📷 A rainbow over Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, TX | Melissa Zieschang/USFWS

The National Wildlife Refuge Association is excited to announce the opening of the application period for our 2024 O’Brien Prize for Refuge Friends Groups.

The O’Brien Prize is a prestigious award that recognizes outstanding achievement by Refuge Friends groups in support of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The prize is named after Donal O’Brien III, a past Board Chair of the Refuge Association and longtime enthusiast of the Refuge System. Don was a generous supporter of our work and was always impressed by the dedication and effectiveness of Refuge Friends groups.

Eligibility and Criteria

The project must demonstrably meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Heighten the public awareness of the Refuge Friends group.
- Bring an enduring value to the Refuge Friends group and benefit a national wildlife refuge.
- The prize money must cover the full or nearly full cost of the project.

Award

The Refuge Friends group will receive a grant of up to $6,000 to support the implementation of their proposed project.

How to Apply

Proposals are due Wednesday, April 17th, 2024. Please fill out the application document and submit your proposals electronically to Courtney Phelan at cphelan@refugeassociation.org.

For more information about the O’Brien Prize and past winners, please visit our webpage.

We look forward to receiving your applications!