Invest in the Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve Forever Fund
Securing Spearhead for Generations
As the Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society approaches its 50th year, in 2030, we are raising $1 million to create the Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve Forever Fund, an endowment that help us continue to offer opportunities for people of all ages to connect with and learn from nature.
Your gift provides steady support for environmental education, outdoor youth experiences, and the essential operations that make these programs possible.
Make a Donation to the Forever Fund
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.
Monthly 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.
$25/month = $300/year
$50/month = $600/year
$100/month = $1,200/year
Monthly donors are the backbone of the Forever Fund. By giving regularly, you provide reliable support that helps Spearhead thrive forever.
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.
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 at 218-444-8672 or 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.
Our Impact
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.
Our Backbone
The Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, inspires lasting connections between people and nature, and stewards the Neilson Spearhead Nature Preserve.
We serve our community through place-based conservation, education, and opportunities to connect with nature. We strengthen our impact through chapter membership, volunteerism, and lasting partnerships.
Our goal is to build an endowment that will generate $50,000 every year—forever—for care, upkeep, and maintenance.
Neilson Spearhead Forever Fund Progress
Join us in protecting the Preserve for future generations.
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.
Why Endowment?
An endowment is a permanent fund. The principal is carefully invested, and each year, the earnings are used to support the ongoing care, programs, and preservation of the Preserve. This ensures a lasting impact and financial stability for generations to come.
Why an Endowment Matters
An endowment provides lasting security for the Preserve. By investing the principal and using only the earnings, we create a steady, predictable source of funding that supports care, upkeep, and maintenance, year after year. This ensures that the Preserve can thrive no matter what changes come in the future, allowing donors to make a permanent impact.
