Festival Scholarships & Conservation Support
The Indiana Dunes Birding Festival is more than a spring migration celebration. Each year, the festival helps support bird conservation, research, education, and access to birding across Indiana and beyond.
Through festival scholarships, donor support, and the annual silent auction, the festival helps connect more people to birds while also raising funds for larger conservation and education efforts through Indiana Audubon.
Festival Scholarships
Need-based festival scholarships are available to help people attend the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival. These scholarships are intended for participants who may not otherwise be able to take part in festival field trips, workshops, programs, and community events.
Scholarship support may help cover some or all of a participant’s festival registration cost, depending on available funding each year. Festival scholarships are separate from Indiana Audubon’s larger Mumford & Keller Grants and Scholarship Program.
Who should apply?
Festival scholarships are intended for people with a demonstrated financial need, including students, young birders, educators, early-career conservation professionals, community members, and others who would benefit from attending the festival but may need assistance to do so.
How to apply for a festival scholarship
- Review the current festival scholarship details and application deadline.
- Complete the online scholarship application when it is available.
- Tell us briefly why you would like to attend and how scholarship support would help make that possible.
- Watch for follow-up communication from the festival team before registration deadlines.
Apply now for the 2026 festival. Applications are due January 15, 2026.
Apply for a Festival Scholarship
Silent Auction Support
The Indiana Dunes Birding Festival silent auction is one of the primary ways Indiana Audubon raises funds for conservation, education, research, and scholarship support. While the auction takes place during the festival, its impact reaches far beyond festival weekend.
Funds raised through the silent auction help support Indiana Audubon’s Mumford & Keller Grants and Scholarship Program, along with other festival-related access and education needs when designated by donors or partners.
Festival participants, donors, businesses, artists, guides, and community partners all help make the auction possible. Every donated item, experience, and winning bid helps move real conservation and education work forward. Interested in donating an item, experience, artwork, gift certificate, or service to the silent auction? Contact the festival team.
About the Mumford & Keller Grants and Scholarship Program
The Mumford & Keller Grants and Scholarship Program is Indiana Audubon’s primary grant and scholarship program. Established in 2010, the program provides financial support to individuals, organizations, researchers, students, educators, and community groups working on projects related to natural resources, especially Indiana’s birdlife.
The program is named for Russell Mumford and Charles Keller, whose work documenting Indiana’s birds helped shape modern bird conservation in the state. Their legacy continues through the projects, students, and conservation efforts supported by this program today.
What the program supports
- Bird monitoring, banding, and research
- Habitat restoration and management
- Community science projects
- Education and outreach programs
- Field courses, workshops, and training opportunities
- Bird-friendly community and public space improvements
- Selected projects beyond Indiana that connect to shared migratory birds
Funding opportunities
Mumford & Keller support generally falls into three categories:
- Project Grants: For organizations, researchers, and community groups doing work that benefits birds, habitat, conservation, or education.
- Individual Scholarships: For students, early-career professionals, and others seeking training, field experience, or educational opportunities connected to birds and natural resources.
- Community and Place-Based Support: For local governments, Bird Towns, and community-led projects that improve public spaces for birds and people.
Typical project awards range from $500 to $2,500, with some strong proposals funded up to $5,000. Individual scholarships may be funded up to $1,000 per year.
The annual application window generally opens in early summer, with awards announced in the fall. Applicants should review the official Mumford & Keller page for current deadlines, guidelines, and application links.
Learn More About Mumford & Keller Grants and Scholarships
Questions?
For questions about festival scholarships or the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival silent auction, please contact the festival team.
For questions about the larger Mumford & Keller Grants and Scholarship Program, including project grants, individual scholarships, or community support, please visit Indiana Audubon’s official program page.