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Additional Context and Fun Facts
CLF was founded in 2007 and began making grants in 2008. With a founding staff of three people, CLF gave out six inaugural “capacity” grants to groups in four states. Those groups were Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, Friends of Ironwood Forest, Friends of Missouri Breaks, Cienegas Watershed Partnership, Oregon Natural Desert Association, and Friends of Agua Fria National Monument.
The Friends Grassroot Network was created and branded in 2009-10--with approximately 24 organizations. CLF organized the first Friends Grassroots Network Summit (previously referred to as the Rendezvous) in 2010. The number of organizations in the network and those receiving grants from CLF continued to grow every year.
In 2012-13, capacity grants were renamed “constituency” grants. And in 2021, CLF initiated multi-year grants that allow long-term Friends Network partners to receive the same grant amount for three or four consecutive years.
Over the years, CLF grants helped create or serve as early “seeds” for new organizations--many of which directly helped establish new National Conservation Lands units, and they continue to thrive today.
There are now 81 groups in the Friends Grassroots Network. In 2023, CLF gave out 86 grants in 11 states, totalling $1,952,000. The 2024 grantmaking budget is $2 million
