Help Protect Wisconsin’s Endangered Resources This Tax Season

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages the public to give back to nature by donating to the Endangered Resources Fund on their Wisconsin income tax form.

The Endangered Resources Fund supports many of Wisconsin’s rarest plants and animal species. It has helped protect and restore some of the last remaining populations of declining species and special habitats like remnant prairies and oak savannas found in Wisconsin’s state natural areas. In other cases, the funds have helped support species for which Wisconsin may be an increasingly important stronghold.

The Endangered Resources Fund also helps the DNR care for the habitats these plants and animals call home, including Wisconsin’s state natural areas. These sites protect some of the nation’s oldest forests, undeveloped lakes, diverse wetlands and unique geologic features. Nearly 75% of endangered and threatened wildlife species and 90% of endangered and threatened plant species are found in these areas.

“Donations to the Endangered Resources Fund have been critical for our efforts to prevent the loss of species across our state," said Drew Feldkirchner, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation bureau director. "Most of our work is done through grants and donations, and gifts to the Endangered Resources Fund have helped with nearly all our conservation efforts over the years.”

How To Donate

To make a donation, look for "endangered resources" in the "donations" section on your Wisconsin income tax form. For tax year 2023, the Endangered Resources donation is found on Form 1, line 23a. For part-year/non-residents filing Form 1NPR, it is on line 54a. 

You can also look for the donations section on your tax software or let your tax preparer know you want to donate to the Endangered Resources Fund. Donations to the Endangered Resources Fund are tax-deductible and matched dollar for dollar.

Any Amount Helps

Tax form donations have helped the DNR conserve hundreds of species in Wisconsin. The funds are directed where needed to support the highest-priority conservation efforts.

For more information on how donations benefit endangered species, review the “How Your Donation Doubles Your Impact For Nature” brochure.

Read about recent projects the Endangered Resources Fund has helped support in the winter 2023 issue of the Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.

Sign up for email updates on endangered species news, events and volunteer opportunities on the Natural Heritage Conservation Field Notes webpage.