Origin & Mission

Recognizing that public opinion is often influenced by marketing efforts, Temper of The Times Foundation, ~advertising for the environment~ was created in 1997 to promote the use of standard marketing concepts to increase environmental awareness. Recognizing that organizations working to protect the environment in general have limited access to paid media, the Foundation provides funds to underwrite advertising designed to promote the conservation and restoration of native wildlife, plants, and ecosystems in the United States. The Foundation also supports earned media campaigns.

Application Guidelines

Temper of the Times Foundation provides funds to nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) public charities by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation does not provide grants to individuals, for-profit organizations, or government agencies. Grant awards range from $5,000 to $15,000 and are awarded for projects related to increasing awareness about ecosystem conservation and restoration in the United States. Priority is given to projects in wildland ecosystems – areas outside of cities, suburbs, and agricultural or other production lands, where native species and natural processes dominate. In addition, we support projects that benefit threatened and endangered species, regardless of whether they occur in wildlands. Grant funds may be used for costs associated with the production of social media, print, radio, or television ads, to pay for advertising space or airtime, or to produce or distribute pamphlets, books, videos, or press packets. Because grants are for wildland ecosystem advertising campaigns, not for general organizational support, they may not be used to cover costs associated with the production of organization newsletters, fundraising events or membership campaigns, or for staff salaries. In addition, the Foundation cannot fund lobbying efforts or candidates for political office.

Due to limited staffing, the Foundation does not have capacity to accept telephone calls from or meet with applicants. Letters of inquiry may be submitted prior to application but are not required. Please allow three weeks for a response to your letter.

Application Procedures

Application Deadline and Submission

There is one application deadline per year: 11:59PM, December 15, Pacific Time Zone. If the 15th falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline will be extended to the following Monday. Applications must be submitted to the Foundation as a single PDF or MS Word file using the online submission portal on this website page. The online portal is temporarily down for construction but will become available before December 1st. Files must be below 10 MB in size.

To facilitate review, please use the following convention in naming your proposal: “ToT proposal.[insert 4-digit year].[Insert the full name of your organization]” (for example, ToTproposal.2026.WildlandEcosystemRestoration)

For questions about submitting a proposal, use our contact form.

Applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of application materials.

Application Format

Applications should be limited to five pages and should include the organizational and project information requested below. Proposals over 5 pages in length will not be reviewed.

Organizational information

  • Name, address, telephone number and contact person
  • Mission statement
  • Brief overview of annual income, expenses and sources of funding
  • Charitable tax status

Project Information

  • Title of project
  • Amount of funding requested
  • Summary of project
  • Target audience
  • Detailed description of the proposed project and work plan, including creative work, when possible
  • Project budget (see application guidelines for allowable expenses), including amount requested from Temper of the Times and additional sources of funding, if any.
  • Evidence of feasibility
  • Anticipated outcomes

Application Evaluation Process and Timeframe

The Foundation’s directors will evaluate applications according to the following criteria:

  • Ecological importance of issue
  • Timeliness of issue
  • Level of detail and creativity
  • Likely impact
  • Track record of organization submitting the proposal

Projects that are likely to have measurable and immediate effects on wildland ecosystem conservation and restoration will be prioritized over those that are purely educational in nature.

Applicants will be informed of the Foundation’s decision by email by the end of February.