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The Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks offers several ways for your contributions to benefit outdoor enthusiasts, your fellow Kansans and the state’s incredible natural and tourism resources.
Some of the most important activities of the department are protecting and managing threatened and endangered species. Chickadee Checkoff is a line appearing on the Kansas Individual Income Tax forms. Since 1980, it has provided Kansans an opportunity to contribute to vital non-game wildlife programs. You can also donate directly to the program.
Learn more about Chickadee Checkoff
To donate, send your check or money order to:
Chickadee Checkoff
Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
512 SE 25th Ave.,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call:
620-672-5911
Protecting your land through gift and estate planning creates an enduring legacy for your family and benefits the public and the state’s natural resources. Conserving a property is a very personal decision that involves your financial and tax circumstances, the land itself, and your vision for the future of the property. Be sure to discuss your land donation ideas with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks staff before making your final decisions.
Because each situation is unique, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks offers several means to help you achieve your dream of protecting an important part of your heritage. Some of the conservation techniques listed here involve project costs and long-term stewardship expenses. How these costs are covered depends on individual project circumstances.
"Land conservation benefits you, your community and future generations. While the landowner holds title to the land, actually it belongs to all the people because… civilization itself rests upon the soil."
-Thomas Jefferson
Answering these questions may help you decided on a technique that fits your needs:
An outright gift of land without compensation is one of the most generous legacies you can leave to generations yet to come. Throughout Kansas, there are parks, rivers, timbered and scenic open spaces that the public enjoys because of the long-term vision of conservation-minded landowners. Donating your land can have many benefits for you, including:
You can donate land and continue to live on it during your lifetime with an arrangement known as a “life estate,” “gift of a remainder interest” or a “gift of land with a reserved life estate.” With this gift, you and your beneficiaries reserve the right to live on and use the property during your lifetimes. At the end of the specified life interests, full title and control of the property transfers to the department. Your property is permanently conserved, and family members may also be included in the life estate are among the benefits of this type of gift.
You may want to have maximum flexibility during your lifetime and, after your lifetime, donate property or a conservation easement through your will or living trust.
With this approach, you can sell a property or conservation easement to the department at less than full market value and donate the remaining value. This approach combines the income-producing benefits of a land sale with the potential benefits of a donation. The sale is contingent on the ability of the department to fund the purchase.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks is not actively seeking conservation easements, so we would be happy to refer you to an appropriate conservation organization to help you with this option.
A conservation easement protects the land permanently while keeping it in private ownership. You can specify permitted uses of the property, such as agriculture, forestry, recreation or other open space uses. The easement limits or prohibits certain activities like industrial, commercial and residential development.
Conservation easements are designed to conserve a property’s important resource values. They may cover portions of a property or the entire parcel, and they are legally binding on all future owners. The value of the easement is based on before and after appraisals – the first assesses the land’s value before the conservation easement is in place; the second assesses its value afterwards. The difference between the two appraisals is the value of the conservation easement.
Donating a conservation easement is a way to retain ownership and use of your land while preserving its natural and historical values. A conservation easement is flexible and allows you to chart the future use of your land, even after the sale of the land or your death. Your concerns about public access or future uses of the land may be addressed when you work on the details of your easement.
Gifts of land to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks will be gratefully accepted if they meet one or more of these criteria:
If you offer land that we cannot accept because of its location or restrictions on uses we would be happy to refer you to an appropriate private, non-profit conservation organization or local unit of government that may be able to accept your gift.
For more information on land donations, contact:
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
Office of the Secretary
1020 S. Kansas Ave., Ste. 200
Topeka, KS 66612
785-296-2281
WildTrust was created by state statute to receive charitable gifts to help the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks accomplish many important activities that may not be fully funded by other means. When you donate to WildTrust, you can support conservation or outdoor recreation programs that fit your interests and help the department fulfill its mission.
An unrestricted gift allows the department to devote your donation to the programs or projects that best address the needs of the public and the agency. You also may dedicate your gift to a variety of funds, programs or projects.
To donate to the WildTrust Unrestricted Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave.,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
(620) 672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
WildTrust can accept contributions in the following forms:
Land donations are handled through the department’s "Leave a Legacy" land donation program. See the "Leave a Legacy" program for more information.
WildTrust is unable to establish charitable remainder trusts or charitable gift annuities.
