Birdathon
The Beckham Bird Club conducts an annual Birdathon to raise funds that are disbursed to organizations that have applied for grants to fund activities that support bird conservation through habitat preservation and improvement, environmental education and public advocacy.
BBC members are contacted to give to each year’s Birdathon. You will be asked to make a pledge. This pledge can be done in two ways – pledging an amount for every bird seen or a set amount. After the Birdathon which will be held in May you will be contacted by the person you made your pledge to. That person will send you a description of their day of birding and how to send in your pledge. Should you not be contacted we hope you will still contribute to our Birdathon by either 1) making a check out to Beckham Bird Club and please indicate on your check 2026 Birdathon and mail to Beckham Bird Club, PO Box 5301, Louisville, KY 40255-0301 or 2) use PayPal at beckhambirdclub.org and click on activities or membership. You can also use your credit card at the PayPal site.
INFORMATION ABOUT PAST BIRDATHON GRANTS MAY BE FOUND IN THE BBC NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES. IN GENERAL, GRANT RECIPIENTS ARE ANNOUNCED IN THE APRIL ISSUE AND THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANTS IS ANNOUNCED IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE.
YOUR DONATIONS MATTER
To read letters of thanks from recent Birdathon grant recipients, click here.
To read reports from 2024 grant recipients, click here.
2025 BIRDATHON GRANT RECIPIENTS
The BBC board has selected the organizations that will be eligible to receive Birdathon grants in 2025. As has been the case for several years, the total amount of funds requested likely will exceed the amount of funds that will be available for grant awards. Therefore, organizations are likely to receive only a portion of the funding they have requested. A list of the approved applications and a summary of the grant applications is available here.
2025 BIRDATHON GRANTS AWARDED!
A BIG THANK YOU to our BBC members and friends for donating to the 2025 Birdathon. Although Birdathon contributors were very generous this year, the money requested ($42,805) by fourteen organizations far exceeded the amount donated ($24,554.37). The BBC board donated nearly $3,000 from the club’s general fund and gave each group a percentage of what the organization requested, for a total of $27,550. The grants made are listed below. Thanks to all for their generosity.
Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest $1,750
Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve $1,875
Jefferson Memorial Forest $950
Josephine Sculpture Park $2,000
KY Conservation Committee $1,750
KY Natural Lands Trust $2,250
KY Resources Council $2,100
Louisville Nature Center $2,150
Office of KY Nature Preserves $3,300
Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky $4,500
Sunnyside Master Gardeners Blue Bird Team $500
Parklands of Floyds Fork $1,750
Woods and Waters Land Trust $1,675
Yew Dell Botanical Gardens $1,000
APPLICATIONS FOR 2026 GRANTS ARE OPEN:
Applications for the 2026 Birdathon grants are now being accepted. The application is available download here. Applications must be received or postmarked by January 31, 2026.
FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS:
Recipients of 2025 grants will be asked to submit a report to the Beckham Bird Club. If you receive a grant in 2025 and will apply for a 2026 grant, the report must be submitted by March 15, 2026. The report form may be downloaded here.
BBC members are contacted to give to each year’s Birdathon. You will be asked to make a pledge. This pledge can be done in two ways – pledging an amount for every bird seen or a set amount. After the Birdathon which will be held in May you will be contacted by the person you made your pledge to. That person will send you a description of their day of birding and how to send in your pledge. Should you not be contacted we hope you will still contribute to our Birdathon by either 1) making a check out to Beckham Bird Club and please indicate on your check 2026 Birdathon and mail to Beckham Bird Club, PO Box 5301, Louisville, KY 40255-0301 or 2) use PayPal at beckhambirdclub.org and click on activities or membership. You can also use your credit card at the PayPal site.
INFORMATION ABOUT PAST BIRDATHON GRANTS MAY BE FOUND IN THE BBC NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES. IN GENERAL, GRANT RECIPIENTS ARE ANNOUNCED IN THE APRIL ISSUE AND THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANTS IS ANNOUNCED IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE.
YOUR DONATIONS MATTER
To read letters of thanks from recent Birdathon grant recipients, click here.
To read reports from 2024 grant recipients, click here.
2025 BIRDATHON GRANT RECIPIENTS
The BBC board has selected the organizations that will be eligible to receive Birdathon grants in 2025. As has been the case for several years, the total amount of funds requested likely will exceed the amount of funds that will be available for grant awards. Therefore, organizations are likely to receive only a portion of the funding they have requested. A list of the approved applications and a summary of the grant applications is available here.
2025 BIRDATHON GRANTS AWARDED!
A BIG THANK YOU to our BBC members and friends for donating to the 2025 Birdathon. Although Birdathon contributors were very generous this year, the money requested ($42,805) by fourteen organizations far exceeded the amount donated ($24,554.37). The BBC board donated nearly $3,000 from the club’s general fund and gave each group a percentage of what the organization requested, for a total of $27,550. The grants made are listed below. Thanks to all for their generosity.
Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest $1,750
Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve $1,875
Jefferson Memorial Forest $950
Josephine Sculpture Park $2,000
KY Conservation Committee $1,750
KY Natural Lands Trust $2,250
KY Resources Council $2,100
Louisville Nature Center $2,150
Office of KY Nature Preserves $3,300
Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky $4,500
Sunnyside Master Gardeners Blue Bird Team $500
Parklands of Floyds Fork $1,750
Woods and Waters Land Trust $1,675
Yew Dell Botanical Gardens $1,000
APPLICATIONS FOR 2026 GRANTS ARE OPEN:
Applications for the 2026 Birdathon grants are now being accepted. The application is available download here. Applications must be received or postmarked by January 31, 2026.
FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS:
Recipients of 2025 grants will be asked to submit a report to the Beckham Bird Club. If you receive a grant in 2025 and will apply for a 2026 grant, the report must be submitted by March 15, 2026. The report form may be downloaded here.