The Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund supports work that advances the conservation of the monarch butterfly and other at-risk native insect pollinators. Originally named the Monarch Butterfly Conservation Fund, the fund added the term ‘Pollinators’ to its title in 2018 to reflect an increased focus on a broader set of priority species.
Competitive grants are awarded in two categories:
- Technical Assistance for Private Working Lands
Grants are awarded to projects that support implementation of technical assistance to increase the number of private landowners engaged in monarch butterfly and pollinator conservation practices on working lands. Priorities include: hiring additional staff or contractors to assist landowners and NRCS with developing pollinator habitat management plans and NRCS financial assistance contracts; developing landscape-based partnerships to implement innovative methods to engage private landowners and expand restoration and enhancement activities on private working lands; and targeting outreach to landowners and other partners to prioritize, plan and deliver financial assistance available through EQIP and other programs to improve pollinator habitat and support at-risk species.
- Habitat Improvement
Grants are awarded to projects that create and sustain interconnected monarch and pollinator habitats to support annual life cycle needs. Priorities include: restoring and enhancing breeding and migration habitat to support ample milkweed and diverse nectar plants; protecting and improving overwintering habitat; and developing sustainable and affordable supplies of native milkweed and nectar-producing plant seeds and seedlings that support habitat restoration efforts.
Since 2015, the fund has awarded $11.6 million to 75 projects that are helping conserve and recover the monarch butterfly while also benefiting other pollinator species. Grantees have matched this investment with an additional $18.4 million, for a total on-the-ground impact of more than $30 million. This investment has provided support for:
- Restoration/enhancement of 175,000 acres
- Propagation of 785,000 native milkweed seedlings
- Collection of 981 pounds of native milkweed seeds
- Coordination of 913 workshops and meetings
Administered by NFWF, the Monarch Butterfly and Conservation Fund is a public–private partnership that receives funding and other support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayer Crop Science, Shell Oil Company, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Land Management and the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Contact Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund
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Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund is not employed by or affiliated with the Virginia Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.
Contact Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund
1133 Fifteenth St., N.W.
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 612-564-7253
Service Area
Statewide Program in:
- California
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
