The Living Wilderness Fund

Ensure a sustainable future for the Tongass and the ways of life it supports through a legacy gift.

We recognize and respect that Wilderness means different things to different people. We also have gratitude for the Lingít, Haida, and Tsimshian, the original stewards of these lands, and are grateful for the traditional knowledge and stewardship values that also inspire and guide this work. The Living Wilderness Fund is an endowment for Sitka Conservation Society that honors the legacy of our founders and ensures long lasting advocacy and protection of Wilderness and wild places for future generations.

Large intact areas of Southeast Alaska support healthy habitat for wildlife, including coastal brown bears, Pacific salmon, wolves, and bald eagles, and provide clean water, fresh air, food security, and unparalleled inspiration to all of us who live here. A donation to the Living Wilderness Fund helps protect these important areas of the Tongass and ensures our ways of life can continue.

The projects supported by the Fund programs continue the legacies and passionate work of the people who founded SCS, including Chuck and Alice Johnstone and Jack, Sasha, and Margaret Calvin. The Living Wilderness Fund honors others who worked to share and protect wild places like Richard Nelson and artists Eric and Pam Bealer, who left their property in Lisianski Inlet adjacent to the West Chichagof-Yakobi Wilderness to the Sitka Conservation Society in their will.

Contribute to the Living Wilderness Fund

Ways to Contribute

Contributions to the Living Wilderness Fund celebrate and honor people and continue legacies and common goals through our projects. They can be made in many ways including gifts honoring individuals and loved ones, property and assets left in wills and estates, and specific donations made towards the Fund. We are grateful to the contributions thus far and encourage you to support the continued longevity of this Fund. To learn more about contributing to the Living Wilderness Fund, download our Legacy Giving Guide. You can also contact us at [email protected] or (907)-747-7509 if you would like to discuss your options for giving.

How will the Fund be used as it grows?

As the Fund grows, it supports our efforts to protect the Tongass. Projects include our creative retreat program that brings people to the wilderness and advocacy for additional Wilderness designations in the Tongass. As new strategies and needs arise, and as the endowment grows, our efforts will expand. The Fund has $1.3 million and is growing thanks to contributions and support from people who care about the Tongass. Our goal is to reach $2 million and to use the Fund to support a full program. At that level, it can provide stable and long-term funding, allow us to take innovative approaches, and fund work that won't have to depend upon yearly budgets or grants.