Foundation for America’s Public Lands

What Foundation for America’s Public Lands does

The Foundation for America's Public Lands is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established by Congress in 2017 and operationalized in 2022 to serve as the official charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the federal agency that manages 245 million acres — roughly one in every ten acres in the United States. Headquartered at 1203 K St NW, Washington, DC, with a lean staff of 1-10 employees, the Foundation operates as a fundraising catalyst, convener, and grantmaking entity, generating private philanthropic support for stewardship, restoration, recreation access, and wild horse and burro management on BLM lands. Its primary beneficiary is BLM itself, with secondary constituencies including ranchers, recreation users, tribal nations, and rural local governments. Through 2026 the Foundation has deployed over $16 million across 88 projects spanning 12+ states, addressing a $6 billion BLM deferred-maintenance backlog and a $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy that BLM lands anchor.

The Foundation's programmatic portfolio comprises four core areas. Stewardship and Restoration focuses on habitat restoration, drought resilience, wildfire mitigation, and rancher partnerships — most notably a virtual fencing initiative that uses remote-sensing livestock collars and solar-powered cell towers to deliver real-time heat-mapping and guided grazing rotation, covering 400,000 acres. Recreation and Access funds trail improvement (640+ miles), recreation site enhancements (34 sites), and youth outreach. The Wild Horses and Burros program operates the Trainer Ambassador Program (TAP), which pays trainers a $210/month stipend to prepare mustangs and burros for adoption. The Lands to Love® campaign serves as the Foundation's public awareness and fundraising vehicle, with the Lands to Love® Catalyst Fund acting as its principal grant program. A Stewardship Endowment Fund launched in 2025 with Cotoni-Coast Dairies introduces a long-duration capital model designed to be replicated across additional BLM sites.

Revenue mechanics are entirely philanthropic: individual donations, corporate partnerships (Polaris, Yamaha, REI, AllTrails, SoCalGas, PeakDesign, Southwest, and Dustin Shillcox Foundation), institutional foundation grants, and dedicated endowments. Distribution operates through three primary channels — rolling-cycle grants reviewed via [email protected], stewardship endowment funds, and corporate partnership programs with matching-fund structures. The go-to-market is community-led, positioning the Foundation as the convenor of a multi-stakeholder table spanning ranchers, conservation groups, tribes, recreation users, and corporate sponsors. Comparable organizations include the National Park Foundation and National Forest Foundation, but the Foundation is the only Congressionally chartered partner for BLM, which distinguishes it competitively.

Name

Foundation for America’s Public Lands

Legal name

Foundation for America's Public Lands

Website

https://americaslands.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Foundation for America's Public Lands is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving as the official Congressionally chartered charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management, deploying philanthropic capital across 88+ projects to fund stewardship, recreation access, and wild horse management on 245 million acres of U.S. public lands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation grantmaking and public lands stewardship

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Public lands stewardship
• Conservation grantmaking
• Recreation access programs
• Wild horse adoption
• Rangeland restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Foundation generates revenue through private donations and charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations who support public lands stewardship.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with corporate sponsors like Polaris that provide grants and matching funds for OHV recreation projects on BLM lands.
3. Stewardship Endowment Fund: Long-term endowment fund established to support ongoing maintenance and stewardship of specific public lands sites like Cotoni-Coast Dairies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Foundation for America's Public Lands is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as the official Congressionally chartered charitable partner of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It raises private donations and deploys grants across four core programs — Stewardship and Restoration (including drought resilience and virtual fencing technology for ranchers), Recreation and Access, Wild Horses and Burros (including the Trainer Ambassador Program), and the Lands to Love® Campaign — supporting infrastructure, habitat, and community projects on 245 million acres of BLM-managed public lands and waters nationwide.

