Guidelines for Grantseekers

Please check back in January 2027

for new application instructions and deadlines.

Funding Guidelines

• Only nonprofit charitable organizations based in and serving communities in the United States, exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, are eligible to receive a grant.
• The Swantz Family Foundation accepts grant requests up to $5,000.
• Grants are awarded for one year only. Projects in areas the Foundation has a special interest in may be considered for multi-year funding and larger gifts. Organizations may reapply for up to three consecutive years before being asked to take a year off.
• If awarded, grant funds must be used only for the purposes for which the grant was made. Organizations are required to submit a written report at the end of the grant period or by February 1 (whichever comes first), which will include a narrative of project activities and a final accounting of how grant funds have been used.
• The Swantz Family Foundation reserves the right to withhold and/or recover grant funds in the case that funds have been, or appear to be, misused.

Submission Instructions

• Applications are not accepted at this time. Please check back in January 2027 for new instructions.
• Questions can be directed to Jennifer Swantz, President, at swantzff@gmail.com.
• Upon receipt of the completed proposal, the Foundation may request additional information or schedule a visit.

2026 Grants Awarded

• Association for Nature-Based Education - Schoolyard Outdoor Learning Experience
• Austin Youth River Watch - General Support
• Backyard Basecamp - General Support
• Chicago Voyagers - Journey & Voyage Programs
• CorpsTHAT - ASL Inclusion Crews - Outdoor Stewards
• Davis Forest School - Dragonfly Teen Naturalists
• elevateHER - General Support
• Explore Austin - Mentoring, Leadership & Outdoor Education Program
• Families in Nature - General Support
• Garden-Raised Bounty - Youth Program
• Grow Portland - Garden School
• Kismet Rock Foundation - General Support
• Land to Learn - SproutEd Garden Based Learning Program
• Neighboring Tree Project - General Support
• Olympic Nature Experience - Tuition Assistance Program
• Orange County Rescue Mission - Summer to Remember
• Outdoorithm Collective - Come Alive Family Camping
• Princeton-Blairstown Center - Summer Bridge
• Rose Foundation for Communities & the Environment - New Voices are Rising
• Salted Roots - General Support
• Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs - Earth Within Girls
• South Carolina Aquarium - Teen Conservation Crew
• Specialized Outdoor Adaptive Recreation - SOAR Youth Adaptive Hike
• Ten Strands - California Campaign for Outdoor Learning
• Wild Earth - General Support
• Wild Grief - General Support
• Wilderness Louisville - General Support
• Wilderness Youth Project - General Support
• Women's Wilderness - Girl's Wilderness Adventures
• YES Nature to Neighborhoods - Youth Leadership Pathways
• Young Masterminds - Camping to Connect

2025 Grants Awarded

• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell - Outdoor Adventure Club Family Camping Trip
• Camp Encourage - Outdoor Education & Nature Based Activities
• Camping to Connect - General Support
• CorpsTHAT - CorpsTHAT Stewardship Program
• elevateHER - General Support
• Families in Nature - General Support
• Friends of ECDC - ECDC Children's Garden
• Green Works in Kansas CIty - Environmental Connection Opportunities for Students
• National Outdoor Learning Alliance - Early Learning Program in Garden City, ID
• Oceti Sakowin Community Academy - Sacred Site Field Trips
• Olympic Nature Experience - Tuitiion Assistance
• Outdoorithm Collective - General Support
• Passionist Earth & Spirit Center - Earth Care Program
• Partners for Education, Agriculture & Sustainability (PEAS) - Camp Teach Outside
• Rose Foundation for Communities & The Environment - New Voices are Rising
• Salted Roots - General Support
• South Carolina Aquarium - Teen Conservation Crew Pilot Program
• Wild Earth - Nature Connection & Experiential Education
• Wilderness Louisville - General Support
• Wilderness Youth Project - General Support
• Women's Wilderness - Girls Wilderness Adventures
• YES Nature to Neighborhoods - Youth Leadership Pathways

