National Forest Foundation
“To bring people together to restore and enhance our National Forests and Grasslands.”
The work
What they do
Official nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “THE FOUNDATION, CHARTERED BY CONGRESS AS THE OFFICIAL NON-PROFIT PARTNER OF THE US FOREST SERVICE, ENGAGES AMERICANS IN COMMUNITY BASED AND NATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT PROMOTE THE HEALTH AND PUBLIC ENJOYMENT OF THE 193 MILLION ACRE NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM.”
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Guarding the water
$107.2MTHE NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION’S (NFF) CONSERVATION WORK IS FOCUSED ON THREE ENDURING PRIORITIES.
Including $15,412,920 granted onward, most of it $2,117,404 to City Of Greeley.
Read it as they filed it
THE NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION'S (NFF) CONSERVATION WORK IS FOCUSED ON THREE ENDURING PRIORITIES. BUILDING WILDFIRE RESILIENCE, NFF WORKS WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND PARTNERS TO STRENGTHEN FOREST HEALTH, SAFEGUARD NEARBY HOMES, AND PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITAT. RESTORING LANDS AND WATERSHEDS, NFF REVIVES NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS, REPAIRS STREAMS, AND PLANTS MILLIONS OF TREES TO RENEW AND PRESERVE THESE ESSENTIAL RESOURCES. ENHANCING RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES, NFF HELPS BUILD AND RESTORE TRAILS, CAMPGROUNDS, AND INFRASTRUCTURE SO THEY REMAIN SAFE, WELCOMING, AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE MORE THAN 170 MILLION PEOPLE WHO VISIT NATIONAL FORESTS EACH YEAR.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Guarding the water
$7.8MTHE NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION’S TWO MAJOR GRANT PROGRAMS-THE MATCHING AWARDS PROGRAM (MAP) AND COLLABORATIVE CAPACITY PROGRAM (CCP)-SUPPORT MEANINGFUL STEWARDSHIP AND COMMUNITY IMPACT ON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS.
Including $2,852,060 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
THE NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION'S TWO MAJOR GRANT PROGRAMS-THE MATCHING AWARDS PROGRAM (MAP) AND COLLABORATIVE CAPACITY PROGRAM (CCP)-SUPPORT MEANINGFUL STEWARDSHIP AND COMMUNITY IMPACT ON NATIONAL FOREST LANDS. MAP, NFF'S FLAGSHIP COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM, FOSTERS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND HELPS COMPLETE PROJECTS THAT CREATE LASTING BENEFITS FOR ALL COMMUNITIES. CCP FINANCIAL AWARDS SUPPORT COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THAT ADVANCE WILDFIRE RESILIENCE, RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES, LAND AND WATERSHED RESTORATION, AND RURAL ECONOMIES, WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON SHARED DECISION-MAKING, A BROAD RANGE OF PERSPECTIVES, AND STRENGTHENING TRIBAL CO-STEWARDSHIP OF NATIONAL FORESTS AND GRASSLANDS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
93 cents of every dollar goes to the work
That ratio is a good sign, not a scorecard. Plenty of great groups run leaner and lumpier. What matters is the extremes, and National Forest Foundation is nowhere near one.
Backed on the record by Walton Family Foundation and Kendeda Fund, latest filing FY24.
$114,984,690 programs, $4,654,655 management, $3,958,986 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
The people
Who does the work
Took the helm from Dieter Fenkart Froeschl, who drew $56,318 in the final year on file.
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. This one caught a changing of the guard in the act: the FY2025 officer table lists Dieter Fenkart Froeschl, the return itself is signed by Dieter Fenkart-Froeschl. Orgs that claim their page can update it same-day. Work at NFF? Claim this page.
Those 10,225 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If NFF is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 10,226The filings
14 years of filings
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $11,506,627 |
| 2012 | $11,242,003 |
| 2013 | $9,677,187 |
| 2014 | $10,813,794 |
| 2015 | $16,864,332 |
| 2016 | $13,228,967 |
| 2017 | $13,851,611 |
| 2018 | $13,915,798 |
| 2019 | $20,437,232 |
| 2020 | $24,634,190 |
| 2021 | $33,838,941 |
| 2022 | $49,084,308 |
| 2023 | $51,563,943 |
| 2025 | $132,146,649 |
From $11.5M in 2011 to $132.1M in FY25, across 14 public filings. The 2025 peak of $132.1M reads like one-time gifts, so trust the line, not the peak.
The record
On the Hill
National Forest Foundation has hired federal lobbyists: 7 filings from 2025 to 2026. The filings, at the Senate.
Most filed on natural resources.
Help complete this profile. If you work here, claim it to add your current campaigns, recent wins, and the best way for supporters to get involved.
Ways in
How to help
93 cents of your dollar goes straight to the work above.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with National Forest Foundation
34 years on the ground, 10,225 volunteers, 93 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.