Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Endangered Species Fund
Forecasted
Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Endangered Species Fund supports researchers and conservation teams worldwide in research and conservation projects to protect at-risk species and biologically valuable habitats.
Funder: Brookfield Zoo Chicago
Due Dates (Anticipated): July 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Early-stage seed funding; nearly $135,000 awarded across 18 projects in 2026
Summary: Supports research and conservation projects worldwide to protect threatened, vulnerable, and endangered species and habitats with high biological value.
Description
The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Endangered Species Fund provides early-stage seed funding for research and conservation projects around the world. Administered by Brookfield Zoo Chicago, the fund supports zoo researchers and individuals and teams at conservation organizations, universities, and zoological institutions. Its focus includes threatened, vulnerable, and endangered species, as well as habitats with high biological value.
Supported work spans community-driven conservation, ecosystem restoration, species reintroduction, population support, and research informing conservation strategies. Projects have addressed pangolin protection in Cameroon, Hine’s emerald dragonfly rearing in Illinois, Humboldt penguin predator-prey dynamics in Peru, and human-wild dog conflict in Tanzania. The fund was founded in 1988 by zoo trustee Jerry Manne and his CBOT colleagues, who collaborated with the zoo to build its supporting endowment.
