Conservation Trust Fund donation and matching program opprotunity

City of Fernandina Beach
Submitted by Kelly Gibson
Planning Director
September 11, 2020

In August, the City’s Conservation Land Trust received its first matching check totaling of $23,180 for the period between February 19, 2020, and July 31, 2020. The City collected an additional $3,100 over the past thirty days which will be eligible for matching by the generous donors. The anonymous donors have enclosed several statements that they wish to make public.

“We are very pleased to send in this check for $23,180 that represents a full match on all donations through July 31, 2020. We chose to satisfy this match roughly halfway through this campaign so that donors can actually see their donations were matched dollar for dollar. This matching program is real, not something just talked about.

We would like to remind everyone that in late May when we increased our cash contribution by 50%, we also retroactively increased the matching opportunity by 50%. The result of this is that those very generous individual donors who gave $1,000 can now give an additional $500 that will also be matched. For organization donors the match increased from $5,000 to $7,500. For example, Amelia Tree Conservancy which contributed $5,000 to the original maximum match of $5,000, is now eligible to contribute an additional $2,500 that we would match.

For any individual who has not yet contributed, they can contribute up to $1,500 for a full match. As referenced above, organization donors can contribute up to $7,500 for a full match.
The good news is that with our current match the Conservation Trust Fund has an additional $23,180 to utilize to accomplish its very important goals. The great news is that there are still $126,820 of potential match dollars out there. That’s a lot of potential dollars being left on the table.

We challenge our individual citizens and especially some of our large organizations to step up and write a check to the Conservation Trust Fund. A few months later your check will be matched (subject to the above limits). For most, that’s a 100% return on their investment in the Conservation Trust Fund in a few months’ time. When was the last time you got a 100% return on your investment? Please invest in your community and contribute to that storied quality of life that we all cherish.”

To celebrate the many generous contributions of our community members, the City is compiling video segments from previous donors to detail “Why I donated!” If you are interested in being featured please contact the City’s Digital Communications Specialist at (904) 310-3289 or [email protected]. We would enjoy the opportunity to feature your personal reasons for donating in a future social media post.

Individuals and organizations wishing to donate may direct funds to the “City of Fernandina Beach.” In the reference memo please include “Land Conservation Trust Fund Account# 135-36601 – matching donation.” Checks can be mailed to the Planning & Conservation Department, 204 Ash Street, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034. The City maintains a log of donations received and provides updates to the Commission at future meetings. Donations are tax deductible.