to the island that began with her parents ultimately led Theresa to settle on Kiawah , and after spending much of her professional life working in fundraising , development , and directing nonprofit organizations , she recently took on the role of advancement associate for the Conservancy . “ It ’ s been amazing to come back and do this with a group that I love — it ’ s really a full circle story ,” she says .
Theresa ’ s love for the natural beauty of Kiawah Island has inspired her to look ahead toward preserving it , not just for the next generation of island visitors but also for its current animal residents . She says , “ We really weren ’ t much of an outdoors family before my parents moved to Kiawah , but we totally fell in love with the island . I was never a bird person , but our house looks over Bufflehead Pond and now we watch birds every morning . My children grew up learning the difference between an egret and a heron , watching the cormorants and identifying the ducks .” The closeness to nature and the island ’ s unique landscapes , and the Conservancy ’ s work to protect those places , led Theresa to make a Legacy Gift to the Conservancy ’ s endowment fund , and today she is working alongside the Conservancy to raise awareness toward endowment giving , whether through a bequest in a donor ’ s will or via a donation through a retirement fund . For Theresa , this type of charitable giving leaves a lasting impact on the immediate environment of Kiawah Island and the surrounding islands that make up the larger watershed . “ My gift for the endowment fund is to protect the future . Right now the Conservancy has over two-thousand acres preserved in perpetuity , and we ’ re working to double that number in the next year or so . To preserve them in perpetuity means we need to have a forward-looking plan to protect that investment , and that ' s what we ' re trying to do . That ’ s why my gift was designated for the endowment fund — so that this world can keep going long after I ' m gone .”
With Theresa ’ s help , the Conservancy is launching a capital campaign in the coming months , with the focus of raising funds to expand conservation efforts beyond Kiawah Island , specifically to the land bordering Betsy Kerrison Parkway in Johns Island . “ With the upcoming Keep Betsy Beautiful campaign , we ’ re looking to preserve the wildlife corridor beyond the island .” Johns Island has a unique profile as one of the last remaining places in the Lowcountry with parts of it that have remained as they were for generations . “ This is a moment in time where we have the chance to preserve it for the future , and that ’ s the focus of this campaign . It goes beyond just land preservation and protecting the wildlife population , it ’ s a hope to help preserve a cultural way of life .”
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