The Organization

The Nature Conservancy Illinois is a leading conservation organization working to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends. With a long history of impact across Illinois, TNC plays a critical role in advancing conservation solutions related to climate, freshwater, agriculture, and community resilience — locally and globally.

The Challenge

As part of The Nature Conservancy’s historic $12 billion global campaign, the Illinois chapter was preparing to step into an ambitious leadership role with a $150 million state-level goal. While the vision was compelling and donor commitment strong, leadership recognized the need for clarity and alignment before moving fully into campaign mode.

Key questions included:

• How ready is Illinois to pursue a goal of this magnitude?

• How does Illinois’ impact story connect clearly to the global campaign?

• What would it take to engage trustees, major donors, and partners at a leadership level?

• How should the campaign be structured to build momentum early and sustain it?

The Approach

True North partnered with the Illinois team through a phased campaign engagement that included:

• Campaign readiness assessment and feasibility interviews

• Donor and stakeholder insight to test vision, priorities, and gift potential

• Creation of campaign strategy, milestones and cross-team workplan 

• Early campaign counsel supporting leadership engagement and donor strategy

The work balanced data-driven analysis with deep attention to relationships, leadership dynamics, and organizational culture.

The Results

Within the first year of the five-year campaign, The Nature Conservancy Illinois raised $35M toward its $150M goal, establishing strong early momentum and positioning Illinois as a key contributor to the global campaign.

Beyond dollars raised, the organization gained clearer alignment among staff, trustees, and donors — along with a campaign structure built for sustained, long-term success.