Our Mission

The Preservation Foundation is the charitable partner of the Lake County Forest Preserves.

 

Our mission is to extend and accelerate the Lake County Forest Preserves goals through private philanthropy to restore and preserve Lake County’s natural and cultural resources in perpetuity. 

 

Since 1958, the Lake County Forest Preserves has preserved, restored, and managed Lake County’s open space and natural lands for the public. Today, the Forest Preserves manages more than $1 billion in assets and is Lake County’s largest landowner, with more than 31,100 acres protected across 64 unique sites. 

 

Donors at every level make a direct impact on the Forest Preserves by giving to the Preservation Foundation. A 501(c)(3) charity, the Foundation directs 100% of donations to work on the ground, and 100% of your gift is tax deductible. Your gift is never used for salaries or rent because the cost of fundraising and administration is supported by the Forest Preserves.

 

We help the Forest Preserves do more in every aspect of its mission. We help educate by raising funds for Gateways Grants, summer science programs, and the Bess Bower Dunn Museum.

 

We help restore by securing grants and private donations for large-scale habitation initiatives that might otherwise take many years to complete. We help restore our native plant and animal populations through the Blanding's turtle recovery program, rare plant reintroductions, and on-the-ground wildlife conservation research. 

 

We help inspire by caring for the trails, preserves, and diverse habitats that people value all across Lake County. And by making it possible through private philanthropy to open new trails and new preserves for the next generation of Forest Preserve visitors