Protect Spearhead Forever
Help build a permanent fund to care for the Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve for generations to come.
Your gift to the Forever Fund keeps trails open, protects wildlife habitat, and supports hands-on learning in nature year after year.
Our Goal: $1,000,000
Help Build This Fund Together
We are working to build a $1,000,000 Forever Fund to protect and care for the Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve for generations to come.
Every gift moves this forward.
Why This Matters Now
Spearhead has been protected for decades. That protection needs ongoing care.
Each year, the preserve depends on limited and changing funding to maintain trails, support programs, and protect habitat.
The Forever Fund creates stability. It provides reliable, long-term support so this place can continue to serve the community no matter what the future brings.
A Place People Return To
For many, Spearhead is not just a place you visit once.
It is a place you return to, season after season, year after year.
Some first came here as children in camp programs.
Now they bring their own children.
Some learned to paddle on this lake.
Now they teach the next generation the same quiet rhythm of water and shoreline.
Some have spent decades walking these trails, watching the forest change and grow.
Over time, something deeper happens.
People begin to care for this place in a personal way.
They notice when something changes.
They feel responsible for it.
That sense of connection is hard to explain if you have not experienced it.
But it is real. And it is lasting.
Whether you have known Spearhead for years, or have not yet had the chance to visit, this is what your gift supports:
A place that becomes part of people’s lives.
A place that is returned to, shared, and cared for across generations.
Your support sustains real, visible impact:
Trails that are safe and accessible
Outdoor education programs for students and families
Habitat protected for birds, wildlife, and native plants
A place where people can explore, learn, and feel connected to nature
This is how a place lasts for generations.
The preserve is cared for with intention and responsibility.
Protected through long-term conservation
Supported by dedicated staff and volunteers
Guided by science, education, and stewardship values
Your gift is managed with care so it continues to make an impact for years to come.
A Story from Spearhead
Young Naturalists: Inspiring Generations
For Oliver Miller, the Preserve has been a place to grow up. From hiking to Bear Haven to camping overnight with friends, every year at Young Naturalists Camp brings new adventures. His mom, Amber, sees the impact too:
"I love that there's a safe place that celebrates nature as it is, so the kids can experience that."
Even when storms canceled camp during the summer of 2025, Oliver still volunteered to help, showing his dedication to the Preserve. He cleared brush, picked up debris, and helped assure safe access for our visitors.
"Every year I learn something new," he says.
Your support of the Forever Fund Endowment helps ensure that kids like Oliver can keep exploring, learning, and connecting with nature for generations to come.
How the Forever Fund Works
The Forever Fund is an endowment.
Gifts are invested and grow over time. A portion is used each year to support the preserve.
This creates a dependable source of funding that supports care, education, and stewardship into the future.
Trust and Stewardship
Conservation stewardship
Staff and volunteer care
Science-based management
Long-term protection commitment
This place has been protected for decades.
What we do now will determine its future.
Make your gift today and help protect Spearhead for generations to come.
Ways to Support the Forever Fund
One-time gifts: a meaningful contribution today makes an immediate impact.
Multi-year pledges: spread your support over time to build lasting funding.
Legacy gifts: include the Preserve in your estate to leave a permanent mark.
Choose How to Give
You can support the Forever Fund in a way that works best for you:
One-Time Gift
A one-time gift provides immediate support to advance the endowment and strengthen our programs today. Every gift brings us closer to the $1 million goal and ensures that Spearhead remains a place of learning, wonder, and stewardship.
Give once. Make a lasting difference.
Recurring Monthly or Annual Gift
Monthly donors are the backbone of the Forever Fund.
By giving monthly, even a small amount grows into a powerful gift over time, helping us build the endowment steadily and sustainably.
$10/month = $120 per year
$25/month = $300 per year
$50/month = $600 per year
$100/month = $1,200 per year
Recurring gifts provide reliable support that helps NSNP thrive forever.
Planning a larger gift to the Forever Fund?
For gifts above $1,000, we encourage you to contact us directly, you may also use the “Custom amount” selection above. Major gifts play a critical role in reaching our $1 million goal and allow us to discuss ways your support can create a lasting impact.
Contact us: MHAS@SpearheadMHAS.org
Why contact us for larger gifts?
Ensure your gift has the greatest possible impact on the endowment and programs.
Explore special opportunities for recognition and engagement.
Help us plan strategically to reach the $1 million goal efficiently.
Help Your Gift Go Further
When you check the box to cover fees, your donation goes even further toward the Forever Fund. Small fees from credit card or payment processing can add up, and covering them allows 100% of your intended gift to support the preserve, programs, and endowment, not administrative costs.
Your generosity multiplied, every dollar counts.
A Huge Thank You to Our Early Supporters!
We are grateful to our early supporters, whose gifts have laid the foundation for the Preserve’s future.