Last year, more than 4,600 Iowa taxpayers helped boost wildlife conservation with donations to the Fish and Wildlife Fund on their state tax form. This represents a decline of 12 percent from the 2023 tax year. Overall, the number of donors to the long-standing check-off have declined by more than half in the last 20 years.
About 0.3 percent of total taxpayers in Iowa donate to the affectionately called Chickadee Check-off.
While the number of donors decreased, the amount of money donated slightly increased. On returns received by October, more than $138,000 was donated, a $4,000 increase over the 2023 tax year. That’s roughly 0.02 percent of all the tax refunds to Iowa taxpayers.
“We are extremely thankful for those who donate to wildlife conservation with their tax refunds. The funds are vital to our work on non-game wildlife which make up the vast majority of wildlife in Iowa,” said Stephanie Shepherd, wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Diversity program. “We would love to see the number of people donating increase but while it is a great opportunity for charitable giving, not a lot of people know about it.”
The Fish and Wildlife Fund, commonly known as the “Chickadee Check-off,” is a mechanism the Iowa Legislature created in the 1980s for Iowans to donate to wildlife conservation on the Iowa state income tax form. Before this time, so called “non-game” wildlife had no dedicated funding. The Wildlife Diversity Program still receives no state income tax funds and is primarily supported by this voluntary donation program on the state tax form and from the sale of Natural Resources License Plates.
Non-game wildlife are the 1,000-plus species such as songbirds, bald eagles, salamanders, turtles, monarchs, bees and more that make up the majority of wildlife in Iowa. Iowa DNR’s Wildlife Diversity program is responsible for these species.
Funding helps to improve wildlife habitat, restore native wildlife, provide opportunities for citizens to learn about Iowa’s natural resources and much more.
“One thing to be aware of if you’re interested in donating is that the tax check-off line can be easily missed whether you are using paper or an online service. If using a tax preparer, be sure to remind them that they have a client that wants to donate,” said Shepherd.
Once located, donating is easy: simply write the amount to donate next to Fish/Wildlife, which is line 21 on Form 1040, and the sum is either automatically deducted from the refund or added to the amount owed.
“Wildlife, like bald eagles, song birds, bumble bees and chorus frogs, enrich our lives in so many ways, so I think of donating to the check-off as a way to say thank you,” said Shepherd
If hopeful donors miss donating on the tax form, they can still donate to the Wildlife Diversity program on the web at https://programs.iowadnr.gov/donations.