Top Family Foundation concentrates its giving on conservation, especially projects that protect birds, waterfowl, wetlands and related habitats across the southeastern United States and selected other states. Grants are made to large national and regional conservation NGOs as well as to university-affiliated research (Auburn), suggesting an interest in both applied habitat protection and scientifically informed wildlife conservation. The foundation supports both species-specific causes (manatees, cranes, waterfowl) and land/conservation easement work through The Nature Conservancy chapters.
A defining feature of Top Family Foundation Inc is its repeated support for conservation organizations working on birds, wetlands, and related habitats, with several grantees appearing across multiple years. In 2025, the foundation’s largest recent grant went to Audubon South Carolina for general support, and it also backed the International Crane Foundation and Save The Manatee at the same grant size. The pattern suggests a funder that stays close to applied habitat protection rather than one-off project bets. Its portfolio includes major conservation groups, regional chapters, and research-linked institutions. The Nature Conservancy chapters in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Ohio all received support, alongside Ducks Unlimited, which points to a broad conservation frame that includes wetlands, land protection, and species-focused work. Auburn University Foundation also appears in the recent grants, indicating an interest in university-affiliated wildlife research and education as part of the mix. The foundation also supported groups tied to red wolves, water quality, and birds, showing a consistent emphasis on conservation issues in the southeastern United States and beyond.
Waterfowl and wetland conservation is one of the clearest threads in the foundation’s giving. Ducks Unlimited Inc received $100,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2023 for general support, aligning with the group’s wetland-oriented work. Bird and habitat protection appears through Audubon South Carolina, which received $100,000 in 2025 and $50,000 in both 2024 and 2023. The foundation also supported the International Crane Foundation with $75,000 in 2025 and $50,000 in 2024 and 2023, showing repeated backing for crane conservation. Land conservation is visible in grants to The Nature Conservancy chapters in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Ohio, each receiving general support in the recent grants list. Conservation tied to wildlife research shows up in the Auburn University Foundation grants, including a $25,000 award for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s work with farmers on sustainable grazing practices and delayed mowing.
Typical grant size is tightly centered: the p25, median, and p75 are $50,000, $50,000, and $75,000. The recent grants list shows a few larger awards at $100,000 and several repeat $50,000 grants, with general support the dominant grant type. The foundation also makes recurring gifts to the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025, especially among conservation groups and university-linked work. It does not make program-related investments and does not fund individuals, which fits a grantmaking-only structure.
$474K
$15.7M
$3.5M
$601K
Most grants fall between $50K and $75K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$75K
About 13% of grants go to recipients in SC.
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.
Relatively concentrated, high-dollar grants to established conservation NGOs and a few repeat or institutional recipients; multiple six-figure gifts to a small set of organizations rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Ducks Unlimited, Inc., The Nature Conservancy (multiple state chapters), Audubon South Carolina, International Crane Foundation, Auburn University Foundation
Grantmaking is regional and concentrated in the Southeast, with South Carolina receiving the most grants. Recipients in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Columbia, and Durham appear repeatedly, and North Carolina accounts for 12% of grants despite being the headquarters state. Tennessee, Ohio, and Alabama also show up through recurring grants to organizations in Brentwood, Dublin, and Auburn. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
The foundation most often supports conservation organizations. In the recent grants list, that includes Audubon South Carolina, Ducks Unlimited Inc, The Nature Conservancy chapters in multiple states, the International Crane Foundation, Save The Manatee, and the Red Wolf Coalition.
The grant-size distribution is centered at $50,000. The 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile are $50,000, $50,000, and $75,000, respectively.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Audubon South Carolina, Ducks Unlimited Inc, The Nature Conservancy chapters in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Ohio, and the International Crane Foundation.
South Carolina is the top state by grant count. Recipients in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Columbia, and other South Carolina cities appear often, while North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, and Alabama also receive support.
Yes. Auburn University Foundation received $80,369 in 2024 and $67,000 in 2025 for general support, and Cornell University received $25,000 in 2025 for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s work with farmers on sustainable grazing practices and delayed mowing.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUBURN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | Auburn, AL | $83,760 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AUDUBON SOUTH CAROLINA | CHARLESTON, SC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED | Memphis, TN | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | MOUNT PLEASANT, SC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHESAPEAKE FOUNDATION | Annapolis, MD | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION | BARABOO, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY - NORTH CAROLINA CHAPTER | DURHAM, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CONSERVANCY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA | Naples, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN TENNESSEE | BRENTWOOD, TN | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN OHIO | DUBLIN, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SEA TURTLE PATROL | Hilton Head Island, SC | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF SLEEPING BEAR DUNES | Empire, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AUDUBON SOUTH CAROLINA | CHARLESTON, SC | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Save The Manatee | Maitland, FL | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION | Baraboo, WI | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| auburn university foundation | Auburn, AL | $67,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY - NORTH CAROLINA CHAPTER | DURHAM, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN OHIO | DUBLIN, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN TENNESSEE | BRENTWOOD, TN | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | MOUNT PLEASANT, SC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Chesapeake Foundation | Annapolis, MD | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Charleston Waterkeepers | Charleston, SC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Grant to the Cornell Lab of ornithology to further the effort to work with farmers on sustainable grazing practices and delayed mowing. |
| FRIENDS OF SLEEPING BEAR DUNES | Empire, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| auburn university foundation | Auburn, AL | $80,369 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN OHIO | DUBLIN, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | MOUNT PLEASANT, SC | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY - NORTH CAROLINA CHAPTER | DURHAM, NC | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Save The Manatee | Maitland, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN TENNESSEE | BRENTWOOD, TN | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION | Baraboo, WI | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AUDUBON SOUTH CAROLINA | CHARLESTON, SC | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| wolf conservation center | South Salem, NY | $35,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF SLEEPING BEAR DUNES | Empire, MI | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN TENNESSEE | BRENTWOOD, TN | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY - NORTH CAROLINA CHAPTER | DURHAM, NC | $87,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN OHIO | DUBLIN, OH | $87,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | MOUNT PLEASANT, SC | $87,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Red Wolf Coalition | Columbia, NC | $61,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION | Baraboo, WI | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AUDUBON SOUTH CAROLINA | CHARLESTON, SC | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DUCKS UNLIMITED INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF SLEEPING BEAR DUNES | Empire, MI | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
DUCKS UNLIMITED
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHESAPEAKE FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN TENNESSEE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN OHIO
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SEA TURTLE PATROL
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF SLEEPING BEAR DUNES
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AUDUBON SOUTH CAROLINA
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Save The Manatee
$75,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN OHIO
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN TENNESSEE
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Chesapeake Foundation
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Grant to the Cornell Lab of ornithology to further the effort to work with farmers on sustainable grazing practices and delayed mowing.
FRIENDS OF SLEEPING BEAR DUNES
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DUCKS UNLIMITED INC
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY - NORTH CAROLINA CHAPTER
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Save The Manatee
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN TENNESSEE
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF SLEEPING BEAR DUNES
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN TENNESSEE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY - NORTH CAROLINA CHAPTER
$87,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Red Wolf Coalition
$61,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DUCKS UNLIMITED INC
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF SLEEPING BEAR DUNES
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT