Civic leadership and engagement have the power to transform communities, respond to our biggest challenges and embrace our most promising opportunities. 

Join us April 17 for a virtual conversation about the future of civic leadership with FFTC President, Laura Yates Clark. Laura will share insights and future plans for the Foundation’s unique role in convening, connecting and leading around major civic initiatives. Most importantly, we want to hear from you — our generous donors — as we shape our collective vision. 

Register Now

This session is geared towards donors. A separate conversation for nonprofits is being held on April 22.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for This Land Is Our Land | How Sustainability Impacts Us All. Let's build on this momentum to safeguard our clean air, clean water and green spaces for a healthier and more vibrant region for generations to come.

If you were unable to attend, below is a recap of insights from our expert panelists, as well as a compilation of resources and links that can help you make a difference.

Panel highlights: 

Mark Anderson (The Nature Conservancy), Jay Leutze (Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy) and Bart Landess (Catawba Lands Conservancy | Carolina Thread Trail) highlighted the global conservation significance of our region:

• The Appalachian Mountains stand out for biodiversity and climate resilience.
• The Cape Fear River Basin is a critical corridor for water quality.
• Protection of these areas is vital for climate adaptation.

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Catawba Lands Conservancy actively protect connected land in these corridors. Their challenge is how to accelerate the pace and scale of conservation when they face barriers, such as the cost of land acquisition.

Bart Landess also stressed the need for the sustainable management of Charlotte’s growing population – linking economic development to quality-of-life issues such as clean air, water and green space.

The panel's hopeful message is that by safeguarding these special places in our region, we strengthen the greater natural world.

Other champions in this space:

• Blue Ridge Conservancy
• Clean AIRE NC
• Catawba Riverkeeper
• TreesCharlotte

Consider ESG investing and donating to FFTC's Environment Fund:

• Learn more about our ESG Long-term Growth Investment Pool and other ways FFTC can help you make an impact.
• Contribute to FFTC’s Environment Fund and leverage FFTC’s discretionary grantmaking expertise to support organizations and projects that protect natural resources and address environmental issues in our region and beyond.

Thank you again for your commitment to advancing this discussion. As the community foundation serving the greater Charlotte region, we value the opportunity to bring like-minded individuals together to amplify our collective impact.

Please join us for our 3rd quarter 2025 investment webinar, presented by the Foundation For The Carolinas investments team and FFTC investment consultant, Mercer Investments LLC. 

FFTC Vice President and Director of Investments Natalie Wolf will lead a discussion with Mercer’s Travis Pruit and Tim Westrich, who will share their insights on how they manage portfolios during chaotic markets such as we’ve experienced recently.

Click here to view the recording.

Thank you for your interest our signature community event, the FFTC Annual Meeting luncheon. We will not be holding the event this year and are currently evaluating how we can best celebrate giving and civic engagement in the region. 

With careful thought, creativity and a focus on our donors and grantees, we’re excited about the forms it may take in the future. Please visit philanthropyFOCUS.org or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram as we continue to share how our fundholders and nonprofits are making a difference in our region.