The mission of the James E. Dutton Foundation is to honor the charitable intent of Jim Dutton by providing financial support to projects and organizations committed to wildlife and animal causes, environmental preservation, and outdoor education. The foundation aims to protect the outdoors as a sanctuary for wildlife and a resource for human enrichment, relying on the belief that it is crucial to care for animals and the environment for future generations.
The grant program guided by the James E. Dutton Foundation focuses on supporting a wide range of organizations and projects that have a positive impact on the environment, wildlife, animals, and human life through nature-related activities and education. The foundation seeks to fund efforts that align with Jim Dutton's passion for environmental protection and education, including but not limited to, providing aid to animals in distress, supporting environmental stewardship, enhancing understanding of human-environment interactions, and fostering appreciation for the natural world among youth. Grantees are expected to demonstrate the outcomes of their projects, emphasizing the beneficial impacts on the environment, animals, or people. The foundation has a policy to generally award grants to individual organizations no more than once every three years to ensure a wide distribution of funds. Grantmaking decisions are based on the alignment of proposals with the foundation’s goals and the reported successes of previous grants.