The J.W. Couch Foundation Joins the Jackson Wild Board of Directors
The J.W. Couch Foundation is proud to announce that it has been invited to join the Board of Directors of Jackson Wild — the global leader at the intersection of nature, media, and impact. The invitation marks a milestone moment for the foundation, placing it alongside some of the most prestigious organizations in conservation media, including National Geographic, Netflix, PBS, the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Conservation International, the Jane Goodall Institute, and the World Wildlife Fund.
For a foundation rooted in the belief that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for conservation, this appointment feels less like an arrival and more like a natural next step.
Where Storytelling Meets Impact
Since 2017, the J.W. Couch Foundation has distributed more than $13.6 million to nonprofit organizations focused on preservation, education, and wellness. But what has always set the foundation apart isn't just the giving — it's the whybehind it. Inspired by founder J.W. Couch's lifetime motto of sharing good fortune, the foundation has built a distinctive approach that combines cinematic storytelling with nonprofit infrastructure to amplify the missions of the organizations it supports.
That philosophy has produced nine Telly Award-winning projects through JW Studios and Tectonic Video, and most visibly, The Paper Bear — a nonprofit feature film bringing awareness to the immense biodiversity of Northwest Florida through the story of its majestic black bears. With an official selection at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, recognition at a previous Jackson Wild Summit, and newly secured international distribution through MultiVisionnaire Pictures, The Paper Bear is precisely the kind of story the foundation was built to tell.
A Community That Shares Our Values
Jackson Wild exists to connect storytellers, innovators, and changemakers working at the intersection of media and the natural world. Its annual Summit draws the best in nature filmmaking, science communication, and conservation advocacy from around the globe. Its board is made up of the organizations shaping how the world understands and protects the natural environment.
Being invited into that community is both an honor and a responsibility the J.W. Couch Foundation takes seriously.
"We have long believed that the most powerful tool in conservation isn't just a policy brief or a land deed — it's a story well told," said Sean Couch, President and Co-Trustee of the J.W. Couch Foundation. "Jackson Wild has been a touchstone for that belief. Joining the board means we get to help steward a community that is genuinely changing how the world connects with nature."
Building on Momentum
The timing of this appointment reflects the foundation's broader momentum. In 2025, the foundation distributed $3.35 million to 37 organizations — a 39% increase over the previous year — with grants reaching partners in Texas, Florida, Wyoming, Alabama, New Mexico, and Mexico. The work has grown in scope, in depth, and in geographic reach, all while staying true to J.W. Couch's original vision: share your good fortune, and more good will follow.
Joining the Jackson Wild board is an extension of that vision on a global stage — an opportunity to learn from the world's leading nature storytellers, amplify the conservation work of the foundation's grantees, and help build a future where compelling stories and committed funding work hand in hand to protect the natural world.
We are grateful for this invitation and excited for what comes next.
