Now & Forever

The Campaign to Protect our Quality of Life

Our mission is to protect Southwest Florida's unique natural environment and quality of life... now & forever.

Our mission has never mattered more.

Continued surges in population growth. Changing weather patterns and record-breaking heat. Increasingly powerful hurricanes. Damaged mangroves and estuaries that put coastal communities at risk. More red tide alerts and beach closings.

This is the reality we face — today and far into the future — if we sit idly and choose to do nothing. Let’s be clear. Some of these disruptions are here to stay. None have quick fixes. These are not someone else’s problems; they belong to those of us who live here.

And, most importantly, we can manage and lessen the impact if we stand together to protect our environment and our quality of life.

Clean water and healthy estuaries and rivers. Spectacular beaches and coastal preserves. Beautiful open spaces and parks. Native wildlife sanctuaries. The wonders of the Western Everglades.

This is what’s at stake. This is why our work is more urgent today than ever.

WHY US?

Why us? What sets us apart?

Until you need us, I don’t think you realize how important we are.” Those words from a staff member speak to the quiet impact the Conservancy has had on our quality of life for over six decades.

We’ve earned our reputation and the trust of the public in large part because of these points of distinction:

STAYING THE COURSE
The Conservancy has served alongside the residents of Southwest Florida for more than 60 years. We’ve proven we can go the distance to get things done and that we’ll be here for the long run.
TAKING ON THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES
We don’t shy away from a tough fight or complex issues. We stand for what we — and you — believe in, always protecting our quality of life even if it means running up against powerful interests.
SMART GROWTH, NOT ANTI-GROWTH
The economy and environment are inextricably linked. The Conservancy is a team of experts who advocate for “common-sense conservation” and resilient communities.
GOOD AND WISE STEWARDS
We’re lean on staff, with 400-plus volunteers helping to carry out our mission. You can be sure your gift will be used wisely.

WHY NOW?

Why now? What's at stake?

Environmental organizations and conservation groups across America are facing stiff headwinds. It’s no wonder many are playing it safe. Cutting back on services. Unwilling to think big.

Not the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Complacency is not in our genetic makeup, even as we recognize the challenges ahead:

WATER QUALITY
Our economy, health and quality of life depend on the condition of our waterways. And make no mistake: Our water quality is at risk, threatened by pollution, excessive nutrients, the loss of natural wetlands and a failure of regulatory agencies to enforce rules without exception.
SURGING GROWTH
Projections call for continued surging growth and development in the region, often driven by short-term profit with little regard to long-term vision or the effects on our natural environment.
RISING COSTS
The rising cost of living is placing increased demands on the Conservancy’s capacity to recruit and retain the most talented workforce — the smart, dedicated people who deliver results.

We need a Conservancy at its best to take on these challenges. A Conservancy that stands for our communities and residents. A Conservancy that provides common-sense solutions.

Now & Forever: The Campaign to Protect Our Quality of Life

Campaign Working Goal: $70 Million

Our preliminary campaign goal of $70 million is bold — as is our vision. Two pillars rise to the level of urgency and large-scale investment needed to drive the change we envision.

Our People, Our Programs

Preliminary Goal: $50M

This goal will strengthen and sustain the funding of the Conservancy’s core teams who power our initiatives, including those in environmental research, public policy advocacy, education, and wildlife rehabilitation through endowment and core program funding. This level of endowment funding will allow the Conservancy to cover a third of its annual investment into its mission work while the remaining budget continues to be funded through, and dependent upon, generous annual philanthropic support from members and donors. This campaign goal is driven by the understanding that a strong, community supported, and independent Conservancy is essential now more than ever to protect our water, land, wildlife and our shared future.

Our Campus

Preliminary Goal: $20M

This transforms the Conservancy’s public-facing nature center into an interactive, world-class nature destination to encourage greater mission-inspired community action and develop the conservationists of tomorrow. Of the $25 million grant from the John & Carol Walter Family Foundation, $18 million will fund the creation of the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience and the remaining $7 million will establish two permanent endowments to support the goals of the Nature Experience for decades to come. The Conservancy is beginning this transformational change that will offer new learning experiences through hands-on and dynamic exhibits, programs, and immersive natural settings opening in early 2028. This reimagined Nature Experience will increase public engagement, elevate visibility of conservation issues and opportunities, and connect us to a wider group of supporters, volunteers and advocates.

For questions or inquiries, contact Paul Seifert, Vice President at pauls@conservancy.org.

Our People, Our Programs: Sustaining Our Impact

With the challenges before us, it’s paramount that we invest in our staffing and programs to fully deliver on our mission to protect our water, land and wildlife — and our future.

