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.
Partners
Competitive grants for the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund 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; and targeting outreach to landowners and other partners to prioritize, plan and deliver financial assistance available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and other Farm Bill 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 habitat. 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 $29 million to 156 projects that are helping conserve and recover the monarch butterfly while also benefiting other pollinator species. Grantees have matched this investment with an additional $43.9 million for a total on-the-ground impact of $72.9 million. This investment has provided support for:
- Restoration or enhancement of 416,000 acres
- Propagation of 1.1 million native milkweed seedlings
- Collection of 3,400 pounds of native milkweed seeds
- Coordination of 1,800 workshops and meetings
Application Information
| Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund 2025 Request for Proposals | View Now |
| Program Fact Sheet | Download the PDF | |
| 2024 Grant Slate | Download the PDF | |
| Pollinator Fund Report, 2015-2024 | Download the PDF | |
| Monarch Butterfly Business Plan | Download the PDF | |
| Sign Up for Our Mailing List | View Website | |
| 2023 Grant Slate | Download the PDF | |
| 2022 Grant Slate | Download the PDF | |
| 2021 Grant Slate | Download the PDF | |
| 2020 Grant Slate | Download the PDF | |
| 2019 Grant Slate | Download the PDF | |
| 2018 Grant Slate | Download the PDF | |
| 2017 Grant Slate | Download the PDF | |
| 2016 Grant Slate | Download the PDF | |
| 2015 Grant Slate | Download the PDF |
Director, Central Regional Office
Senior Manager, Pollinator Programs
Related Species
Karner blue butterfly
Karner blue butterflies measure only 1 inch wide, and are native to the oak savannas stretching from New York to Minnesota. The species requires specialized habitats where wild blue lupine is abundant, the exclusive food plant for Karner caterpillars. Populations were in steep decline following habitat loss and modifications, which prompted their listing as an endangered species in 1992.
Pollinators
Pollinators are a group of insect, avian and mammalian species that fertilize many flowering plants and agricultural crops by transferring pollen from the male structures (anthers) to the female structures (stigma) during foraging. More than 80 percent of flowering plants on Earth need pollinators to produce the next generation, and it is estimated that they add hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy, highlighting their extreme importance to human food security.
Monarch butterfly
One of North America's most iconic species, the monarch butterfly is best known for its spectacular 3,000-mile annual migration from its northern breeding grounds to wintering grounds in central Mexico. A distinct, western monarch population migrates between the western states and their winter range in coastal California; both the eastern and western populations have been negatively affected by habitat loss and reduction in milkweed plants that serve as the sole food source for monarch caterpillars.
