March Conservation Fund

March Conservation Fund is a San Francisco-based family foundation led by the Samuels family — Ivan Samuels (President, $30,000 annual compensation), Brent Samuels (Secretary, $24,000), Laurel Samuels (unpaid Director), and Sidney Samuels (unpaid CFO). With $77.9 million in assets as of 2024 and annual disbursements of $4.95 million that year, this is a mid-sized foundation with an unusually specific programmatic focus: protecting threatened bird species and biodiversity through land acquisition, ecological reserves, and long-term organizational capacity-building.

The Fund's giving philosophy is defined by deep, long-term relationships rather than open grant cycles. It explicitly does not accept unsolicited proposals — all grantmaking is preselected or invitation-based. Top grantees have each received funding across 3-4 grant cycles: American Bird Conservancy ($2.1M across 4 grants), Wildlife Conservation Network ($1.43M across 4 grants), Cornell University — almost certainly the Cornell Lab of Ornithology ($1.04M across 4 grants), and Point Blue Conservation Science ($1.0M across 4 grants). This pattern of deep, recurring investment signals that the Fund values sustained institutional relationships over opportunistic project funding.

The cornerstone program is LARSI (Latin American Reserve Stewardship Initiative), launched in 2015 in partnership with American Bird Conservancy. LARSI strengthens the operational capacity of on-the-ground organizations managing ecological reserves in three priority bioregions: the Chocó of Colombia and Ecuador, the Tumbesian zone of Ecuador and Peru, and the Atlantic Rainforests of Brazil. LARSI is invitation-only, with new partners identified through the ABC network.

The Fund also distributes small research grants in partnership with four regional bird clubs — the Neotropical Bird Club, African Bird Club, Oriental Bird Club, and Ornithological Society of the Middle East — for researchers studying threatened bird species and related socio-economic factors in Latin America, Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East. These represent the only publicly accessible application pathways.

First-time applicants should note several structural realities: (1) California organizations account for 163 of 257 recorded grants (63%), giving Bay Area groups a natural proximity advantage; (2) the Fund gives both to core conservation grantees and to personal family causes (UCSF Foundation, SF Jazz, Jewish Family and Children's Services), reflecting its family foundation character; (3) grant purposes are overwhelmingly general support and restricted support, not project-specific funding; and (4) the most effective entry strategy for non-invited organizations is relationship-building through MCF's existing grantee network rather than direct outreach.

March Conservation Fund has grown its annual giving more than 10x over the past decade: from $482,000 in fiscal 2014 to $4.95 million in fiscal 2024. The trajectory reflects two major capital events — a $9.79 million contribution received in 2014 that elevated assets from $7.8M to $17.9M, and a transformative $23.74 million contribution in 2022 that pushed assets from $51.6M to $73.2M. Since the 2022 infusion, giving has accelerated meaningfully: $3.69M (2022) → $4.13M (2023) → $4.95M (2024).

Grant size data from the foundation's records across roughly 58 recent transactions shows a median of $5,000 with an average of $35,562 and a range from $50 to $421,695. However, the cumulative grantee data across all recorded years tells a more nuanced story: 257 total grants averaging $49,710, totaling $12.78 million. The wide gap between median ($5,000) and average ($49,710) reflects a bimodal portfolio — a large number of small community grants and personal family giving alongside a smaller number of large anchor investments in flagship partners.

The top six conservation grantees by total amount received — American Bird Conservancy ($2.11M), Wildlife Conservation Network ($1.43M), Cornell University ($1.04M), Point Blue Conservation Science ($1.0M), American Friends of Birdlife International ($561K), and Rainforest Trust ($419K) — together account for approximately $6.55 million, or 51% of all tracked giving. These six organizations average $180,000–$528,000 per grant, far above the portfolio median.

Geographically, 63% of grants by count went to California-based organizations (163/257), with New York second at 26 grants and Virginia third at 12. International giving flows primarily to Latin American and Southeast Asian partners: Jocotoco Foundation and Jocotoco Conservation Foundation ($520K combined), Mandai Nature Fund (Singapore, $256K), and Planet Indonesia ($208K). Net investment income has remained modest — $1.51M in 2023 and $1.34M in 2022 — meaning the Fund's growth has been driven primarily by contributed capital, not investment returns alone.

By program area, core conservation (bird species, land protection, ecological research) accounts for approximately 80–85% of giving by dollar value. Non-conservation family giving (health, arts, social services) represents the remaining 15-20%, a meaningful share for grant seekers to understand when sizing up competitive positioning.

