Friends of Toft Point, Inc. Consolidates with UW-Green Bay Foundation
Green Bay, Wis.— The Friends of Toft Point, Inc., a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of the Toft Point Natural Area in Door County, is combining forces with the UW-Green Bay Foundation. The Friends’ stewardship work will be done through the Friends of Toft Point Stewardship Board to support the University’s Center for Biodiversity in its mission to protect Toft Point. The consolidation enables volunteers to focus their time on their important roles of serving as docents and property caretaking, the activities that inspired them to become involved in the first place.
“The Friends of Toft Point was founded as a group of volunteers in 2000 to support the University’s management plan for Toft Point, to help protect the flora and fauna of the Toft Point State Natural Area and to help educate visitors about the natural history and the Toft family history at Toft Point,” says Jim Cauley, President of The Friends of Toft Point. “The UW- Green Bay Foundation did not even exist in 2007, when the Friends then formed our own 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity so donors could support Toft Point and secure a tax deduction. Since the beginning of our involvement, we’ve worked hand- in-glove with Dr. Bob Howe of the University’s Center for Biodiversity, so it makes sense to work side-by-side with their affiliated Foundation that was created in 2011 to manage all of the gifts to the University. The University of Wisconsin System owns the property and UW-Green Bay stewards it, so a closer relationship with the University and the Foundation helps to achieve our collective objectives to preserve Toft Point appropriately.”
Donors to the Friends of Toft Point group will see no change in how their support benefits the Toft Point Natural Area.
“Donors to the Friends group can still support the Toft Point property through their generosity, the only difference is that the gifts will flow through the UW-Green Bay Foundation,” according to University Chancellor Michael Alexander. “Gifts will be restricted for use solely at Toft Point to maintain the historical nature and natural state of the property. UW-Green Bay students conduct research on the property, and it is an important component of our collection of natural areas throughout Northeast Wisconsin.”
The Friends of Toft Point volunteers will continue to serve as docents, maintain the trails and buildings and work to preserve Toft Point. Current directors of the Friends of Toft Point will serve on the Friends of Toft Point Stewardship Board as advisors to the University on caretaking for the property.
Gifts to benefit Toft Point can be made payable to the UW-Green Bay Foundation Toft Point Stewardship Fund. Life memberships and gifts to the permanent endowment will be honored under the new arrangement.
About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Established in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving 9,276 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and 79,604 continuing education enrollees each year across all campus locations. We educate students from pre-college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. In 2020, UW-Green Bay was the fastest growing UW school in Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
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