WE'RE ELATED!!! We Met Our Goal! Thank you!

The Trailblazers for SMLC campaign has discovered the treasure at the end of the rainbow. At reaching its finale this past weekend, the campaign had raised $24,489, and its $10,000 goal in new money had been met and will be matched. Sponsors, donors, supporters--old and new--have helped SMLC gather over $34,000 in support of its mission for conserving open spaces for ALL of nature.

SMLC thanks each and every one of you for giving of your time, money, and support, the true treasure at the end of the rainbow.

THANK YOU!!!

Thank You for your Support of Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy

We are excited to continue and improve this campaign style in Spring/Summer 2026! In the meantime, if you would like to donate and or support SMLC before next year's campaign, please head over to our website at https://www.smlcland.org/

Be a Trailblazer for SMLC

Local land conservation needs your help. Saving and stewarding land requires big money and SMLC’s mission of conserving land is a forever endeavor. Once nature preserves and conservation easements are acquired, SMLC is responsible for preserving and monitoring them in perpetuity. However, funding for nonprofit land conservancies, including SMLC, is tighter this year. In addition, environmental giving (including animals) is one of the lowest charitable categories in terms of U.S. giving, receiving only 3% of all charitable gifts as of 2023*. This issue of limited reach is compounded this year by the funding uncertainty at the federal level.

But hope remains because YOU can help!

Why Participate and Fundraise for SMLC?

To help SMLC stay sustainable in 2025 by supporting local land conservation in the midst of turbulent times.
To raise awareness about the importance of local land conservation and SMLC’s mission.
To encourage people to visit SMLC’s key nature preserves this summer.
To move SMLC forward faster through new donor engagement – tell your friends!

Eco-Logical Leadership Club (ELLC) donors, Bill Secrest and Misty Callies will award SMLC a $10,000 matching donation if SMLC raises $10,000 from new donors and new money by September 28. The match's purpose is to expand SMLC’s outreach with new and current supporters; new donors are individuals and organizations who have not given to SMLC in the past year and new money is the amount of this year’s donation from current supporters that is greater than last year’s total gift.

To read the full donor story and case for support click here:

Help SMLC raise $20,000 in needed summer funds by participating in the Trailblazers for SMLC campaign. Give, Connect and Help Raise Funds to support SMLC’s mission and protect local natural lands now.

*U.S. Giving Report - 2023

How to Participate:

Give: Trailblaze your way to championing SMLC by clicking the green Donate button at the top of the page. Your gift will provide needed summer funds and help us reach the campaign match goal.

Connect: Encourage your friends to become Trailblazers for SMLC too! Reach out on social media to help SMLC reach a larger audience. Share your love of nature and publicly accessible natural areas. Press that Share Fundraiser button at the top of the page to earn feel-good points!

Visit an SMLC nature preserve to connect with nature in-person. Invite family and friends to join you and take a hike through cool woods, blooming prairies, or alongside a lake or wetlands. Find a preserve near you: https://smlcland.org/

Help Raise Funds as a Team Member: Sign Up to Fundraise and become an SMLC Trailblazer! https://givebutter.com/SMLCTrailblazer/register

Team Members help raise money for the Campaign by creating their own fundraising page linked to the main campaign. They set a fundraising goal to inspire others to give and kick it off with a donation of their own. Team Members personalize their page with photos and a message about why SMLC and saving natural lands matter to them. Then, they share it with friends and family through social media, email, or text to ask for donations. Team members can track how much they raise, thank their donors, and see how they’re helping SMLC reach the campaign goal.

The opportunity to help SMLC this summer and have your gift matched is now. You can become a Trailblazer for SMLC and help SMLC continue our longstanding and successful land conservation work with your gift today. Thank You.

Trailblazers for SMLC

a Campaign to support local land conservation now

Team Members