Since 2017, the Cornell Lab’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative has awarded 102 projects over $1.6 million with more than 600 partners engaged through its annual small grant program. The 2026 Request for Proposals opens the first week of January and will award a total of $260,000 to land trusts and their partners to support 14 projects across the U.S.

Applications are due March 1, 2026, with funds dispersed at the end of May.

Capacity and Partnership Projects: 6 grants of $10,000 each
Projects should build land trust capacity by teaching or demonstrating how birds can enhance activities such as strategic planning, habitat management, and mission fulfillment of land trusts and/or facilitate mutually beneficial collaborations and partnerships with the bird conservation community. Accredited and non-accredited land trusts and conservation organizations partnering with land trusts are welcome to apply.

Management and Restoration Projects: 8 grants of $25,000 each
Projects should actively manage, restore, and/or steward land in a way that enhances habitat and promotes bird conservation, with special emphasis on priority species or those identified in State Wildlife Action Plans. Applicant organization should either be an accredited land trust or partnering with an accredited land trust.

To learn more and apply for a grant, see RFP Information, an overview of past awards, and grant awards and expectations.

We expect these projects to deliver broad benefits by protecting natural ecosystems through management and restoration and supporting land protection efforts via increased land trust capacity in the U.S.

We invite you to apply!

Questions can be directed to: Sara Barker, Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative Program Director, sb65@cornell.edu