Our partners protect nature and inspire discovery in Will County

(Photo by Chad Merda)

As the 501(c)3 charitable partner of the Forest Preserve District of Will County, The Nature Foundation of Will County supports its priorities that protect nature, inspire discovery and bring people and nature together.

When you give to The Nature Foundation, your investment helps carry out the Forest Preserve District’s mission to protect and enhance Will County’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations, said Tara Neff, the Foundation’s executive director.

“Our partners’ support is really an investment in the Forest Preserve District,” she said.

The Nature Foundation prides itself on facilitating a positive experience for donors. Whether you're an individual, philanthropic organization, corporation, or community – when you partner with the Foundation you strengthen the places and programs that protect the environment and connect people to nature.

“Our community of donors sustains the Foundation and ensures we can support the work of the Forest Preserve District in its entirety,” Neff said.

Individuals who want to support the programs and activities of the Forest Preserve District can make tax-deductible gifts to the Foundation all year through recurring gifts or during the annual year-end campaign. The Foundation can also receive distributions from Donor Advised Funds or minimum distributions from retirement accounts.

Other ways to support what you love about the Forest Preserve District is to include the Foundation in estate plans, name the Foundation as a beneficiary for retirement accounts, insurance policies and annuities, and include the Foundation in your will.  Through the Foundation’s Legacy Society, Jan Heideman generously donated part of her estate to fund ecological restoration work at a place she loved – Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve in Crete Township.

No matter a donor’s priority or interest, the Foundation can match them with a Forest Preserve District opportunity that achieves their goals.

While the stars don’t always align, the Dollinger family made a gift to honor their family’s legacy at the time when the Forest Preserve District was planning major improvements at Lake Chaminwood Preserve near Channahon. The Foundation facilitated conversations that matched the Dollinger’s gift to a project they wanted to support. With their gift, the entire project was completed in two years.

Being nimble is particularly helpful when working with the Foundation’s corporate and business partners, which often have community investment goals based on their environmental, social and governance policy or corporate social responsibility ideals.

“It all starts with a conversation,“ Neff said. “We want to help you achieve the positive social and or environmental impact you want to make.”

Some corporations want to support sustainability and conservation initiatives that dovetail with their own policies and practices. Others are committed to investing in the communities where they do business or want to sponsor educational or recreational opportunities. The Foundation has also helped facilitate partnerships that include employee engagement opportunities.

Another way to impact more than one giving priority is to engage in a multiple-year funding commitment. Pembina Pipeline Corporation provided funds over a three-year period to make wildlife habitat improvements at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, fund a scholarship program for schools with high poverty rates, and provide STEM/STEAM supplies for public education programs and field trips to the Forest Preserve District’s visitor centers.

Neff said she enjoys learning about partners’ ideals and values, shared goals, and showing the positive impact they can make.  Communities that want to highlight the beneficial impact of District’s amenities can form meaningful partnerships with the Foundation as well.

Our relationship with the Village of Romeoville started several years ago when the Village sponsored the Foundation’s native plant sales at visitor center at Isle a la Cache Preserve and Museum in Romeoville, and it has grown over time, Neff said.

“Village officials value and support the educational and recreational opportunities offered at the visitor center; and they also understand how the District’s other holdings help foster a thriving, sustainable community for generations to come,” Neff said.

The Village prioritizes sustainability in many ways. Its Conservation and Sustainability Committee promotes conservation, environmental stewardship, and sustainability for the benefit of current and future generations. In turn, the Foundation helps support their goals by facilitating collaboration and assisting with the Village’s native plant sales.

“We would like to have this level of engagement with other municipal partners because we want to amplify how the Forest Preserve District enriches a community’s quality of life for residents,” she said.

No matter who chooses to invest in the Foundation, partners will see the impact of their gift in the preserves and trails.

“The Nature Foundation is a great partner. Our mission is to support the Forest Preserve District of Will County and we’re here to make it easy for you invest in nature.”