Make A Donation
You love nature, and when you make a donation to The Conservation Foundation, you are putting that love into action. Every dollar supports our work to ensure future generations have access to and appreciation for our region’s natural resources. You’ll get back what you’ve given as nearby nature brings greater health and happiness to your life and your relationships.
When you make a donation to The Conservation Foundation, you become a member for one year.
If you would like to mail in your contribution, please do so to our headquarters at McDonald Farm:
10S404 Knoch Knolls Road, Naperville, IL 60565
Our FEIN Number is 23-7221206.
Budget Friendly Monthly Giving
Become a Renewable Resource!
The Conservation Foundation is working in your neighborhood to help people nurture and connect with nature. We believe in dirty fingernails and muddy shoes, and we live to see eyes of all ages grow wide with wonder when experiencing the natural world.
Make supporting our work a little gentler on your home budget by joining the Renewable Resources Society as a monthly recurring donor!
- Set up your automatic monthly contribution here, and forget about it! No checks to send in or due dates to remember. We’ll automatically bill your card and send a statement in December summarizing your gifts for that calendar year.
- Receive all of the benefits of membership in The Conservation Foundation, including a New Member Welcome Packet, email updates on important environmental events and issues on the region, and The Heron magazine, printed three times a year.
- Since it’s all done electronically and we don’t have to generate and mail reminders, you can feel great about helping to save significant natural and human resources.
- Accomplish more by giving a smaller amount more often. It’s a lot easier to find $20 a month than to come up with $240 all at once, and having a steady donation stream allows us to act quickly when an urgent conservation opportunity arises.
Gift &
Estate Planning
The Heritage Club is a group of donors who have chosen to make a profound impact on the future of The Conservation Foundation through a planned gift. Gifts of life insurance, annuities or remembering The Conservation Foundation in your will enable you to achieve your financial and estate goals and leave a legacy of land for future generations. These gifts often come with some beneficial tax incentives as well.
Types of Planned Gifts
Bequest in Your Will of Cash, Property or Estate Residue
A bequest costs you nothing today, and gives The Conservation Foundation the promise of a strong future.
Charitable Gift Annuity or a Charitable Remainder Unitrust
Donate a capital sum to The Conservation Foundation (or to a trust) and receive regular annual payments back. Benefits include attractive interest rates which are locked for life, and excellent potential for tax exemptions.
A Deferred Gift Annuity
Receive deductions when you give property or cash to The Conservation Foundation, and receive income after a specified deferred date. Benefits include tax reductions for you today, and guaranteed income later.
Make The Conservation Foundation Your Retirement Plan Beneficiary
This option allows you to leave less-taxed assets to your family, while eliminating income tax on your retirement plan assets.
Appreciated Securities
Gifts of appreciated securities allow you to receive gift credit and an immediate income tax deduction for the fair market value of the securities, and you pay no capital gains tax.
A Life Insurance Policy (New or Existing Paid-Up Policies)
This option creates a long-term gift to The Conservation Foundation that won’t draw funds from your estate, and may increase your ability to make a significant gift.
Charitable Lead Trust
A charitable lead trust reduces your beneficiaries’ taxable income by first donating a portion of the trust’s income to The Conservation Foundation, and then transferring the remainder to your heirs after a specified period of time.
Real Estate
Real estate which is gifted avoids being taxed for capital gains, and offers you an income tax deduction.
Sample Bequest Language
With thanks for the conservation work I have witnessed as a member or supporter of The Conservation Foundation, I give, devise and bequeath to The Conservation Foundation, Naperville, Illinois, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, the sum of $ _________ (or description of specific property or asset).
As you make plans for the future distribution of the assets you have worked so hard for, thank you for remembering The Conservation Foundation. We would be happy to talk through your plans and answer any questions you may have. You can contact Abby Beck, Senior Advancement Officer, at 630-428-4500, Ext. 135 or abeck@theconservationfoundation.org.
For inquiries about stock donations, contact Gindi Orloff at 630-428-4500, Ext. 124 or gorloff@theconservationfoundation.org.
Employer Matching
Did you know that more than 26 million people work for companies with employee matching gift programs? You might too! Learn more about your employer’s matching gift programs by entering the company’s name in the below search box.
Campaign
For Conservation
Over the past few years, The Conservation Foundation has made the commitment to increase the pace of land protection in northeastern Illinois. Our sense of urgency has been spurred by the dwindling number of acres of open space that remain and the increased interest from citizens like you to protect high quality natural areas.
The Campaign for Conservation is our effort to raise the funding needed to increase the pace of land protection through creative land acquisitions.
We have collaborated with our members, donors, volunteers, and partners to develop a vision for the future. We envision a region where people benefit from protected natural areas, clean rivers and streams and work together to understand and embrace conservation issues. The Campaign for Conservation is an important means of achieving this vision.
Funding raised from the Campaign for Conservation is invested into the Conservation Flex Fund. This fund allows for flexibility and quick response to ensure the land we all love and the rivers we treasure will be forever protected.
The Conservation Foundation uses the funding raised by the Campaign for Conservation to leverage additional funding from banks and grants to buy land. Also, interest from the invested funds will be used to help fund the remaining Foundation programs, thus allowing a huge impact from your donation.
Click here to see the Case for Support of the Campaign for Conservation. If you have questions or are interested in making a contribution to the Campaign for Conservation, please contact Abby Beck, at 630-428-4500, Ext. 135 or email her.
Sponsorship &
Corporate Support
Our corporate partners are critical to the success of The Conservation Foundation. Many of the activities of the Foundation wouldn’t be possible without corporate partners to support our on-the-ground activities.
The Conservation Foundation is grateful for the generous financial contributions of corporations to our annual Earth Day Benefit Dinner, our Beyond the Basics Conference, as well as our efforts in land preservation, environmental stewardship and our educational programming.
Corporate sponsorship with The Conservation Foundation allows us to advertise your company and reinforce your reputation as a good corporate citizen with our membership. Our sponsorships offer the reach of local marketing exposure and benefit from the positive image of supporting our mission.
Corporate sponsors provide a single annual donation that supports The Conservation Foundation’s special events, campaign materials, and marketing programs, eliminating multiple requests. In return, your company’s support is promoted throughout the year. You receive visibility and identification at special events and in advertising and key communication pieces throughout the year.
If you would like more information regarding corporate sponsorships, please contact Abby Beck at the Advancement Office at (630) 428-4500 x 135.
Memorial & Tribute Gifts
Honor the loved ones who bring light and color to your life by making a memorial or tribute gift to The Conservation Foundation in their name. Celebrate milestones and memories through a gift that will bring more beauty to our landscapes and more nature to our lives.
More Ways
You can give
Here are some other ways you can support The Conservation Foundation’s mission in your neighborhood:
Matching Gifts: Many employers will match your contributions to The Conservation Foundation, meaning your gift will have double the impact on saving our local natural resources. Check to see if your company offers a matching gift program (if not, be the go-getter who suggests it!). If you have questions, contact Carrie Thompson by email or call 630-428-4500, Ext. 110.
Memorial or Tribute Gifts: Sometimes a coffee mug or candle just can’t quite express what you want it to. Click here to give the gift of enduring nature in honor or memory of someone who has inspired you.
Volunteer: Your time and passion are as valuable as your money! Click here to learn about becoming one of our valued volunteers.
Become a Renewable Resource: Join our society of monthly recurring donors, the Renewable Resources Society! It’s easier on your budget and your brain, requires fewer natural and human resources, and gives The Conservation Foundation a steady revenue stream to call on when there is an important conservation opportunity.
