Keeping Nature Nearby for All to Enjoy

The City of Oaks Foundation believes that that a great outdoors contributes to a great Raleigh. Our trees, creeks, and forests, add beauty and character, and contribute to our quality of life. Because our City is growing so rapidly, it is critical to have land that can stay open and natural. The Foundation is working to acquire land so we can all have nature nearby to enjoy today, and in the future.

Raleigh, Naturally is a land conservation program designed to work with landowners on a voluntary basis for long-term stewardship of important natural areas. We work to protect and share these hidden treasures for enjoyment today and tomorrow. Projects in this program have included Joslin Garden, the Kellam Wyatt Farm, and Azalea Falls.

Give Play is our program helping children from low-income families to participate in Raleigh’s summer camps and nature programs, designed to get children outdoors and active.

Conservation Explorers is our program supporting youth education in conservation, with a special emphasis on serving under-represented and low-wealth communities. Working with private and public partners we support programs that provide hands-on experience in conservation education, conservation-based volunteerism, youth leadership development, and job training. Some projects within this program include the Neighborhood Ecology Corps and Partnership Raleigh.

Roots 2 STEM is our program helping children from low-income families and under-represented communities to participate in educational enrichment activities related to the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) fields.

The City of Oaks Foundation also works to provide Fiscal Sponsorship for community partners with a similar mission and vision, and has worked to assist small volunteer organizations as well as helping launch larger organizations through their start-up phase in managing their charitable giving program. (Fiscal sponsorship is not a grant program and the Foundation is not soliciting grant proposals or requests for funding at this time).

The Foundation’s own independent programing has focused on conservation education, environmental protection, youth development, and similar charitable purposes. By focusing on land and water conservation as well as connecting youth to nature, we hope to keep green space in a rapidly-growing Raleigh and instill a love of nature for generations to come.

For landowners interested in a conservation legacy

Donating land or a conservation easement is a big decision and takes time. The first step is to get the facts so you can make informed decisions. The City of Oaks Foundation is here to help. Contact us for what you need to know.

Learn more about the Foundation’s Hidden Treasures:

1. Joslin Garden

2. Kellam-Wyatt FarM Preserve

3. AZALEA DRIVE

4. OTHER PROPERTIES

For More Information about the Give Play Program

The Foundation believes in the principle that a connection to the natural world is fundamental to the health and well being of children. To that end we partner with Raleigh’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department to support outdoor activities for the children of Raleigh. For more information about this year's program, please visit: Give Play Applications for 2023 Now Available.