Product overview

The Foundation for America's Public Lands is a charitable nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that serves as the official Congressionally chartered charitable partner of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The organization does not offer a traditional software or technology product; rather, it operates a portfolio of grant programs, fundraising initiatives, and stewardship campaigns. Its core programs include: Stewardship and Restoration (habitat restoration, drought resilience, wildfire reduction, rancher partnerships with virtual fencing technology); Recreation and Access (infrastructure investments, youth outreach, community building for outdoor recreation); Wild Horses and Burros (Trainer Ambassador Program for adoption, on-range management); and the Lands to Love® Campaign (public awareness and fundraising campaign). These programs are delivered through public-private partnerships, grantmaking (Lands to Love® Catalyst Fund), and direct project support across BLM-managed lands nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lands to Love® Catalyst Fund: A grant program that supports stewardship on public lands, expands recreation access, celebrates community heritage, and creates opportunities for people to experience America's public lands and waters.
• Trainer Ambassador Program (TAP)

Products and services

• Stewardship and Restoration Program Program advancing stewardship and restoration initiatives on BLM lands, including Western Big Game habitat restoration, drought resilience, wildfire reduction projects, and community partnerships with ranchers.
• Recreation and Access Program Program driving investments that expand recreational opportunities, bolster local economies, and promote healthy lands and waters on BLM-managed lands. Includes infrastructure investments, youth outreach and training programs, awareness raising, and community building.
• Wild Horses and Burros Program Program addressing wild horse and burro overpopulation and rangeland health on BLM lands via the Trainer Ambassador Program (TAP), on-range management innovations, and public-private partnerships.
• Lands to Love® Catalyst Fund Grant program supporting stewardship, recreation access, and community heritage projects on BLM lands. Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis via [email protected].
• Trainer Ambassador Program (TAP) Pilot program creating a network of mustang and burro trainers who can consistently offer trained animals for adoption. Trainers receive a $210/month stipend and work with one untrained TAP mustang at a time, meeting BLM facility requirements.
• Stewardship Endowment Fund (Cotoni-Coast Dairies) Long-term endowment fund providing stable financing for staffing, infrastructure, restoration, and proactive land and water management at protected BLM sites, beginning with Cotoni-Coast Dairies of the California Coastal National Monument.

