William C. Kenney (Wick) was a passionate environmentalist and whitewater kayaker. Shortly before his death in 1994, Wick established the W. C. Kenney Watershed Protection Foundation to carry out his vision of a West where rivers run free and clean from the headwaters to the sea. Because of Wick's love of whitewater, the Foundation exists to protect and restore watersheds in the Western United States.

After ten years of funding western rivers, the Foundation changed its strategy in late 2004, putting grantmaking decisions in the hands of a small group of experts engaged in the field. Please read the letter from our Board Chair for more information on our strategy.

Visit our grantmaking page to read about our new funding priorities and guidelines.