KDWP appreciates any contribution you make to WildTrust. In some cases, donors may contribute an amount that may not be enough to fully address the need for which it is designated. To leverage your gift for a meaningful outcome and have useful amounts in any fund, KDWP reserves the right to combine smaller contributions into larger pools as needed. We will make every effort to use your gift within the Program or Field of Interest for which it was intended.
We think you will find that our array of funds and programs will more than fit your needs. If you would like to contribute for a purpose other than those listed, please contact the WildTrust administrator to determine if we can accept your offer. KDWP is not able to create Programs or Projects if the proposed gift does not address our needs, is insufficient to fund meaningful activities, is too unusual or restrictive, or does not address the agency's mission.
We would be pleased to recognize your generosity in one of two ways, depending on the amount or value of the contribution.
Benefit fisheries by helping to support fish habitat on public waters.
This Fish and Fisheries Fund seeks to help preserve fish and suitable habitat for game fish species, as well as non-game fish species.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Fish and Fisheries Fund to be used for any program or project in the Fund that the department views as a priority. You also may dedicate your gift to be spread across a selection of two or more programs or projects of your choice.
Kansas lakes and reservoirs are aging and in need of your help. Most Kansas lakes were created in the 1930s through the 1960s. Siltation, wind erosion, invasive species, and excess nutrients are degrading the fishery potential in our Kansas water bodies.
How Your Donation May Be Used
Assistance will provide vegetation, woody habitat, gravel and rock, silt dredging, and/or full-scale lake renovations.
Fish stockings play a critical role in fisheries management in Kansas lakes and reservoirs. Aging reservoirs with degraded habitat do not provide essential spawning habitat for fish reproduction and recruitment. Kansas' four state fish hatcheries are essential to providing stockings to ensure future fishing opportunities.
How Your Donation May Be Used
Assistance will provide critical components to our hatchery programs and ensure fish stockings continue and are updated to new technologies.
To donate to the Fish and Fisheries Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave.,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
620-672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
Benefit game species and other wildlife by helping to support habitat improvements on private lands and lands enrolled in the Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA) program.
Some of the most serious threats to wildlife include habitat destruction, degradation, or conversion, and can reduce huntable populations of wildlife. The Habitat & Hunting Conservation Fund seeks to help conserve habitat or mitigate habitat loss by working directly with private landowners to improve habitat for game species on their farm or ranch. While this fund is focused on conserving habitat for huntable species, much of the work will benefit other wildlife species as well.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Habitat and Hunting Conservation Fund to be used for any program or project in the Fund that the department views as a priority. You also may dedicate your gift to be spread across a selection of two or more programs or projects of your choice.
98% of Kansas land is under private ownership. To make a meaningful and lasting impact on wildlife populations we must focus on improving these landscapes. Voluntary conservation by private landowners on working lands is the most proven and successful way to improving habitat for wildlife in the Midwest and beyond.
How Your Donation May Be Used
To donate to the Habitat & Hunting Conservation Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave.,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
620-672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
Help the department protect Kansas’ outdoor resources.
Department law enforcement officers are responsible for enforcing state and federal fish and wildlife laws, boating laws, state park and public lands regulations on private and publicly owned lands in Kansas. KDWP officers also assist federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies when requested. Many officers also take an active role in providing information and educational programs.
Your unrestricted donation to the Law Enforcement Fund will help the department enforce the state’s laws and regulations pertaining to wildlife, fisheries, boating, and state parks, as well as the K-9 program.
How Your Donation May Be Used
Training, education and public awareness, materials, publications and displays, equipment and supplies
To donate to the Law Enforcement Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave.,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
620-672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
Let’s face it – the urge to be outdoors may be natural for many people, but the skills to have the most enjoyable experience often must be learned. The Outdoor Skills and Ethics Fund supports programs that help kids and adults have safe and memorable adventures in the Kansas outdoors.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Outdoor Skills and Ethics Fund to be used for any program or project in the Fund that the department views as a priority. You also may dedicate your gift to be spread across a selection of two or more programs or projects of your choice.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Hunting, Fishing, Aquatic and Youth Outdoor Education Program to support any project the department may choose, or select any of these projects:
Make an unrestricted donation to support strategic educational programs and outreach efforts designed to recruit, retrain, and reactivate outdoor participants and ensure equitable access to outdoor recreation opportunities including, but not limited to, hunting, fishing, boating and shooting sports.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Boating Education and Safety Program to support any project the department may choose, or select any of these projects:
In-School Outdoors Skills Programs
Make an unrestricted donation to in-school outdoor skills programs, for the Kansas Archery in the schools Program or the Student Air Rifle Program. You may indicate support for a specific school.
Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) Program
Make an unrestricted donation to the Becoming and Outdoors Woman Program or you may choose to fund scholarships for worthy participants or support specific workshops or activities.
Wildlife and Parks Magazine Program (Unrestricted)
Your unrestricted donation to Wildlife and Parks magazine will help the department pay for outstanding photography, freelance writers and illustrators, distribution to special audiences, and contests.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Shooting and Archery Ranges Program or you may choose to support a specific range or ranges or support a planned shooting/archery event. This fund only assists department-supported, public ranges and events.
Make an unrestricted donation to the program to help fund a worthy project or event of the department’s choosing that benefit persons with a disability.
How Your Donation May Be Used
To donate to the Outdoor Skills and Ethics Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave.,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
(620) 672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
Benefit wildlife and fish by helping to support habitat on public lands and waters.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Public Lands and Waters Program to help fund a worthy public land or public water habitat project of the department's choosing. You may also support a planned or established project at one or more of the state wildlife areas or state fishing lakes.
The Public Lands Division strives to improve wildlife habitats and maintain stable wildlife populations of game and non-game species. Protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats. Promote wise land stewardship and public hunting/fishing opportunities. Support species management plans and develop management plans that promote habitat and optimal public use opportunities.
Provide facilities that are safe and sanitary and meet constituent needs. Properties, infra-structure (dams, dikes, pumps, restrooms, buildings/offices, parking lots, roads, etc.), and equipment will be maintained to support the integrity of the property, structures and facilities as well as to provide safe conditions for our users and employees. Promote, develop, and enhance properties for constituent access, including land acquisitions.
Most of the Public Lands funds are matched with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sportfish and Wildlife Restoration Programs. The USFWS can match up to 75% of the approved activities designed to benefit fish and wildlife. In other words,a dollar donation can turn into four dollars in a project. Most donations in Public Lands are used in federal subsidized grant programs.
Please choose one of the following categories for your generous donation. If you would like to donate electronically to a specific area not listed, please contact the Wildtrust Coordinator with your request. If you are mailing in a donation, please provide your choice of category with the mailing.
State Owned Wetland Management Areas:
How Your Donation May Be Used
Construction, enhancement, rehabilitation, repair, maintenance, and equipment.
To donate to the Public Lands and Waters Program Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave.,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
620-672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
Bolster enjoyment of outdoor recreational opportunities.
The sheer variety of outdoor adventures available to visitors – within the state parks and at many other locations around the state – can boggle one’s mind. Kansas is rich with places to go, things to do and people to see. The State Parks, Trails, Historic and Natural Sites Fund celebrates this richness by supporting some of the most popular and well-known opportunities for people to enjoy the full variety of outdoor recreational experiences the state has to offer.
Make an unrestricted donation to the State Parks, Trails, Historic and Natural Sites Fund to be used for any program or project in the Fund that the department views as a priority.
You also may dedicate your gift to be spread across a selection of two or more parks, programs or projects of your choice.
Make an unrestricted donation to a specific state park to give the park staff the utmost in flexibility to meet the needs of the public and the park.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Trails Program to support any Trails Program the department may choose, or select any of these projects:
Playgrounds Program
Make an unrestricted donation to the Playgrounds Program or support a planned or established playground at one or more specific state parks.
Cabins Program
Make an unrestricted donation to the Cabins Program or support a planned or established cabin project at one or more of the state parks.
Campgrounds and Amenities Program
(Also includes beaches, docks, fish cleaning stations)
Make an unrestricted donation to the Campgrounds and Amenities Program or support a planned or established campground or amenity project at one or more of the state parks.
Historic and Natural Sites Program
Make an unrestricted donation to the Historic and Natural Sites Program or support a planned or established site at one or more of the state parks, including:
Outdoor Kansas (OK) Kids Events Program
Make an unrestricted donation to the OK Kids Events Program or support an event at any location where an event is planned.
How Your Donation May Be Used
To donate to the State Parks, Trails, Historic and Natural Sites Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave.,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
620-672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
Benefit wildlife by helping to support habitat on private lands and waters.
