Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation
ActiveMutual & Membership Benefit
About Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation
The Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation concentrates its giving on landscape-scale conservation and habitat connectivity, funding projects that protect wildlife corridors and restore large natural areas. Grants are targeted and high-dollar, supporting both U.S. mountain-region conservation (multiple awards to Heart of the Rockies) and international tropical forest protection (a major grant to Rewild in Belize). The foundation prefers actionable, project-focused initiatives that secure land, create ecological corridors, and advance rewilding efforts.
Focus Areas
Wildlife corridor and landscape connectivity projects in the U.S. RockiesTropical forest protection and corridor creation in Belize (Maya Forest Corridor)Rewilding and large-scale habitat restoration initiatives
Who They Fund
Indigenous peoples and Indigenous-led organizationsLocal and rural community stewardsProtected-area managers and conservation NGOsThreatened wildlife populations (elephants, carnivores, spectacled bear)Landscape/ecosystem-level conservation targets (forests, wetlands, coastal habitats)
About Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation
The Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation’s clearest signature is landscape conservation at corridor scale, with a strong preference for multi-year, project-specific funding that links habitat protection to community and species outcomes. One of its largest recent grants supported Rewild in Austin for the Belize Maya Forest Corridor Phase 2, pointing to a sustained interest in protecting connected tropical forest systems. In the Northern Rockies, the foundation has also made repeated large awards to Heart of the Rockies in Missoula for the Keep It Connected Initiative, reinforcing its emphasis on wildlife movement across big landscapes. Its recent portfolio also reaches into Indonesia through the Wildlife Conservation Society, including support for the Leuser Ecosystem and related community-based conservation work. The foundation’s giving pattern suggests it favors field implementation over broad general support, with grants tied to specific landscapes, conservation tools, and on-the-ground outcomes. It also supports Indigenous-led conservation and habitat restoration through partners such as Wild Foundation, Makeway Foundation, and Mica Group.
What Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation Funds
In tropical forest conservation, the foundation backed Wildlife Conservation Society with grants for the Leuser Ecosystem program in Indonesia and for community-based conservation and fire management in the Maya Forest across Belize and Guatemala. In North American landscape connectivity, it funded Greater Yellowstone Coalition for the Crevice Mountain Mine Project, a place-based effort tied to habitat protection in the Northern Rockies. Its support for Indigenous-led conservation appears in grants to Wild Foundation for an Indigenous-led initiative and to Makeway Foundation for Indigenous-led conservation initiatives in Canada. The foundation also supports species-focused work, including a grant to Wildlife Conservation Network for spectacled bear conservation in Northern Peru. Across these areas, the grants are anchored to named landscapes rather than broad thematic awards.
How Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster around six figures, with a p25 of $50,000, a median of $100,000, and a p75 of $200,000. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including multi-year support for Heart of the Rockies, Wildlife Conservation Society, Maliasili Initiatives, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and Makeway Foundation. That pattern points to recurring project funding rather than one-off transactions. The foundation is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Unsolicited applications are not part of the listed programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$9.5M
Total Assets
$229.5M
Total Revenue
$33.2M
Total Expenses
$13.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $50K and $200K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$200K
Geographic Reach
National16 states funded
About 14% of grants go to recipients in MT.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation Funds
Top 8 recipient countries by grant volume for Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 217 | $37.2M | 85.8% |
| 2 | Tanzania |
Unlock Deep Analysis
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 FreeSee Similar Funders
Free Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeExplore related grant guides
Want a Personalized Pitch for Liz Claiborne & Art Ortenberg Foundation?
Sign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Free plan available
No contracts
Cancel anytime