The Great Island Foundation is a concentrated environmental funder that prioritizes climate mitigation and ecosystem restoration, with a strong emphasis on aquatic and forest resilience. It supports both on-the-ground conservation science (notably marine and freshwater ecosystems) and policy/strategic climate initiatives, including conservation finance mechanisms to scale restoration. Grants are large and targeted, often channeled to intermediary organizations that advance policy, funding innovation, and programmatic conservation impact.
A $3,000,000 grant to the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (orca) shows how The Great Island Foundation concentrates its capital: large, targeted awards tied to science-based conservation outcomes. The foundation backs aquatic ecosystem protection and restoration, conservation finance, and climate policy work that reaches well beyond a single local project. Its 2025 grants also include $1,500,000 to Blue Forest Finance Inc to accelerate ecological restoration through conservation finance, and $1,000,000 to New Venture Fund for Alaska's Tongass National Forest, land, climate, and the future. Those awards point to a funder that uses substantial grants to support intermediary organizations, restoration systems, and policy-oriented efforts. The portfolio also includes renewable energy transition work through a $750,000 grant to The Stichting European Climate Foundation for the PIE Americas Program, linking the foundation's climate agenda to phased fossil-fuel reduction and renewables. Smaller awards appear alongside the larger checks, but the overall pattern is a focused grantmaker supporting ecosystem resilience, strategic advocacy, and conservation infrastructure rather than broad general philanthropy.
Aquatic restoration is a core theme. In 2025, the foundation gave $3,000,000 to Ocean Research & Conservation Association (orca) for protecting and restoring aquatic ecosystems and species through science-based conservation action. Climate resilience runs through another major line of work: Blue Forest Finance Inc received $1,500,000 to accelerate ecological restoration through conservation finance, enabling climate resilience for ecosystems and communities. Forest protection is also present in the $1,000,000 grant to New Venture Fund for Alaska's Tongass National Forest, land, climate, and the future. The climate-policy side of the portfolio appears in a $750,000 grant to The Stichting European Climate Foundation for the PIE Americas Program focused on the transition to renewables and the phaseout of coal, oil, and gas.
Typical grant size centers on mid-sized to large awards, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $37,500, and a p75 of $112,500. The distribution includes a handful of very large grants and many smaller ones, suggesting a layered approach rather than a single grant tier. Recurring support appears in several cases: Blue Forest Finance shows up in both 2023 and 2025, and The Stichting European Climate Foundation appears in both years as well. The foundation is not an individual-giving funder and does not make program-related investments. Grants in the recent list are mostly charitable general purpose awards or purpose-specific grants routed through organizations.
$6.3M
$99M
$83.1M
$9.1M
Most grants fall between $5K and $113K, with a median of $38K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$38K
75th Percentile
$113K
About 32% of grants go to recipients in MA.
Top 3 recipient countries by grant volume for Great Island Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 24 | $7.6M | 85.7% |
| 2 | Netherlands |
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 giving: few, large grants totalling multimillion-dollar awards; mix of programmatic operational support to direct conservation groups and sizable gifts to intermediary policy/advocacy organizations. Some repeat funding to the same organizations (e.g., European Climate Foundation).
Notable grantees: Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), The Stichting European Climate Foundation, Blue Forest Finance Inc, New Venture Fund
Grantmaking is regionally oriented and lands mostly in the United States, with 19 of 21 recent grants going to U.S. recipients and 2 to the Netherlands. New York City-area recipients appear repeatedly, including Brooklyn, Queens, and New York, while Boston-area and other Massachusetts recipients also recur. Outside the U.S., the recent list includes The Hague twice through The Stichting European Climate Foundation. The foundation’s top state by grant count is New York, and 40% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, but the recent geography reaches beyond that center.
Its recent grants emphasize aquatic ecosystem protection and restoration, conservation finance, forest conservation with climate outcomes, and climate policy work tied to renewable energy and fossil-fuel phaseout. Named grants include support for Ocean Research & Conservation Association (orca), Blue Forest Finance Inc, New Venture Fund, and The Stichting European Climate Foundation.
Yes. In the recent list, grants range from $5,000 to $3,000,000, with a median of $37,500 and a p75 of $112,500. That spread shows a mix of very large strategic awards and smaller charitable grants.
Its giving is regional rather than national or global. New York is the top state by grant count, and 40% of grants go to recipients in New York. The recent recipient list also includes organizations in California, Florida, Washington, DC, Massachusetts, Texas, and the Netherlands.