Some of the most serious threats to wildlife include habitat destruction, degradation or conversion, and they can affect game and non-game animals alike. The Terrestrial Habitat Improvement and Restoration Fund seeks to help preserve habitat or mitigate habitat loss so that wildlife generations of the future will have a place to find shelter, food, water and suitable reproductive opportunities. Although this fund is focused on suitable habitat for game wildlife, non-game wildlife also benefits from habitat improvements.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Terrestrial Habitat Improvement and Restoration Fund to be used for any program or project in the Fund that the department views as a priority. You also may dedicate your gift to be spread across a selection of two or more programs or projects of your choice.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Wild Management, Habitat Improvement and Restoration Program to help fund a worthy project of the department’s choosing. Or you may support one or more of the following planned or established projects. Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (W.H.I.P) Pheasant Initiative Kansas Quail Initiative Habitat Restoration Cheyenne Bottoms Restoration
To donate to the Terrestrial Habitat Improvement and Restoration Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave.,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
620-672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
Foster conservation, understanding and appreciation of Kansas’ natural resources.
While the department is known to many people as devoted to hunting and fishing, those activities comprise only a portion of our work. The Wildlife Conservation and Nature Appreciation Fund trains the spotlight on some of the agency’s non-game wildlife conservation and nature education activities. This fund is focused on non-game, non-consumptive uses such as wildlife watching, nature appreciation, aquatic nuisance species awareness and prevention, natural history education and conservation of threatened and endangered species and their habitats.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Wildlife Conservation and Nature Appreciation Fund to be used for any program or project in the Fund that the department views as a priority. You also may dedicate your gift to be spread across a selection of two or more programs or projects of your choice.
Make an unrestricted donation to the Nature Appreciation Program to help fund a worthy project of the department’s choosing. Or you may choose to support one or more of the following planned or established projects:
Museums and Nature Centers Program
Make an unrestricted donation to the Museums and Nature Centers Program to help fund a worthy project of the department’s choosing. Or you can choose to support one or more of the following planned or established projects:
Kansas Aquatic Species Recovery Program (Unrestricted)
Make your unrestricted donation to the Kansas Aquatic Species Recovery Program will help the department to reintroduce and establish self-sustaining populations of imperiled species to recover and delist those species. This includes funding for the acquisition of animals such as the Alligator Snapping Turtle and Neosho Mucket for reintroduction, monitoring and tracking animals reintroduced and track their recovery success.
Biodiversity Monitoring and Survey Program (Unrestricted)
Your unrestricted donation to the Biodiversity Monitoring and Survey Program will help the department survey and assess species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) and their habitats. Survey efforts will improve the understanding of species with limited information and potentially facilitate greater in-depth investigations of their distribution and associated habitats in Kansas. Such work will also inform and engage the public and various stakeholder groups regarding the status of Kansas' native species.
Your unrestricted donation to the Biodiversity Monitoring and Survey Program will help the department monitor and track stream fauna and habitats around the state.
How Your Donation May Be Used
To donate to the Wildlife Conservation & Nature Appreciation Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave..,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
620-672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
Help the department address its most pressing needs.
We've all been there - what once was a steadfast goal has slowly, but surely, taken a backseat to the ever-evolving nature of life. Unforeseen events occur, needs arise, priorities diminish, and we have to "reshuffle the deck." While the department does its best to plan for the future, plans must be flexible enough for the department to adapt to change. Your unrestricted gift to the WildTrust Fund - instead of a specific fund, program, or project within WildTrust - allows the department to devote your donation to the programs or projects that best address the needs of the public and the agency.
To donate to the WildTrust Unrestricted Fund, send your check or money order to:
WildTrust
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
512 SE 25th Ave..,
Pratt, KS 67124-8174
For more information call or email:
620-672-5911
KDWP.WildTrust@ks.gov
KS Hunters Feeding the Hungry (KSHFH) invites you to donate any legally harvested deer or elk to our participating meat processors. There is no cost to donate your deer or elk as long as the KSHFH organization has sufficient funding to cover the processing expense. Donated game must be field dressed and legally tagged. If you would like, you may also donate a portion of the meat you are having processed for yourself to a participating processor also.
Kansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry
Inspired by a passion for the outdoors and compassion for the needy, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry (FHFH) is committed to addressing America's hunger problem in a unique and relevant way. Established in 1997, FHFH enables hunters and farmers in states nationwide to provide nutritious meat to feed the hungry of their communities.