Field Conservation Project Support Grants

Short term grant applications open May 18-June 5

Our Mission

The Indianapolis Zoo’s mission is to protect nature and inspire people to care for our world. A cornerstone in advancing that mission is the Zoo’s support of conservation activities that protect species (plants, animals and fungi) and ecosystems. The Zoo extends its reach through financial support and collaborative involvement with various organizations, researchers and conservationists. Their dedicated work aims to safeguard unique species and their environments for the benefit of future generations.

To see our current grant awardees click here.

Apply for Conservation Grant

Application Guidelines

The Expressions of Interest will be open May 18-June 5, 2026. Please access the application through the Grants Portal below. Questions about the grants should be directed to [email protected].

New Conservation Grants Portal

As of May 2026, the Indianapolis Zoo has adopted a new grants portal for all its conservation grants. The new system, YourCause from Blackbaud, will process all grant applications moving forward.

YourCause from Blackbaud includes helpful features that improve the overall grant process. Applicants with an existing Blackbaud account may use that login information. First-time users will create a new Blackbaud ID (instructions below).

What You Need to Know

• All new grant applications must be submitted through the updated grants portal, which requires a Blackbaud ID.

• Please bookmark the portal link to access and manage any applications submitted on or after May 5, 2026.

• To support collaboration, applicants and grantees are encouraged to add additional contacts to their applications.

• Please add [email protected] AND [email protected] to your safe sender’s list. All communications regarding applications will be distributed via the Blackbaud system. Failing to add these addresses to your safe sender list may result in the information going to spam folders.

Creating an Account

1. Create a new account using these instructions. After you have made your account, you will be taken to the Wild Futures application.

2. You only need to create an account once. You will use it to apply for all future conservation grants from the Indianapolis Zoo. Once you have a primary applicant on the application, they can add applicants to the application. Those added applicants can create a unique Blackbaud login USING THE SAME EMAIL ADDRESS THAT WAS INCLUDED BY THE PRIMARY APPLICANT in the “Manage Applicants” menu. This allows collaboration on a single application without sharing accounts. of May 2026, the Indianapolis Zoo has adopted a new grants portal for all its conservation grants. The new system, YourCause from Blackbaud, will process all grant applications moving forward.