When you love a people and place as I do Down East Carteret County, you are grateful for all of the good folks who have preserved this heritage and this way of life through the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center. There is work to do here Down East. Work that will make a difference here along the shores of Core Sound for generations yet to come. If the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center is going to lead forward and be the vision and voice for Down East that it has been called to be, that will require that this vital organization be stronger, more sustainable, and more creative.

That's what the Campaign for the Future is about. By investing in four core areas - education, collections & traditions, operations, and community - we can move forward with a renewed vision, a larger vision, a stronger vision, a shared vision for the critical role of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center to the communities and people we serve.

On behalf of Emerald Isle Realty, my family business, we are proud to have supported the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center for more than 25 years, and I’m thrilled to announce our leadership support of this beautiful museum and its programs through a $100,000 Matching Challenge. In celebration of our shared love for this special part of the world, I’d like to invite you to join me in supporting the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center. On your next visit to Carteret County be sure to take that scenic drive to “the end of the road.”

Julia Wax
Owner, Emerald Isle Realty

 

A Place for the People

Founded in 1992, the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center has reached beyond the creeks and bridges that link Down East to the rest of the world, sharing the traditions of a proud people who call Core Sound home.
Built by the hands and hearts of its community, the Museum stands as one of North Carolina’s last coastal institutions created by — and for — the people whose lives and livelihoods define this place.

From its earliest vision at the Core Sound Decoy Festival to the thriving home “at the end of the road,” the Museum’s story is one of faith, hard work, and enduring pride.
Through storms and recovery, education and celebration, Core Sound continues to represent the living, breathing culture of Down East.

“There isn’t any institution closer to its people and its place than Core Sound.” – David Cecelski, Historian & Author

 
 

Building a Lasting Legacy:
Campaign for a Sound Future

 

As the Museum moves into its next chapter, we remain committed to “holding onto our way of life” while preparing for the generations ahead.

The Campaign for a Sound Future ensures that the work started more than 30 years ago will thrive for another 30 — safeguarding the stories, skills, and spirit of coastal North Carolina.

This campaign builds a permanent foundation for that work through an endowment that supports education, collections, community engagement, and organizational strength.

 
 

  • Core Sound’s multi-disciplinary, place-based education aligns with the spirit of Down East — a region shaped by natural resources, isolation, ingenuity, and resilience.

    With your help, we will:

    • We will expand programs that connect students and teachers to the landscape that define us

    • deepen our STEAM initiatives

    • strengthen cross-disciplinary learning for the next generation.

  • Working hands and storytelling hearts remain Core Sound’s greatest treasures. From hand-carved decoys to family songbooks, our collections embody a way of life.

    With your help, we will:

    • Catalog and conserve the Museum’s collection of decoys, art, and oral histories.

    • Support new exhibitions and educational programming.

    • Share local traditions through traveling exhibits and digital archives.

 

  • Since its beginning, Core Sound has been about “Our People. This Place. A Way of Life.” Your gift will allow us to honor the people and partnerships that make this place endure.

    With your help, we will:

    • Host community-driven events that celebrate shared identity and resilience.

    • Welcome new generations into the work of preserving Down East culture.

    • Expand partnerships across North Carolina’s coastal communities.

  • The Museum’s building, “at the end of the road,” is both a homeplace and a heartbeat for coastal North Carolina. Your gift will ensure the Museum’s strength and stability for the next 30 years.

    With your help, we will:

    • Build staff capacity and leadership.

    • Establish a permanent reserve and benefits fund.

    • Maintain facilities and prepare for future growth.

 

Will you join us in supporting our campaign for the future?

Core Sound’s story has always been one of perseverance, generosity, and pride of place. Here at the water’s edge, the only constant is change.
We exist and persist because of people who believe in what this place stands for.

Your support ensures that the voices, traditions, and values of Down East will always have a home.

We hope you’ll consider a gift to the Campaign for a Sound Future so that our people’s stories continue to shine over Core Sound and beyond.

Ways to Support

We welcomes gifts of cash, appreciated securities, real estate, retirement plans, lead trusts, bequests, life insurance, and remainder trusts, as well as tangible items approved by the Board of Directors.

Give Now to the Campaign

  • Your contribution of any size builds the permanent foundation that keeps Core Sound’s programs and mission thriving year after year.

    Ways supporters can give now and make an immediate impact.

    • Cash Gifts

    • IRA/401(k)/Retirement Plan Distributions

    • Real Estate

    • Appreciated Securities

    To discuss lead gifts and naming opportunities, please contact Karen Amspacher kwamspacher@gmail.com.

  • Legacy gifts ensure that Core Sound’s stories, traditions, and mission endure for generations. These planned commitments allow supporters to make a lasting impact while often providing meaningful tax advantages.

    • Bequests (through your will or estate plans)

    • Life Insurance Gifts

    • Real Estate (given through your estate)

    To discuss Live Oak Society membership or planned giving opportunities, please contact Karen Amspacher at kwamspacher@gmail.com.

  • Charitable Trusts & Structured Giving

    These giving vehicles provide long-term support for Core Sound while offering donors flexible financial and philanthropic benefits. They can generate income, reduce taxes, and ultimately strengthen the Museum’s future.

    • Charitable Lead Trust (CLT)

    • Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT)

    For more information about structured giving opportunities, please contact Karen Amspacher at kwamspacher@gmail.com.

 

Learn More

To learn more about our story, our hopes for the future, and more campaign details please download our campaign booklet.