Small Grant Program

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Small Grant Program is designed to support land trusts in advancing bird-focused conservation on private lands throughout the United States. Established in 2013, the Initiative aims to foster collaborative partnerships between land trusts and the bird conservation community. Through a combination of resources, technical assistance, and funding opportunities, the program helps land trusts enhance their capacity for conservation planning, monitoring, stewardship, and community engagement by integrating bird conservation into their missions. The Small Grant Program offers two distinct funding tracks for the 2026 grant cycle. The Capacity and Partnership Projects track provides six grants of $10,000 each, while the Management and Restoration Projects track offers eight grants of $25,000 each. These grants are intended to empower land trusts to undertake impactful conservation activities that support bird populations and habitats on privately owned lands. The program encourages applicants to leverage awarded funds with additional resources such as partner contributions or matching funds, though co-funding is not required. Indirect costs are allowable up to a maximum of 10% of the budget. Eligibility for the Capacity and Partnership Projects track is open to any U.S.-based land trust or conservation organization partnering with a land trust. Projects under this track must demonstrate how birds can enhance land trust strategic planning or foster new partnerships with bird conservation stakeholders. The Management and Restoration Projects track is limited to accredited land trusts or organizations partnering with one, with a preference for those with prior habitat management experience. Projects under this track must focus on habitat enhancement or restoration that benefits bird species of conservation concern, especially those identified in State Wildlife Action Plans or national bird conservation strategies. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on March 1, 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of May. Funded projects can commence between May 1 and September 1, 2026, and must be completed within a one-year timeframe. While extensions may be granted, all project proposals must clearly articulate objectives, implementation plans, expected conservation outcomes, and appropriate measures of success. The selection committee evaluates proposals based on both general and grant-specific criteria, such as organizational capacity, strategic alignment with conservation goals, and quality of proposed partnerships. Applicants are encouraged to include more than one type of activity—such as habitat management, bird monitoring, or outreach—to strengthen their proposal. Although past awardees are welcome to reapply, new proposals must demonstrate strong performance and outcomes from previous projects. Applications from the same organization may be submitted for different projects, but only one lead proposal will be selected for funding. Questions regarding the grant process can be directed to Sara Barker, Program Leader of the Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative, via email at [email protected]. Additional resources, including a frequently asked questions section and example activities, are available to guide applicants in developing strong proposals that align with the program’s conservation objectives and expectations.

Strong applications include clear objectives, measurable conservation outcomes, and leverage additional funding or partnerships.