Frequently Asked Questions

Since 1962, the Nature Conservancy of Canada has brought people together to protect the lands and waters that sustain us all. As an environmental charity working hand in hand with communities, Indigenous Nations, governments and businesses, we deliver nature-based solutions at a scale no one else can. Our conservation work safeguards clean air and water, stores carbon and reduces the risks of floods and wildfires — protecting our health, strengthening local economies and building more resilient communities. Together, we unlock nature’s power so life can thrive.

Land purchase — NCC acquires ecologically significant lands outright, permanently removing them from development and ensuring they are protected and cared for in perpetuity.  

Conservation easements — Landowners voluntarily limit harmful activities on their property while retaining ownership. NCC holds the easement and monitors compliance over the long term.

Partnership and relationship-brokering — NCC brings together Indigenous Nations, governments, industry and communities to unlock conservation outcomes that no single organization could achieve alone. We have signed several memorandums of understanding with Indigenous Nations and communities, formalizing collaborative stewardship of conservation lands.

NCC by the numbers:

• 20 million hectares conserved since 1962
• 670,000 supporters across Canada
• 1.2 billion dollars raised for conservation since 2021
• 258 species at risk with habitat protected on NCC lands — 36% of all species at risk in Canada
• 47 million tonnes of carbon stored on NCC lands
• 1.3 million people benefiting from flood regulation services from NCC conservation projects
• 200+ active research partnerships, covering every province 
   

NCC contributes to local and regional economies in a variety of ways. As a landowner, NCC pays applicable property taxes and works with municipalities, landowners, businesses and contractors across Canada. NCC invests in local communities by employing staff, engaging contractors and purchasing goods and services to support stewardship activities such as habitat restoration, trail maintenance, fencing, invasive species management and ecological monitoring. Conservation projects can also support tourism, recreation and other economic benefits associated with healthy natural landscapes.

If you’re curious about the native species of animals living on or plants growing on your property, or if it’s a natural area you would like conserved for the enjoyment of future generations, please let us know.

As a donor, you will see the difference your ongoing support is making through: 

• impact updates, highlighting important projects and showing how your support helps protect habitats and wildlife
• stories from the field that bring you closer to the people, places and communities behind NCC’s conservation work
• our annual report, offering a deeper look at the conservation impact donors like you helped make possible
• exclusive content created for our donor community 

NCC works with trusted fundraising partners who visit communities across Canada to raise awareness about conservation, answer questions and share how becoming a monthly donor helps protect Canada's natural spaces and the species that live there. 

NCC works with two reputable face-to-face fundraising agencies: Public Outreach and Globalfaces Direct. We personally train our face-to-face fundraisers to be passionate ambassadors for NCC by providing them with in-depth training, where they gain insights into our history, mission and programs. 

You may encounter our face-to-face fundraisers on the street or going door to door in the following areas: Greater Vancouver Area, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg Metropolitan Region, Greater Toronto Area, London, Hamilton, Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Fredericton.

NCC’s fundraisers can be easily identified by the NCC-branded gear and equipment they have, including: 

• NCC-branded lanyard, displaying their name and photo
• NCC-branded bright green vest, and/or NCC-branded apparel like baseball cap, beanie, t-shirt and sweater
• printed materials about NCC properties and conversation projects
• electronic tablet to securely process credit card or direct debit monthly gifts (they will never accept cash donations)

NCC works closely with Public Outreach and Globalfaces Direct to ensure your information remains secure and confidential. You or our fundraiser will enter and submit your information into a secure tablet that bears the NCC logo, and your information will be encrypted. 

Your first donation to NCC will be processed on the spot and your gift will be confirmed immediately by an email receipt. New monthly donors can expect to receive a phone call to verify that the information we collected is accurate. Our trusted telephone verification centre call numbers are: 

• 438-899-7024
• 514-418-0032 
• 604-343-1013 
• 604-800-3731 
• 647-977-9295 
• 778-817-0220 
• 888-505-0270 

NCC will be in touch by email to welcome you aboard and introduce you to our team and the work you are making possible. 

Not ready to give in person? No problem! You can still sign up today to protect your favourite Canadian landscapes and the iconic species that live there. 

Sign up today.

Tele-fundraising is a cost-effective way for NCC to generate vital funds for our conservation work while sharing updates about our programs with thousands of people across the country. This includes calling and sending SMS text messages to donors periodically throughout the year. We deeply value the feedback and support of our donors and are grateful when they take the time to engage with us over the phone.

NCC's tele-fundraising campaigns are conducted by three reputable agencies: Fundraising Direct, Public Outreach and Voicelogic. To ensure that our fundraisers are knowledgeable and passionate ambassadors for NCC, we provide comprehensive training workshops where they learn about our history, mission and programs. We take pride in the expertise, enthusiasm and professionalism of our fundraising partners.

Telephone fundraisers representing NCC primarily contact individuals who have previously interacted with or supported us. Occasionally, we also conduct cold-calling campaigns to reach new audiences.

Our fundraisers are equipped to:

• answer questions about NCC’s conservation efforts and ongoing projects; and
• provide details about a donor’s past gift history upon request, ensuring transparency and trust

SMS messages are usually sent before or after a phone call and may include URLs linked to our website: natureconservancy.ca.

Official phone numbers:

• Our tele-fundraising calls are typically made from these phone numbers: 514-228-2805 and 289-509-0650.
• Our SMS messages are typically sent from 416-548-4799.

If you have any concerns or questions about the validity of a call or SMS message, please contact our supporter services team at 1-800-465-8005 or supporter.services@natureconservancy.ca.

Review our privacy policy to see how we are keeping your personal and financial information safe. If you have any questions about our face-to-face fundraising or tele-fundraising, please contact our Supporter Services team at 1-800-465-8005 or supporter.services@natureconservancy.ca.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals, in collaboration with Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits developed a Donor Bill of Rights, which has been widely adopted as minimum best practices for the charitable sector. We aim to exceed these standards. To learn about how NCC protects your privacy, view our privacy policy.

Yes. NCC reaches out to donors via SMS messaging periodically throughout the year. You may have received an SMS message on behalf of NCC from the following phone number: 416-548-4799. SMS messages are usually sent before or after a phone call and may include URLs linked to our website: natureconservancy.ca.

To opt out of receiving future SMS messages, reply back to the SMS message with STOP, or contact our Supporter Services team at 1-800-465-8005 or supporter.services@natureconservancy.ca. 

Many charities find that this a cost-effective way to encourage people to make a donation to their charity. There is minimal cost in sending out labels, calendars and other materials; however, if you no longer wish to receive these items, please let us know at supporter.services@natureconservancy.ca. Please be sure to include your complete address. 

Nature needs protection every day of the year. Monthly donations provide steady, reliable funding that helps NCC plan ahead, respond quickly when important conservation opportunities arise, and invest in long-term projects that protect nature across Canada.

By giving monthly, you provide ongoing support that helps ensure conservation work can continue whenever and wherever it is needed most. 

Both one-time and monthly donations make an important difference for nature. A one-time gift provides immediate support, while a monthly gift spreads your giving across the year through smaller, automatic contributions.

Monthly giving allows NCC to plan ahead, invest in long-term conservation projects, and respond quickly when important opportunities to protect land and wildlife arise. It also reduces administrative costs, meaning more of your donation can go toward conservation.

For many supporters, monthly giving is also a convenient way to make a larger impact through manageable monthly contributions.

Together, monthly donors help NCC conserve important habitats, protect species at risk, restore ecosystems, and respond when critical conservation opportunities arise.

Your gift combines with thousands of others to create lasting conservation impact across Canada.

NCC takes the security and privacy of your personal information seriously.

All online donations are processed through secure payment systems, and your information is handled in accordance with our privacy practices and applicable privacy laws.

As a monthly donor, you will see the difference your ongoing support is making through: 

• Impact updates, highlighting important projects and showing how your support helps protect habitats and wildlife,
• Stories from the field that bring you closer to the people, places and communities behind NCC’s conservation work,
• Personal calls to thank you and recognize your ongoing commitment to nature,
• Our annual report, offering a deeper look at the conservation impact donors like you helped make possible,
• Exclusive content created for our monthly giving community.

By giving monthly, you become part of a dedicated community of supporters committed to protect nature for the long-term.

