Stuart Conway
TWP Future Leaders Fund

An old Sony computer monitor placed outdoors on rocky ground in a forested area, displaying a TV interview with a man labeled Stuart Conway, discussing trees, water, and people.

Stuart Conway founded Trees, Water & People (TWP) in 1998. His work was the culmination of a lifetime of travel, service in the Peace Corps, and a deep love for the natural world. Since his retirement, TWP has continued to thrive, impacting thousands of lives annually through work across Central America, Mexico, and Indigenous territories in the Western U.S. 

Although Stuart never took a salary, he thoughtfully hired his successor, Sebastian Africano, who has proven to be a strong and capable leader carrying the organization forward. Now with a full leadership team and almost 20 employees, TWP is building its next generation of leaders by launching the $1 Million Stuart Conway Future Leaders Fund at TWP.

This endowed fund will provide a permanent pool of capital from which TWP can attract, retain and cultivate future talent at TWP. With the fund under local, third-party management, TWP will use the interest and income generated to hire and develop the best leaders for TWP’s continued growth, in perpetuity. 

Stuart’s health continues to decline, but he remains present, and it would mean a great deal to him to see his legacy continue. TWP remains committed to the grassroots work that Stuart cherished, and continues to grow its responsibility and reach year after year.  

Your gift will help ensure Stuart’s legacy echoes for decades to come.  

Join us in raising $1,000,000 by Stuart’s 75th birthday and TWP’s 30th anniversary in 2028

To make a contribution, email Sebastian Africano at sebastian@twp.org or use the button below:

Attend a screening:

  • May 2026, Cleveland, Ohio (details coming soon)

  • Summer 2026, Fort Collins, CO (details coming soon)

  • Summer 2026, RPCV Screening 

If you would like to screen this film or help organize a legacy fundraiser, please contact jose@treeswaterpeople.org

  • An endowed fund or endowment is a pool of capital raised by a nonprofit organization and managed by a third party financial institution that provides perpetual financial resources for the organization. The principal (corpus) of the fund is invested to create interest and investment returns. When funds are drawn by the nonprofit at or below the rate of return, the corpus stays intact and continues to generate interest and investment returns in perpetuity.

  • Philanthropic foundations and endowments are required to disburse at least 5% of their corpus to maintain their designation as a charitable foundation. This is based on the long-term rate of return of market investments. Many foundations have responded to increased need in their sectors by increasing their disbursement rate to as high as 15%. The goal is to not drain down resources in the fund prematurely.

  • Trees, Water & People currently holds an endowment with the Northern Colorado Community Foundation (nocofoundation.org) , and is exploring various instruments that they offer to manage the Stuart Conway Future Leaders Fund. The fund will be governed by TWP’s board of directors, who will approve withdrawals per the norms established for the fund in partnership with our local community foundation.

  • Yes, contributing to the Stuart Conway Future Leaders Fund from your family’s donor advised fund or family foundation is a tax efficient way to support this initiative. Other tax-wise ways to give include making gifts of appreciated assets or properties, making qualified charitable distributions from IRA accounts, or including TWP in your estate plan, designating the fund as the beneficiary.

  • Trees, Water & People’s current funding streams, including foundation grants, donations from individuals, and corporate partnerships typically cover the costs of running a program or project, but seldom leave enough for attracting and retaining talented management staff. We promote from within, and have stellar employee retention, but can create more meaningful careers by reserving a pool of funds to support staff that aren’t written into grants.

  • Nonprofit organizations across the country struggle to retain employees due to low pay, limited growth opportunities and high emotional stress related to the causes they address. TWP has bucked that trend by investing in employee well-being, a healthy culture, and compensation commensurate with the level of talent we want to attract. Because our work is relational, high turnover can lead to distrust from the communities we serve, and the funders that support us. Retention is one secret to our success and growth.

  • Trees, Water & People knows that it is only as strong as its reputation with its staff, its funders and the communities it serves. We maintain a max 2:1 ratio of executive pay to lowest paid full time employees, offer competitive benefits, and help all staff save for retirement by contributing an additional 5% of an employee's salary to an IRA after three years with the company. Investing in staff financial literacy and well-being pays dividends and allows staff to focus more fully on the mission.

Frequently Asked Questions