The National Wildlife Federation is the United States’ largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, founded in 1936 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia. NWF’s 52 state and territorial affiliates and more than 6 million supporters and members make it one of the most broadly based U.S. environmental organizations.
NWF’s work spans eight program areas: lands, waters, people and Indigenous partnerships (through the Tribal Advisory Council and the Indigenous Partnerships program TIPES), wildlife conservation, climate, habitats, and environmental justice. The federation is a leader in connecting people to nature through its Certified Wildlife Habitat and Native Plant Finder programs, and in advocating for the federal policies that underpin much of U.S. conservation law. Its sister organization, the NWF Action Fund, conducts direct advocacy.
NWF engages with IUCN primarily through its role in international wildlife policy and through its long-standing collaboration with international partners on shared priorities including the 30 by 30 initiative, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and migratory species conservation. The Federation’s 88-year track record of coalition work and its unmatched state-based affiliate network give it a distinctive voice in U.S. conservation.
