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sahcadmin2026-07-14 11:59:482026-07-14 16:10:00North McDaris RidgeA Campaign in Celebration of SAHC’s 50 Years
and in Preparation For Future Generations, Forever
The mountains of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee are a global biodiversity hotspot, home to rare species, breath-taking scenic views, clean water sources, working farms, and beloved trails. For more than 50 years, thanks to generous supporters like you, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has protected this irreplaceable landscape.
Together, we’ve created new parks, added to national forests, preserved family farms, inspired young naturalists, and protected habitat and water at a time when these resources face increasing threats. But the challenges ahead—rapid development, climate change, and intensifying storms like Hurricane Helene—demand that we do more.
SAHC has made a forever promise to protect, steward, and connect people with land, for people today and for future generations. To fulfill that promise, we’ve launched the Fulfilling a Promise campaign, raising $10 million in flexible long-term investments and endowment funds to:
- Act swiftly when high-priority conservation opportunities arise.
- Implement cutting-edge land stewardship strategies that address urgent needs like mitigating wildfire risk; utilize new technologies for effective monitoring; and ensure permanence of our conservation measures.
- Expand our role as a community resource, connecting thousands of people each year to nature through youth education, Community Farm programming, virtual learning experiences, and public outings.
We envision a future where the Southern Appalachian landscape flourishes, wildlife corridors are connected, and economies thrive in harmony with their local farms, watersheds, and outdoor recreation destinations. Every acre we protect comes with a long-term commitment to its care. Your support strengthens our ability to keep that promise, for the next fifty years and beyond. Together, we can build a legacy that ensures these mountains continue to thrive for generations to come.
Your support today is the most powerful step you can take to protect Southern Appalachia’s future, guaranteeing the beauty and biodiversity of the region for generations to come.
To make a gift to the campaign, please explore the options below.
Questions? Feel free to get in touch with Anna Kuhlman, SAHC Director of Development at anna@appalachian.org or call 828.367.7312.
Make a Gift Online
Mail a Check
Thank you for choosing to make a lasting impact on Southern Appalachia through a gift to Fulfilling a Promise: For Future Generations, Forever!
Checks should be made payable to “SAHC” or “Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy” and mailed to:
SAHC or Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
372 Merrimon Ave
Asheville, NC 28801
Donor Advised Fund
Thank you for making a gift to SAHC’s campaign through your Donor Advised Fund. Please provide your fund manager with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s non-profit tax ID number – 62-1098890.
Questions? Contact Development Director Anna Kuhlman at anna@appalachian.org or Finance Director Lisa Fancher at lisa@appalachian.org
IRA Giving
You can give to the campaign, making a permanent impact on conservation in East TN and Western NC, directly from your IRA! Donors age 70 ½ or older to donate up to $108,000 from their IRA as an individual or $216,000 as a couple without having to recognize the distribution as income.
We advise that before taking any actions you should consult with a qualified tax advisor, but if you’re receiving taxable income from retirement plan assets there are a number of tax-advantaged ways to make these assets work for you and qualified nonprofits like SAHC.
Here’s an example: If your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) is $20,000 and you give a $5,000 Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to SAHC only $15,000 of the IRA distribution will be reported as part of your income.
If this is applicable to you – it’s easy to do. To take advantage of the IRA charitable distribution, the distribution must be sent directly from your IRA manager to SAHC. Contact your IRA manager and ask them to make a transfer directly to SAHC, 372 Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC 28801.
SAHC’s non-profit tax ID# is: 62-1098890.
Questions? Contact Development Director Anna Kuhlman at anna@appalachian.org or Finance Director Lisa Fancher at lisa@appalachian.org
Gift of Stock
To make a gift of stock, please supply the following information to your financial advisor:
SAHC’s Brokerage Firm: Wells Fargo Advisors
SAHC’s Wells Fargo DTC# 0141
Wells Fargo Address: Wells Fargo Advisors, One North Jefferson Ave, St Louis, MO 63103
Wells Fargo ACC# 4205-3519
Wells Fargo ACC NAME: Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC)
SAHC’s non-profit tax ID# is: 62-1098890
Our mailing address is:
Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
372 Merrimon Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
Please contact Lisa at 828-237-3631 if you need assistance or have any questions.