Yes. Blue Forest Finance appears in both 2023 and 2025, and The Stichting European Climate Foundation also appears in both years. That pattern suggests some repeat relationships alongside one-time grants.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 3 |
| $2.8M |
10.7% |
| 3 | Canada | 1 | $750K | 3.6% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCEAN RESEARCH & CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION (ORCA) | VERO BEACH, FL | $3,000,000 | 2025 | DEDICATED TO PROTECT AND RESTORE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS AND SPECIES SUSTAIN THROUGH SCIENCE-BASED CONSERVATION ACTION. |
| BLUE FOREST FINANCE INC | SACRAMENTO, CA | $1,500,000 | 2025 | TO ACCELERATE ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION THROUGH CONSERVATION FINANCE, ENABLING CLIMATE RESILIENCE FOR ECOSYSTEMS AND COMMUNITIES. |
| NEW VENTURE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000,000 | 2025 | ALASKA'S TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST: LAND, CLIMATE, AND THE FUTURE |
| THE STICHTING EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION | THE HAGUE | $750,000 | 2025 | PIE AMERICAS PROGRAM - TRANSITION TO RENEWABLES AND PHASE OUT OF COAL, OIL & GAS |
| REWILD | AUSTIN, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | COLLABORATING FOR CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE IN THE APPALACHIANS |
| THE STICHTING EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION | THE HAGUE | $1,000,000 | 2024 | PIE AMERICAS PROGRAMME - TRANSITION TO RENEWABLES AND PHASE OUT OF COAL, OIL & GAS |
| OCEANS NORTH CONSERVATION SOCIETY | OTTAWA, ON | $750,000 | 2024 | SAFEGUARDING THE ARCTIC |
| NEW VENTURE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $500,000 | 2024 | ALASKA'S TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST: LAND, CLIMATE, AND THE FUTURE |
| NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $250,000 | 2024 | BLUE CARBON POSITIVE BUSINESS MODEL ACTIVATOR (BC+) |
| CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION | ARLINGTON, VA | $250,000 | 2024 | BLUE CARBON POSITIVE BUSINESS MODEL ACTIVATOR (BC+) |
| BLUE FOREST FINANCE INC | SACRAMENTO, CA | $150,000 | 2024 | TO ACCELERATE ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION THROUGH CONSERVATION FINANCE, ENABLING CLIMATE RESILIENCE FOR ECOSYSTEMS AND COMMUNITIES. |
| REWILD | AUSTIN, TX | $100,000 | 2024 | COLLABORATING FOR CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE IN THE APPALACHIANS |
| THE STICHTING EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION | THE HAGUE | $1,000,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BLUE FOREST FINANCE | SACRAMENTO, CA | $150,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| STORM KING ART CENTER | NEW WINDSOR, NY | $150,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SAINT ANN'S SCHOOL | BROOKLYN, NY | $150,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE KASIISI PROJECT | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NOGUCHI MUSEUM | QUEENS, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SPORTSMEN'S TENNIS AND ENRICHMENT CENTER | DORCHESTER CENTER, MA | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK | BOSTON, MA | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FOOD LINK | ARLINGTON, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THEATRE FOR A NEW AUDIENCE | BROOKLYN, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DISCALCED INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PINE STREET INN | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| COMMUNITY SERVINGS | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PROPUBLICA | NEW YOK, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ON THE RISE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CAPE COD HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION | HYANNIS, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE |
DEDICATED TO PROTECT AND RESTORE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS AND SPECIES SUSTAIN THROUGH SCIENCE-BASED CONSERVATION ACTION.
TO ACCELERATE ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION THROUGH CONSERVATION FINANCE, ENABLING CLIMATE RESILIENCE FOR ECOSYSTEMS AND COMMUNITIES.
ALASKA'S TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST: LAND, CLIMATE, AND THE FUTURE
THE STICHTING EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION
$750,000PIE AMERICAS PROGRAM - TRANSITION TO RENEWABLES AND PHASE OUT OF COAL, OIL & GAS
COLLABORATING FOR CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE IN THE APPALACHIANS
THE STICHTING EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION
$1,000,000PIE AMERICAS PROGRAMME - TRANSITION TO RENEWABLES AND PHASE OUT OF COAL, OIL & GAS
OCEANS NORTH CONSERVATION SOCIETY
$750,000SAFEGUARDING THE ARCTIC
ALASKA'S TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST: LAND, CLIMATE, AND THE FUTURE
BLUE CARBON POSITIVE BUSINESS MODEL ACTIVATOR (BC+)
TO ACCELERATE ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION THROUGH CONSERVATION FINANCE, ENABLING CLIMATE RESILIENCE FOR ECOSYSTEMS AND COMMUNITIES.
THE STICHTING EUROPEAN CLIMATE FOUNDATION
$1,000,000CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE
THE KASIISI PROJECT
$100,000CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE
NOGUCHI MUSEUM
$50,000CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE
ON THE RISE
$5,000CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE
CAPE COD HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION
$5,000CHARITABLE GENERAL PURPOSE