North Florida Land Trust has announced that Delores Barr Weaver has established the North Florida Land Trust Fund at The Community Foundation to benefit and support the work of the nonprofit land conservation organization. Weaver has designated a $1 million grant from the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds to be distributed to the trust over the next 10 years to help fund land purchases.
“This generous gift that Delores Barr Weaver has invested in us will allow us to continue our work to save Florida’s natural spaces because it is now or never,” said Allison DeFoor, trust president. “We are celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2024, and this gift is a great way to start the year. Delores’s devotion to making the world a better place is outstanding. She has built a legacy of commitment to community, and her kindness and generosity will be felt for generations to come.”
North Florida Land Trust will receive up to $100,000 a year through 2034 from the fund to help pay for the preservation of conservation lands. As the trust increases its fundraising revenue to match federal and state grants, the fund will help the nonprofit launch and leverage additional funding from other sources. The trust will need to raise about $15 million in private support to fulfill the match requirements over the next few years.
Weaver established the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund 12 years ago to support many causes in the community. Over the past year, she has worked with staff at The Community Foundation to make grants both locally and beyond Northeast Florida.
“Since my earliest involvement, I have felt connected to NFLT’s mission of preservation and celebration. Their work is not only centered on safeguarding natural places but helps people enjoy these areas and hear the stories of the preserved land,” said Weaver. "The work of NFLT will continue to span generations. Joined by many others, I can play a part in preserving our treasured natural spaces, which enrich our lives in so many ways.”
The Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund has been a supporter of the trust for many years. She has been instrumental in supporting projects, including the trust’s Bogey Creek Preserve, the Spanish-American War Fort, which is now a part of the National Park Service, and Little Nana Dune in American Beach.
