Friends of the Refuge Headwaters holding tree tubes outside.

Friends Partnerships

Updated July 29, 2026

A Friends partnership is made up of a 501( c)(3) nonprofit Friends organization and a national wildlife refuge or national fish hatchery.

All refuge Friends organizations share the same primary mission: the support of a national wildlife refuge, a complex of refuges or a program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

About Friends Partnerships

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides support and guidance to almost 200 Friends partnerships nationwide and facilitates the formation of new partnerships at all staffed national wildlife refuges or refuge complexes. Training, mentoring, networking and skill-building opportunities increase group capacity while fostering individual growth.

A smiling woman in the center of a group raises her hand while others around her applaud. — Jeannette Guess, then president of the Friends of John Heinz Refuge, and fellow Friends members and neighbors celebrate successes in 2016.

Refuge Friends groups have flourished since the passage of the Volunteer and Community Partnership Act of 1998, which directs the Refuge System to encourage volunteer assistance, facilitate non-federal partnerships and encourage donations by organizations. Our ability to form strong partnerships was strengthened in 2010 with the National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Improvement Act.

People serving and carrying food at Big Oaks Friends group event

Friends Partnership Agreement

Each Friends partnership is formalized in a Friends Partnership Agreement that describes how U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees and a Friends organization work cooperatively in support of the refuge or hatchery's mission.

View the partnership agreement Learn about existing Friends Partnerships

Our Services

Training and mentoring opportunities are integral parts of the Refuge Friends Group Partnership Program. The Refuge System is committed to fostering individual growth and organizational development in its Friends and volunteer partners. Refuge System leaders deeply appreciate the conservation efforts of devoted community members and know that as their capacity grows, so does their effectiveness in helping refuges meet critical conservation goals.

The Friends Partnership Mentoring Program offers peer-to-peer coaching for refuge and fisheries Friends groups and their U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partners to boost partnership success. Whether a group needs help to draft bylaws, apply for 501(c)(3) status or tackle a big project, mentors can offer guidance. There are two application cycles for the mentoring program each year:

Spring Cycle: applications due May 31, with mentoring visits taking place later in the calendar year. The application can be found here.
Fall Cycle: applications due October 31, with mentoring visits taking place the next calendar year.

If selected for mentoring, partnerships can have a pair of mentors travel to their station, at no cost to the station or Friends organization, for peer-to-peer coaching.

Download the application.

Friends Partnership Policy Resources

Learn about policy 633 FWS 1-4

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service updated its policy in July 2021 regarding working with Friends groups. We've developed tools help Friends (and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff) interpret the revised policy. These include ethics guidelines for staff when working with Friends, an annual checklist for staff when working with Friends, and frequently asked questions (FAQs), which is updated to reflect questions as they arise.

Friends Partnership Policy ResourcesPDF0 BFebruary 9, 2022

Apply for the USFWS Retirees Association Anniversary Grant Program

Friends groups supporting Refuges, Fish Hatcheries and other FWS facilities may apply for a matching grant to support significant anniversary celebrations of their associated USFWS facilities, e.g. 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th, America 250th etc. anniversary.

The event needs to occur between 1 July and 31 December 2026.

These celebrations should raise public awareness of the FWS facility, the understanding of FWS, its mission, the facility’s heritage, connect people with nature.

USFWS Retirees Association Anniversary Grant Program ApplicationPDF40.2 KBJuly 29, 2026

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