Legacy/Planned Gift
Including Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in your estate planning is the perfect way to make a lasting impact on the region, for future generations, forever. By including SAHC in your will, you can help build the long-term financial strength of SAHC and continue protecting the places you love. A planned gift is a flexible and creative way to be philanthropic while meeting your personal, family or financial goals.
Bequests and Estate Plan Gifts
The most popular and easiest method of leaving a legacy gift is to include the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in your will or living trust. By making a bequest to SAHC (a bequest is a gift from your estate—a transfer of cash, securities, or other property made through your estate plans) you will need to include language in your will or living trust leaving a portion of your estate to SAHC.
To assist you in preparing your bequest, here is sample language you can use: Estate Planning Language – SAHC
Other Planned Giving Options Include:
RETIREMENT PLAN GIFTS
Your estate can save both on income taxes and estate taxes if you name SAHC as the beneficiary of your IRA, 401k or other qualified retirement plan. This is a simple and tax-efficient way to benefit the work of SAHC.
REAL ESTATE GIFTS
Tax benefits for gifts of appreciated real estate are virtually identical to those for gifts of appreciated securities. Real property such as personal residences, undeveloped land, or farms may be transferred by deed with no liability for income or estate taxes on the appreciated value. Land trusts are in a unique position to accept gifts of real estate – we can guarantee permanent protection of special lands, or we can accept gifts of “trade lands” – property donated with the intention it will be sold to preserve significant conservation properties elsewhere. Discuss your wishes with us before making your gift.
LIFE INSURANCE
Making a beneficiary designation through your life insurance plan is an easy and affordable way to support the work of SAHC. By naming SAHC as the beneficiary of an individual or group term life insurance policy, the benefits from your policy pass to us free of federal estate tax after your lifetime. You could purchase a new policy or donate a policy that you currently own but no longer need. Check with your insurance agent for the details.
CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES
You can guarantee a fixed income for your life and your spouse’s life by transferring cash or appreciated securities in exchange for a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA). With a CGA, you can support the work of SAHC now while retaining secure, fixed payments for life. A CGA accomplishes two goals—preserving the landscapes you cherish through a gift to SAHC and retaining income through fixed payments to you and/or your loved ones. You may also receive an immediate income tax deduction.
CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUSTS
You can fund a charitable remainder trust with cash or appreciated property and receive income from the assets for your lifetime, qualify for charitable deductions, and save capital gains and estate taxes. Upon your death and/or that of a loved one, the trust assets would be distributed outright to SAHC.
CHARITABLE LEAD TRUSTS
Under this arrangement, you transfer assets to a trust that makes payments to SAHC for a specified number of years, after which time the assets are transferred to your heirs. The charitable lead trust allows you to pass assets on to your children and grandchildren with little or no estate and gift taxes. It can make good sense for anyone in the top estate and gift brackets.
Yes! I want to support the campaign.
Please fill out a digital pledge card below.
Expand Pledge Form
Campaign Impact
Your gift to the Fulfilling a Promise Campaign will help add $10 million in long-term investments and endowments for conservation in the Southern Appalachians. Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will responsibly invest this $10 million, with up to 4% available each year to support conservation and meet strategic goals. The rest will grow, keep up with inflation, and be available to meet future needs.
Your gift to the Fulfilling a Promise campaign will enable:
- More money to protect more acres! Campaign proceeds will leverage public grants and additional philanthropic gifts to purchase key tracts, preserve family farms, cover transaction costs and close deals.
- Fair and equitable compensation for professional staff who are dedicated to preserving and stewarding the most special places in the southern Appalachians.
- An additional staff position completing crucial land and conservation easement deals now while there’s a fleeting opportunity before they’re lost to rising development pressure.
- Up to two additional staff positions stewarding conservation easements and land, meeting a perpetual promise to defend conservation rights.
- More public hikes, educational programs, and opportunities for people to access nature for health, wellbeing, and community economic sustainability.
- Organizational resilience to assure we can fulfill our conservation promise for future generations, forever.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Over the past 50 years, SAHC has conserved forests, farms, and rivers among some of the world’s oldest mountains – all in this place we love to call home. It’s time to secure the resources that will sustain and protect these places for every generation that follows.”






Dennis Oakley CNPA
Travis Bordley
Photo by Travis Bordley
















Adams J Wood Photography 
Photo Credit Witt Langstaff, Jr.



















