Leadership commitment propels Conservancy of Southwest Florida's largest campaign in its history

NAPLES, Fla. - March 24, 2025 - PRLog -- The Conservancy of Southwest Florida proudly announces the public launch of its most ambitious campaign to date, Now & Forever: The Campaign to Protect our Quality of Life. With a preliminary target of $70 million, this transformative campaign is dedicated to enhancing and securing the long-term sustainability of the Conservancy's vital efforts in environmental science, education, wildlife rehabilitation, and public policy advocacy. With more than 50% of its fundraising goal already achieved, the Now & Forever Campaign is a bold step towards safeguarding Southwest Florida's natural resources for generations to come.

The catalyst of this historic campaign is a $25 million lead grant from the John & Carol Walter Family Foundation to create the new John & Carol Walter Nature Experience. This visionary commitment 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.

The Now & Forever Campaign focuses on two key pillars:

• A Dynamic Nature Experience ($20 million): 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 reimagined John & Carol Walter 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.
• Our People, Our Programs ($50 million): 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. The goal for inspiring 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.

To learn more about the Now & Forever campaign and how you can support the Conservancy's mission, visit Conservancy.org/NowandForever.