The rising cost of doing business in Southwest Florida continues to challenge us, especially as the cost of living spirals. Simply sustaining what we’re already doing places severe pressure on the operating budget. Additionally, we must balance present realities with future challenges. Even as we invest in immediate priorities, we must also build our endowment to sustain our mission and impact far into the future.

RECRUITING AND RETAINING TOP TALENT

Investments in staffing will expand and bolster key initiatives, including adding a dedicated position to oversee land management, a critical area of expertise currently lacking at the Conservancy.

We must also ensure that our staff can afford the increased cost of day-to-day living as the price of everyday necessities continues to rise. A prime example: Apartment rentals in Southwest Florida are now only slightly lower than in cities like Los Angeles and San Diego.

Securing investments to attract and retain the most accomplished professionals in the field is one of our top priorities. The enormity of the challenges ahead demands no less.

By growing our endowment — including endowing and naming key leadership positions and programs — we will further position the Conservancy as a destination for world-class talent.

The most important lesson the Conservancy has learned in 60-plus years is that we are only as good as the people who work here.

With your support, we will meet the moment by endowing critical programs within the four departments that shape our identity and protect our quality of life in the five-county region:

Science and Research, providing impartial, objective research to develop real-world solutions to conserve, manage and restore our natural ecosystems.
Policy and Advocacy, as we steward smart growth in our region, balancing conservation with economic health.
Environmental Education, including on-site activities for all ages as well as school programs for PreK-12 students, after-school offerings, summer programs, internships and our mobile classroom.
Wildlife Rehabilitation and the von Arx Wildlife Hospital, which treats more than 4,000 native birds, small mammals and reptiles each year.

ENDOWMENT OPPORTUNITIES

An endowment is a pillar, not a piggy bank — a perpetual savings account funded by gifts of cash, securities and/or real property.

You have the opportunity to direct your gift to a staff position, program or cause that matters most to you, Now & Forever.

For example, a gift of $1 million can:

Fund three internships a year, often times steering a young professional toward a career in conservation

Fully support one senior staff position in any of our four program areas, year after year

Fund a specific program that matches your interests, such as kids and education, water quality, at-risk wildlife, smart growth and development and more

ENDOWMENT IS ESSENTIAL

From a long-term fiscal perspective, nothing is more important than growing our endowment. Only then can the Conservancy move from a point of future vulnerability to future strength.

Currently, only about 20% of our annual operating revenues come from endowment, compared to 50% or more at many leading nonprofits. This leaves us overly dependent on year-to-year fundraising.

$50 Million

Our current endowment, roughly $50 million, is frankly too modest for an organization of our age, influence and aspirations.

Endowments have historically proven to be a reliable and enduring source of funding. By growing our endowment, we will keep the Conservancy strong and vital for decades to come.

$2.5 Million

With a 5% draw, our endowment yields roughly $2.5 million a year for current-use funding. That’s 23% of our current $11 million annual budget, and less than 17% of our expected budget of $15 million by 2030.

5-Year Projection

$95 MILLION

With this campaign, we seek to nearly double our endowment, adding $45 million within five years. It’s an ambitious but essential undertaking — one that will create long-term, sustainable impact.

$5 MILLION

A successful campaign will position the Conservancy to generate close to $5 million annually from the endowment by the end of the decade, covering nearly one-third of our projected $15 million operating budget.

For questions or inquiries, contact Paul Seifert, Vice President at pauls@conservancy.org.

We are halfway to our goal, but the work is just getting started.

Serving as the foundation of this historic campaign is a $25 million lead grant from the John & Carol Walter Family Foundation, a visionary commitment that will help propel the Conservancy towards its $70 million goal. This campaign represents the first major formal fundraising effort for the Conservancy in more than a decade and is a direct response to the rapidly increasing environmental challenges in Southwest Florida, including habitat destruction, declining water quality, invasive species and impacts on our community from climate change.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE JOHN & CAROL WALTER NATURE EXPERIENCE

Campaign Chair

Tom Watkins

Campaign Honorary Chairs

John & Carol Walter

About the Conservancy of Southwest Florida

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a non-profit environmental protection organization with a 60-year history focused on the issues impacting the water, land, wildlife, and future of Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties. The Conservancy accomplishes this mission through the combined efforts of its experts in environmental science, policy, education, and wildlife rehabilitation. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, world-class Nature Center, and von Arx Wildlife Hospital are headquartered in Naples, Florida at 1495 Smith Preserve Way. Learn more about the Conservancy’s work and how to support the quality of life in Southwest Florida at Conservancy.org.

Media Inquiries: Reneé Stoll, Conservancy of Southwest Florida Director of Communications and Marketing, (239) 430-2460, renees@conservancy.org

Science

Policy

Wildlife Hospital

Education