2024 Grants Awarded

• Ashokan Center - Arts & Outdoor Education Outreach
• Bay Area Wilderness Training - General Support
• Camp for all Kids - General Support
• Chicago Voyagers - Journey & Voyage Programs
• Davis Forest School - General Support
• elevateHER - General Support
• Explore Austin - General Support
• Hawthorne Valley Association - Place Based Learning Center's Summer Camp Scholarship
• OSPREY Camp - General Support
• Princeton-Blairstown Center - Summer Bridge Program
• Ramapo for Children - Expansion of Interpretive Trail System
• Raritan Headwaters Association - LifeCamp
• Rose Foundation for Communities & The Environment - New Voices are Rising
• South Carolina Aquarium - Teen Conservation Crew Pilot Program
• Wild Canyon Discovery - General Support
• Wild Earth - Nature Connection & Experiential Education
• Wilderness Youth Project - Youth Scholarships
• Women's Wilderness - Girls Wilderness Adventures

2022 Grants Awarded

• Ashokan Center - The Ashokan Experience
• Bay Area Wilderness Training - General Support
• BioCitizen Los Angeles - BioCitizen4All
• Explore Austin - Leadership, Mentoring, and Outdoor Access
• Friends of Cibolo Wilderness - Deep Roots
• Fresh Air Family - General Support
• Grow Portland - General Support
• Raritan Headwaters Association - WaterWays Stream Ecology Program
• Revision Education - Latitude Outdoor Leadership Training Program
• Vamos Outdoors Project - Vamos Backpacking and Camping
• Wild Canyon Discovery - General Support

2021 Grants Awarded

• Backyard Basecamp- Red Fox & Blue Heron Program
• Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary - General Support
• Blue Sky Fund - Outdoor Leadership Institute
• Creative Nomads LTD - Camp Dad
• Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools - General Support
• ElevateHer - empowerHER Summer 2021 Capstone on the San Juan River
• Friends of Camp Natoma - Nature Explorers
• Friends of Cibolo Wilderness - Deep Roots
• Green Guerillas - The Youth Empowerment Pipeline
• Ramapo for Children - Building Early Childhood Skills through Nature-based Activities
• San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory - Youth Education Program: Migratory Birds STEAM Curriculum
• The Ecology School - EcosySTEM Outdoor Education for Title 1 Students
• Total Health Care, Inc. - The Center for Behavioral Health Therapy Garden
• Trail Blazers - Farmstead
• Wild Earth - General Support
• Wolf Sanctuary - General Support

2019 Grants Awarded

• Allison Woods Outdoor Education Center - Bird of Prey Program
• Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary - General Operating Support
• CitySprouts - Summer Youth Internship Program
• ElevateHer - Expanding Program Opportunities for Rural Girls
• Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park - Transportation to MacArthur Beach State Park Programs
• Hawthorne Valley Association - Kids Can Cook Summer Camp
• Hudson Highlands Nature Museum - Dulce Esperanza
• North Cascades Institute - Mountain School
• Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens - Nature Leadership Academy
• Solar Youth - Steward Team
• Wild Earth - Kingston Middle School Nature Connection
• Yellowstone Forever - Expedition Yellowstone

2018 Grants Awarded

• Allison Woods Outdoor Education Center - Watershed Exploration Program
• Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary - General Operating Support
• Clifton Park - Halfmoon Public Library - Backpack Lending Program
• ElevateHer - Outdoor Adventures for Young Women
• Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park - Transportation to MacArthur Beach State Park Programs
• Grand Canyon Youth - Bat Monitoring on the Rivers of the Southwest
• Ramapo for Children - Integrating Environmental Education into the Ramapo Leadership Program
• Thorne Nature Experience - Nature Immersion Program
• Wild Earth - Kingston Middle School Nature Connection
• Wolf Conservation Center - General Operating Support