The Temper of the Times Foundation, established in 1997, aims to utilize standard marketing and advertising concepts to support wildland conservation and restoration efforts throughout the United States. Recognizing that many environmental nonprofit organizations lack the resources for paid media, the Foundation was created to underwrite advertising and media campaigns that raise awareness and prompt action for the preservation and rehabilitation of native wildlife, plants, and ecosystems. Its mission centers on supporting earned and paid media strategies that further environmental conservation goals.
This funding opportunity is designed specifically for nonprofit organizations that hold 501(c)(3) public charity status under the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation does not provide funding to individuals, for-profit entities, or any level of government agencies. Its grants are strictly focused on specific advertising-related projects and not on general operating costs or organizational development. Grant-funded activities must be oriented toward advancing measurable outcomes in wildland conservation and restoration.
Acceptable uses for grant funds include the production and dissemination of advertisements in print, radio, and television formats, as well as the creation and distribution of pamphlets, books, videos, or press kits related to wildland conservation campaigns. However, funds may not be used for organizational newsletters, membership drives, staff salaries, lobbying, or any form of political campaign activities. The Foundation particularly values projects that can achieve direct and immediate conservation outcomes, and it generally awards grants ranging between $5,000 and $15,000.
Applications must be submitted electronically through the Foundation’s Apply page no later than December 15th of each year. If this date falls on a weekend, the deadline is extended to the following Monday. Applications must be submitted as a single PDF file, or as a Microsoft Word file if the file size is under 1.0 MB. The file name must follow the format: “ToT proposal_[year]_[organization name]”. Upon receipt, applicants will get an email confirmation, but the Foundation does not accept phone inquiries due to limited staffing.
Proposals must be no more than five pages and include detailed organizational information, a project summary and title, funding amount requested, description and feasibility of the proposed activities, budget, evidence of potential impact, and identification of the target audience. The review process evaluates applications based on ecological importance, issue timeliness, creativity, level of detail, projected impact, and the applying organization’s history of success. Applications will be reviewed by the Foundation's directors, and applicants are typically notified of funding decisions approximately six weeks after the submission deadline.
For more information, applicants may contact the Foundation via email at temperfund@igc.org.
