGAL, AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS FOR PEOPLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE CAREFUL USES OF PSYCHEDELICS