Bird City Wisconsin is excited to announce a new benefit for Bird City communities: a small-grants program!

The goal of the program is to provide a helping hand to Bird City communities that are just a modest funding boost away from accomplishing something really great in three categories -- that is, launching or completing a project that creates and protects bird habitat, educating residents about the interactions between birds and people, or protecting birds by reducing such threats as window collisions and outdoor cats.

In 2020, we’ll award grants totaling $500 in each of these three categories. More than one grant may be awarded in each category, and if multiple grants are awarded, the total amount awarded in that category will be $500.

The grants are intended to support work that will be performed in 2020. Grants will be awarded only to Bird City communities that have completed their renewal for 2020.

How to apply: Submit a Word document no more than two pages or 500 words long containing the following:

• Title and category: Provide the title of your project and its category: Habitat Creation and Protection, Education, or Bird Protection.
• Description: Tell us how the project will create and protect habitat, educate your residents, or protect birds, and estimate its total cost.
• Expected impact: For a habitat project, tell us the size of the habit to be created or protected, its type and location, its ecological significance, and the birds and other wildlife that will benefit. For an education project, describe your target audience and the number of people you expect to educate. For a bird-protection project, tell us the nature of the threat, its scope, and the birds at risk.
• Project timeframe: What dates in 2020 will your project begin and end.
• Leaders: Provide names, titles, and contact information for your project’s leader or leaders.
• Funding: Finally, list other sources of funding, if any.

Apply by email: Submit your application as an attachment to an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please use the following subject line: “Grant Application: [Insert Bird City Community name]”

Deadline for applying: Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Applications received after that date will not be considered.

Members of the Bird City board of directors will evaluate applications and award grants based on the urgency of the project, its potential impact, a community’s ability to complete it, the need for funding, and the number of applications received.

Grant winners will be announced at the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory’s celebration of World Migratory Bird Day in Port Washington on Sunday, May 17, 2020.

One more thing: Grantees agree to submit, no later than Nov. 1, 2020, a Word document no more than two pages or 500 words long describing the completed project and comparing actual results to what was described in the application, along with three publishable photos taken during the project.

Questions? Write to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Good luck!

Annual Bird City renewals are due by Jan. 31, 2020.

Apply and renew your Bird City status.

Read past issues of the monthly Bird City newsletter.