Last year, a little more than 5,300 Iowa taxpayers helped boost wildlife conservation with donations to the Fish and Wildlife Fund on their state tax form. Unfortunately, in the last 20 years, the number of donors has declined by 50 percent and represents about 0.3 percent of total taxpayers in Iowa.

The amount donated decreased as well, with a little under $134,000 contributed, a decrease of roughly $14,000 from last year and $22,000 from two years previous.

“We are extremely thankful for those who donate to wildlife conservation with their tax refunds,” said Stephanie Shepherd, wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR’s Wildlife Diversity program. “The funds are vital to our work for non-game wildlife, which make up the vast majority of wildlife in Iowa.”

The Fish and Wildlife Fund, commonly known as the “Chickadee Check-off,” is a mechanism the Iowa Legislature created in the 1980s for Iowans to donate to wildlife conservation on the Iowa state income tax form.

According to Shepherd, while the Wildlife Fund is a great opportunity for charitable giving, not a lot of people know about it. The Iowa Wildlife Diversity program is primarily supported by tax form donations, along with the sales of natural resources license plates.

“Non-game” wildlife are the 1,000-plus species such as songbirds, bald eagles, salamanders, turtles, monarchs, bees and more that make up the majority of wildlife in Iowa. Funding helps improve wildlife habitat, research and restore native species, provide educational opportunities for citizens to learn about Iowa’s natural resources, and much more.

An example of the program’s work in 2024 was a project to radio-tag Wood Thrush, a bird species that has declined 50 percent since the 1960s, to learn about nesting patterns and migration. Another project, the Multiple Species Inventory and Monitoring program, discovered a fish that hasn’t been seen in Iowa since the 1930s – the Starhead Topminnow.

“If you’re interested in donating, the tax check-off line may be pretty inconspicuous and sometimes missed,” said Shepherd. “Be sure to remind your tax preparer if you want to donate.”

Once found on the form, donating is easy: simply write the donation amount to next to Fish/Wildlife, which is line 21 on Form 1040, and the sum is either automatically deducted from the refund or added to the amount owed.

“If every Iowa taxpayer donated just $1, it would mean $1.6 million for wildlife diversity and conservation,” Shepherd said.

Those who missed donating on their tax form they can still make a donation to the Wildlife Diversity program online at: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/donations.

DNR CONTACT: Stephanie Shepherd at 515-230-6599 or stephanie.shepherd@dnr.iowa.gov