Quantifiable outcome

• $16M deployed toward 88 projects supporting BLM and local communities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• PolariscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Global leader in powersports (NYSE: PII) providing $350,000 donation matched dollar-for-dollar by the Foundation, totaling over $700,000 for OHV recreation projects on BLM lands. Partnership supports signage, trail maintenance, and accessibility improvements at seven locations including Moon Rocks (Nevada), Cricket Mountains (Utah), and Fivemile Pass Recreation Area (Utah).
• State of UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026State government partner providing support for OHV projects on Utah BLM lands, bringing local expertise, resources, and commitment to expanding recreation access and promoting safety.
• Utah Division of Outdoor RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026State agency bringing local expertise and resources to expand recreation access, promote safety and education, support responsible visitation, and drive economic growth through outdoor recreation.
• Yamaha Motor CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2025Recipient of Yamaha's Outdoor Access Initiative grant supporting public lands access and recreation improvements.
• Property and Environment Research Center (PERC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on the 2024 'From Range to Ranch' report assessing BLM's wild horse Adoption Incentive Program, examining overpopulation issues and incentive program effectiveness.
• Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray (UIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Grand Junction, CO to re-establish connection and provide opportunities to incorporate indigenous knowledge into how BLM restores public lands, addressing native seed shortages.
• City of BoisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to enhance facilities and improve accessibility at the Cartwright Trailhead in the Ridge to Rivers trail system, including paved surfaces, parking, and restrooms.
• Friends of Río Grande del Norte National MonumentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal friends group receiving grant funding to help restore and reopen the La Junta Trail near Taos, New Mexico through engineering planning.
• Eagle County Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado partnership implementing virtual fencing technology to support cattle grazing on BLM lands, improving rangeland health and drought resilience with real-time data and heat-mapping capabilities.
• American Sand AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization at Imperial Sand Dunes helping provide feedback to steward the land, support safe recreation, and respond when emergencies happen.
• Friends of Moon RockscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer group caring for Northern Nevada's Moon Rock OHV Recreation Area through weekly cleanups, trail maintenance, kiosk installation, and responsible use education.
• Dustin Shillcox FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation contributing $100,000 and inspiring $1 million in donated construction services for the Skyline Trail ADA-accessible trail project in Green River, Wyoming.
• Green River Greenbelt TaskforcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal task force developing trail networks in Green River, Wyoming including the Skyline Trail project, partnering with BLM on permitting and environmental assessments.
• Ute Learning GardencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership at Colorado State University Extension involving the Ute Indian Tribe and BLM to address native seed shortages needed to restore BLM-managed public lands.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Congressionally chartered charitable partner of BLM. The Foundation serves as a convener, partner, and fundraising catalyst to help ensure the health and sustainability of America's public lands and waters, working hand-in-hand with BLM, local communities, and partners.
• SouthwestminorOthersCorporate sponsor logo appearing on Foundation's Our Work in Action page supporting public lands projects.
• SoCalGasminorOthersCorporate sponsor logo appearing on Foundation's Our Work in Action page supporting public lands projects.
• PeakDesignminorOthersCorporate sponsor logo appearing on Foundation's Our Work in Action page supporting public lands projects.
• AllTrailsminorOthersCorporate sponsor logo and recipient of 2025 AllTrails Steward Fund Award for supporting public lands stewardship.
• REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.)minorOthersCorporate sponsor logo appearing on Foundation's Our Work in Action page, supporting outdoor recreation and public lands access.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit that acquires and manages conservation land, partners with federal agencies including BLM, and operates working-forest and stewardship programs. Comparable model: federal-agency-aligned land trust with project-based deployment of philanthropic and corporate capital on public lands.
• National Forest Foundation: The congressionally chartered nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service operating on 193 million acres of national forest. Same charter structure, same public-lands land trust/recreation/restoration mandate, same federal agency relationship model — peer to the BLM Foundation in mission, funding mechanism, and program portfolio.
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Congressional-chartered nonprofit that directs public-private partnership dollars toward federal land and species conservation (including BLM-managed habitat). Overlapping funding sources (corporate, federal, individual), program structure (grants, on-the-ground projects), and federal agency partnership orientation make it one of the closest operational peers.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land and water conservation, parks, and community access — overlapping mission on outdoor recreation, land protection, and public-access conservation. CEO I Ling Thompson and CDO David Zhang both previously held senior roles here, providing deep talent flow and operational lineage between the organizations.
• National Park Foundation: The official congressionally chartered charitable partner of the National Park Service. Direct structural analog: federally chartered nonprofit foundation pairing with the largest U.S. land management agency counterpart to BLM, deploying private capital for recreation infrastructure, stewardship, and visitor experience — same business model, same official designation, peer federal agency.

Emerging players

• Ducks Unlimited: Large nonprofit focused on wetland and waterfowl habitat conservation, with significant public-lands and BLM-adjacent project work. Comparable peer for habitat-driven grantmaking, federal-partner delivery model, and donor activation in hunting/conservation communities.
• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit focused on agricultural land conservation, ranching viability, and working-lands stewardship. Overlaps with the Foundation's rancher / virtual fencing / rangeland-health programming, especially partnerships like Eagle County Conservation District, though AFT operates more on private working lands.

Others

• Outdoor Industry Association: Trade association whose former leadership (Jessica Wahl Turner, Director of Outdoor Recreation Portfolio) and outdoor economy campaign work (I Ling Thompson's 2012 Outdoor Recreation Economy Campaign) are directly tied to the Foundation's framing of the $1.2T outdoor recreation economy tied to BLM lands. Ecosystem participant and talent feeder rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• National Wildlife Federation: Large national conservation organization with overlapping habitat, public-lands, and policy work. Operates at a broader scale with wildlife advocacy and education as primary pillars; comparable as a major peer operating in adjacent space to the Foundation's habitat restoration and stewardship mandate.
• The Nature Conservancy: The largest global conservation nonprofit, working on habitat preservation, climate, and water across public, private, and tribal lands. Overlaps with the Foundation's stewardship/restoration program portfolio and shares leadership talent (I Ling Thompson previously a TNC executive), but operates at far broader scale and not as a BLM-specific charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/americaslands_
• Facebookfacebook.com/americaslands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/americaslands
• Instagraminstagram.com/americaslands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Foundation for America’s Public Lands