Wisconsin’s land, water, and wildlife depend on the support of people like you who care about the environment. We were blown away by your generosity this year for Giving Tuesday, an annual day of giving that took place on Tuesday, December 3, 2025.
In honor of our 30th anniversary, a group of donors who love Wisconsin’s natural places created a special matching fund. The goal was to match $12,500 on Giving Tuesday. And thanks to our generous donors, we just about reached our goal.
In 2024, the grand total raised for Giving Tuesday, including matching contributions from the 30th Anniversary Fund was $24,976.84! This is the second highest total raised for land conservation during Giving Tuesday in Gathering Waters’ history. Amazing!
Your Support Matters
State funding for land protection is under threat. Several members of the state legislature have said they will try to eliminate state funding for land protection, putting the future of land protection in Wisconsin at risk. Your support helps ensure the land trust community can mount a strong and vocal advocacy campaign in 2025 to renew state funding for land protection.
The budget debates will be fierce. On the one side, the Wisconsin DNR has proposed funding the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, which provides funding for land protection, at $1 million a year for 10 years – for a total of $1 billion! On the other side, legislators who oppose land conservation have threatened to eliminate the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program entirely.
Drawing Winners
As a thank you to our supporters who participated in Giving Tuesday, we gave away three YETI tumblers through a random prize drawing. Congratulations to the following winners:
- Jennifer S.
- John N.
- Pete F.
We hope you enjoy your YETI tumblers!
Support Our Work
If you missed Giving Tuesday, you can still make a difference for Wisconsin’s land, water, and wildlife with a special year-end gift.
Matching funds are still available through December 31, 2025. Every $1 will become $2 until December 31, or every dollar in the 30th Anniversary Fund is matched.
On behalf of all of us at Gathering Waters, thank you for your support of land conservation in Wisconsin!
