This case study was originally published in May 2024 on cafonline.org.
Ned’s forest
For several years, 15-year-old Ned had been surveying, monitoring and photographing an area of land near his home. The 69-acre plot in the southern coastal area of Eurobodalla in New South Wales, Australia is home to important old growth coastal forest habitat with 200-plus year-old trees that support populations of vulnerable and endangered species. Among the unique and wonderful animals that call this site home are several species of glider, owls and cockatoos.
While out photographing species in early 2023, Ned discovered a boundary clearing being prepared for sub-division and development, so alerted his mum and a family friend at Local Land Services. It wasn’t long until CAF clients, Mark and Julie Mills, heard about the land and wanted to help.
With connections to the area for many years due to family holidays in the region, the Mills had become increasingly concerned about the amount of bush being disturbed or destroyed to accommodate new suburbs and development.
In 2016, they decided to do their bit for conservation by purchasing a local 40-acre former dairy farm, which they revegetated and protected with a conservation covenant. These activities brought them into contact with a range of conservation organizations and locals equally concerned about habitat loss.
Our Support
The Mills, who are Australian but based in London for work, have a long-established commitment to environmental causes. Working with CAF, they made a $1.5 million AUD donation to Biodoversity Legacy Ltd, a not-for-profit charity that is dedicated to supporting individuals, communities and organizations who want to protect biodiversity and ensure the equitable transfer of land to future generations.
CAF supported the clients by working up an agreement that the funds be used specifically to purchase the land. In partnership with the charity, Julie and Mark were able to ensure that the title was transferred into a safe-ownership structure that secures its in-perpetuity protection and supports ongoing locally led stewardship.
With Biodiversity Legacy Ltd being an Australian charity, CAF was able to support with expertise in cross-border giving, ensuring the client could be confident that the relevant administrative and verification processes were carried out effectively.
While a direct donation to an Australian charity wouldn’t be eligible for UK tax relief, by working with CAF, Mark and Julie were able to use Gift Aid to add 25% to the value of their gift.
The Impact
The region was hard hit by the 2019-2020 Black Summer fire season, with 80% of the Eurobodalla Shire burned and studies show that biodiversity has struggled to recover in the area. The in-perpetuity protection of this 69-acre plot will provide a platform for the establishment of the ‘Ned’s Forest Education Program’ – an essential ‘living laboratory’ for native species and a base for ongoing protection, monitoring, experiential study and training.
Julie Mills said: “There are crucial small areas of habitat all along the Eastern Seaboard, which are under threat from development. If, as Australians, we wish to maintain connectivity of habitat so species can move across the landscape, and so we have ‘local bushland’, in our communities, it is essential that we protect small but important tracts of bushland like this. It was time to put our money where our mouth is and step up”.
“We knew what we wanted to do and were delighted to find that Biodiversity Legacy had already identified this gap in private land conservation and had created a mechanism to address the problem” explained Julie.
“Critical to this approach is that we don’t need to own the land – it becomes a pathway where the community bands together to campaign and raise funds to protect the places they love – we are calling on people of our generation who are in the position to make financial contributions to the protection of biodiversity for future generations.”
Project takeaways
Strength of local-community connections
Connections to the community can often inspire charitable giving. By listening to community representatives and organizations, donors can increase their understanding of the unique needs in a particular area and ensure their support can have real, long-term impact.
Cross-border giving
Donors should not be put off supporting important international causes by the complexities of cross-border giving. By using CAF, donors can outsource all the due diligence and other regulatory considerations to us, making this type of project simple and stress-free.
Gift Aid
It can be hard for donors to prioritize overseas giving, when they know that donations to UK charities can be boosted by Gift Aid and other tax relief. For donors with a passion for projects outside the UK, CAF can be the solution, creating a route for Gift Aid eligible donations to be used on exciting projects around the world.