If you would like to update your name, address and/or phone number, please call us at 1-800-465-8005 or email us at supporter.services@natureconservancy.ca.

We encourage you to first consider an unrestricted donation, which gives us the flexibility to deploy funds in the areas of greatest need — and greatest promise. However, if you would prefer to restrict your donation to a specific area, let us know so that we can ensure your gift is designated according to your wishes.

If you would like to update your credit card or banking information for your monthly gift, or to update the amount of your monthly gift or to cancel your monthly donation, please contact us by telephone at 1-800-465-8005.

You have the ability to choose which communications we send you. Please call us at 1-800-465-8005 or email us at supporter.services@natureconservancy.ca and we will be happy to update your preferences.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) states that a registered charity cannot return a donor’s gift. Once a donation is made, ownership of the funds transfers from the donor to the charity, and the charity is obligated to use the gift to support its charitable activities. As a registered charity, the Nature Conservancy of Canada must adhere to these CRA guidelines. For more information, please visit the CRA website. If you have any further questions or concerns regarding refunds, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-800-465-8005 or email supporter.services@natureconservancy.ca. We’ll be happy to assist you.

There are lots of ways to volunteer with NCC. For more information on volunteering, click here.

The majority of lands of interest to NCC host native pasture, wetlands or trees. NCC is interested in partnering with landowners to conserve native plants and animals, many of which are species at risk. We do this through:

• Direct purchase of land — NCC pays fair market value using independent third party appraisers for any properties we purchase.
• Lease back — Landowners who sell land to NCC may negotiate a lease agreement for continued use of all or portions of the property.
• Donations of life interest — Landowners who are concerned about conserving their property for when they pass on/are no longer able to stay on the property may reach an agreement whereby the landowner(s) surrender the title to NCC once they pass on/no longer live on the parcel, and yet receive tax receipts reflecting the appraised value of the donation at the time the agreement is reached.
• Conservation easements — NCC purchases conservation easements that allow landowners to retain ownership and use of their property under easement while honouring agreed-upon restrictions (e.g., not draining wetlands), ensuring long-term conservation of all or portions of their property.
• Donations — Landowners who donate their properties containing native species receive tax receipts reflecting the appraised value of the donation. Donations negotiated through the Federal Eco Gift Program receive treatment that is superior to most other charitable gifts. 

The best monthly gift is one that feels comfortable and sustainable for you.

Many supporters choose an amount they can easily fit into their monthly budget. Whether you give $10, $20, $30 or more each month, your ongoing support helps protect Canada's lands, waters and wildlife year-round.

Yes. You remain in full control of your monthly donation and can increase, decrease, or cancel your gift at any time.

Simply contact our Supporter Services team at 1.800.465.8005 or email us at supporter.services@natureconservancy.ca and we'll be happy to help.  

Yes. If you need to update your payment information, please contact our Supporter Services team.

Keeping your payment information up to date helps ensure your monthly gift continues uninterrupted, allowing your support to have the greatest possible impact for nature. 

Yes. Monthly donors receive a single annual tax receipt in February that includes all eligible donations made during the previous calendar year.

Your receipt will be sent automatically, making tax time simple and convenient. To ensure you receive it, please keep your contact information up to date. If you have moved or need to update your mailing address, please contact our Supporter Services team by phone or email. 

Yes, NCC permits public access to most of its properties. We support recreational activities that are environmentally sustainable, foster a connection with nature and require minimal infrastructure. However, some lands are restricted due to their sensitive nature. NCC encourages visitors to adhere to Leave No Trace principles to minimize their environmental impact.

No. While the majority of NCC’s properties welcome visitors, a small percentage are closed to the public to protect sensitive conservation values. At certain times, properties may be closed to protect visitors and the land, such as during natural disasters or times of high fire risk.  

Sometimes permission is required for accessing the land. Please see the NCC website for more information. 

NCC endorses low-density recreational activities (such as hiking and birdwatching) that:  

• encourage visitors to connect with nature
• preserve natural views and sounds
• promote a sense of quietness, respect and peacefulness
• offer opportunities for observation, contemplation, solitude and relaxation

Sanctioned activities can vary depending on what the site can support for both visitor experience and ecological values.