Unrestricted Gifts – Unrestricted or non-designated donations are the most important gifts KPC can receive. These donations allow KPC to carry out the most critical functions of the organization and let KPC allocate funds where they are needed most. Unrestricted donations support the most pressing needs and opportunities on the prairie in a timely fashion, as well as allow KPC to do what it does best. These donations also support on-going operations.

Restricted or Designated Gifts – KPC also welcomes gifts to support specific activities that it identifies as priorities each year. The majority of the restricted or designated gift will be used to support that activity. KPC allocates 15% of all restricted donations to general operations and 5% to the stewardship fund so that the prairie can be protected and promoted today and tomorrow. Restricted or designated projects include:

• Land Conservation – Donations designated for land conservation help KPC purchase specific tracts of land, increase KPC’s protection of the Warren Ranch, or are assigned to KPC’s Land Fund until adequate funding and suitable tracts are available. By the end of 2011, KPC hopes to have achieved its near-term goal of protecting 20,000 acres on the Katy Prairie. Your support will help us achieve this goal.
• Preserve Enhancement – These funds support habitat enhancement projects, including the removing invasive species, creating depressional wetlands, restoring grasslands, and expanding KPC’s Coastal Prairie Native Seed Nursery, among other projects. Preserve enhancement funds also assist KPC in its master planning and research projects. Plans are already underway to restore 50-acres of grasslands on KPC’s Indiangrass Preserve in 2011.
• Planning – KPC continues to refine its overall preserve master plan, update management plans for individual preserves, and continues to work on identifying public access points and sensitive habitat areas. We are also exploring opportunities to build a major trail network and connect it with other nearby visitor amenities.
• Public Access Programming – These donations support planning and implementing public access programming, including tours, field trips, and special events such as Flat Out Fun Day, Open Trails, Prairie Discovery Tours, ECOnnections, and PrairieWorks. Donations also support educational programming for youth, including our nature camps Summer Science Nights and Winter Camp.
• Visitor Amenities – Funds designated to visitor amenities support the design, development, and maintenance of visitor amenities on the Katy Prairie. In 2010 KPC completed the construction of the Matt Cook Memorial Wildlife Viewing Platform at Warren Lake along with a nearby parking lot and trail to down to the platform. These amenities meet the Americans for Disabilities Act standards. In 2011, KPC will take the first steps to convert its Field Office to a visitor and education center, to be named the Prairie Discovery Center.
  

For more information on naming and sponsorship opportunities or to learn about other ways you can support the Katy Prairie Conservancy, please contact:

Mary Anne Piacentini
Executive Director
713.523.6135
fax: 713.523.6145
email: maryanne@katyprairie.org

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Katy Prairie Conservancy. See our complete 2009 and 2010 donor lists.