The peers below are asset-matched foundations in the same NTEE Philanthropy & Grantmaking category (all with approximately $77–78M in assets). Note that none are conservation-focused comparators; they are included to contextualize March Conservation Fund's size and structure within the broader private foundation landscape.

March Conservation Fund stands apart from these asset-matched peers through the precision of its programmatic focus and the sophistication of its grantmaking architecture. Where most family foundations of similar size operate as generalist giving vehicles with broad personal interests, MCF has developed a defined theory of change — land acquisition, reserve stewardship, and capacity-building for threatened bird conservation — supported by institutional channel partners (American Bird Conservancy, Rainforest Trust) and a structured regional program (LARSI) now in its tenth year. Its growing assets ($77.9M, up from $36.8M in 2020) and rising disbursements position it well above the median output for foundations in this asset class.

No press releases, grant announcements, or news articles from March Conservation Fund were found for 2025 or 2026, which is consistent with its low-profile family foundation operating style. The Fund does not issue public grant announcements and maintains minimal social media presence.

The most recent 990 data (FY2024) shows $4.95 million in charitable disbursements — the highest in the Fund's history — and total assets of $77.9 million. Revenue for FY2024 was $8.14 million, including $4.79 million in contributions (suggesting continued family capital infusions), $1.86 million in dividends, and $825,000 from asset sales. This strong revenue year implies continued or accelerating grantmaking into 2025.

The Fund's Southeast Asia portfolio has been an area of recent expansion, with three consecutive grants each to Mandai Nature Fund (Singapore-based wildlife conservation, $256,000 total) and Planet Indonesia ($207,550 total), both of which work on threatened bird species and habitat protection in the Indo-Pacific. This pattern suggests an intentional geographic expansion beyond the historic Latin America core.

Leadership has been stable throughout the available data period (2012–2024): Ivan Samuels has served as President continuously, with compensation held at $30,000 annually since at least 2022. The IRS contact listing references Laurel M. Samuels as President, which may reflect a transition or dual role not captured in the most recent 990. No leadership transitions or board changes were identified in public records. The Fund's website (marchconservationfund.org) was last confirmed active as of early 2026.

The most critical piece of intelligence about March Conservation Fund is that it does not accept unsolicited proposals. Every path to a grant runs through an existing relationship or a formally designated partner organization. Cold outreach to the foundation — phone calls, emails, or unsolicited letters of inquiry — is very unlikely to result in a funding opportunity and may be counterproductive.

There are two legitimate, open application pathways. The first is through the four regional bird club partners for small research grants: the Neotropical Bird Club (Latin America), African Bird Club (Africa), Oriental Bird Club (East Asia), and Ornithological Society of the Middle East. Each club operates its own grant program, partially funded by MCF, focused on threatened bird species research. These grants are small — likely in the $2,000–$15,000 range based on the $75,000 total given to each club across 3 grants over multiple years — but they represent the only open-competition pathway into the MCF network. Apply directly to the relevant bird club with a research proposal on threatened species and related ecological or socio-economic factors.

The second pathway is relationship-based via American Bird Conservancy. LARSI is administered through ABC, and new Latin American partners are sourced through ABC's existing conservation network. To position for LARSI consideration, build a demonstrated track record with ABC: attend their events, publish findings through their research channels, and focus your work explicitly in the Chocó, Tumbesian, or Atlantic Rainforest bioregions. Organizations working in land stewardship (not just research) are far better positioned for LARSI than advocacy-only groups.

For California-based organizations: the most direct relationship-building route runs through MCF's existing Bay Area grantees — Audubon Canyon Ranch, Audubon California, Point Blue Conservation Science, Bay Nature Institute, Earth Island Institute. These organizations have established relationships with the Samuels family and can serve as natural connectors.

Alignment language that resonates with MCF: 'organizational capacity,' 'reserve stewardship,' 'operational sustainability,' 'threatened species with restricted ranges,' 'biodiversity hotspot.' Avoid framing requests as project deliverables with defined endpoints; MCF prefers general and restricted support suggesting they value ongoing institutional relationships. Do not pitch work outside the Fund's geographic priorities (for international work: Chocó, Tumbesian, Atlantic Rainforest, SE Asia; for domestic: California and Bay Area). Do not approach MCF expecting a quick turnaround — the consistent pattern of 3-4 grants per grantee over multiple years indicates a slow, trust-building relationship model.