[3][4] The foundation is supported by membership donations, individual philanthropy, and gifts of land from private landowners.
Conservation of such features usually creates relatively small reserves that are not environmentally sustainable in isolation, so the foundation also aims to create corridors of conserved land to link these features and larger reserves (such as national parks and state parks), which are also called greenways.
[5] Stillhouse Hollow Falls, a 90 acres (36 ha) tract including a 75 foot (23 m) waterfall, was acquired by the foundation in 2006 for $130,000 (equivalent to $196,481 in 2023).
[8] The intention was to expand this to 1,000 acres (400 ha) along the Mississippi River through further acquisitions financed by gifts and government grants.
[13] The same year, the foundation purchased 1,000 acres of Grassy Cove, one of North America's largest sinkholes.