20th Anniversary Gala

Rooted In Legacy Rooted In Legacy Rooted In Legacy

Rooted In Legacy Rooted In Legacy Rooted In Legacy

Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation 20th Anniversary Gala

We want to invite you to join us for our 20th Anniversary Gala, which will be held on June 20, 2025, at The Gaillard Center in Charleston, SC. This occasion marks a significant milestone as we celebrate 20 years of empowering underserved landowners. We honor our enduring commitment to securing their inherited rights to family land by providing unwavering support and resources such as legal and forestry education and services. Our efforts focus on protecting, preserving, and sustaining these lands, ensuring they continue to thrive and build generational wealth through productive working landscapes.

Sponsored By:

Keynote Speaker:
Chuck Leavell

Renowned as the longtime keyboardist and Musical Director for The Rolling Stones, Chuck Leavell’s legendary career includes collaborations with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Allman Brothers Band, John Mayer, and more. Offstage, he’s a passionate conservationist, award-winning tree farmer, and host of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell — where CHPP and our landowners were featured in Episode 3!

Chuck Leavell’s keyboard work has been heard on the works of Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, George Harrison, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Blues Traveler, Train, Martina McBride, John Mayer, David Gilmour and many other prominent artists. His association with the Stones began back in 1982 and is still going strong, having recently toured with the Stones on their 2024 “Hackney Diamonds” tour of the US, serving as Musical Director for the band. Chuck can be seen and heard on the “David Gilmour: Live in Pompeii” CD and DVD released in 2017. He is also a ‘first call’ session musician, working in studios around the world. Chuck is also an artist in his own right, with several successful solo CDs in circulation, the latest of which is “Chuck Gets Big” on BMG records, with a 17-piece Big Band. He is the author of four books: Forever Green: The History and Hope of the American Forest; Between Rock and a Home Place (autobiography), The Tree Farmer (a children’s book); and his most recent is Growing A Better America, about “smart” growth. In Feb of 2012 Leavell received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy for his work with the Allman Brothers Band as well as an Honorary Ranger award from the US Forest Service. He is host of the TV program, “America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell”, on PBS. His documentary, “Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man” has been called by many the best “Rockumentary” ever. He and his wife, Rose Lane Leavell, live on their 4000 acre award winning Tree Farm, Charlane Woodlands (www.charlane.com) in Bullard, Ga.

Entertainment:
Charlton Singleton

A native of Awendaw, SC, Charlton Singleton began his musical studies at the age of three on the piano. He would then go on to study the organ, violin, cello, and the trumpet throughout elementary, middle, and high school. In 1994, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance degree from South Carolina State University. Since that time, he has taught music at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as being an adjunct faculty member at the College of Charleston. In 2008 he cofounded and became the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra; an 18-piece jazz ensemble of some of the finest professional musicians in the Southeast and the resident big band in Charleston, SC. Mr. Singleton is also the organist and choir director at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Charleston, SC. In November of 2016 he was named the inaugural Artist in Residence at the recently renovated Gaillard Center in downtown Charleston. He remained in this position until July 2019; at that point he was named Artist in Residence Emeritus. In this position he continues to lead the Summer Youth Jazz Orchestra Camp as well as lead the “Jazz Through the Ages” assembly, which attracts a capacity crowd of students at the Gaillard Center.

As a performer, Charlton leads his own ensembles that vary in size and style. He has performed in France, Great Britain, Scotland, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, The Netherlands, as well as many great cities throughout the United States. He is a founding member of an ensemble called Ranky Tanky. The group is a quintet that interprets the sounds of Gullah from the Southeast Coast of the United States. In 2017 Ranky Tanky reached the top of the Billboard, iTunes, and Amazon Contemporary Jazz charts with their self-titled debut recording. In 2019 they accomplished the same feat with the release of their sophomore effort, “Good Time”, which won the 2019 Grammy Award for “Best Regional Roots Album”. In 2022 the band’s live recorded set at the prestigious New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was nominated for and won the Grammy Award in the same category. In 2021 he was the recipient of the SC Governor’s Award, which honors arts organizations, patrons, artists, members of the business community, and government entities who maximize their roles as innovators, supporters, and advocates for the arts. It is the highest honor for the arts in the state of South Carolina. In March of 2023 Charlton was appointed by the Mayor and City Council of the City of Charleston as the Artistic Director of the MOJA Arts Festival – a multi-disciplinary festival produced annually and directed by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs.

In addition to performing, he is in demand as a speaker, clinician, composer, and arranger. He has also shared the stage with and/or worked with some of the most talented entertainers in the world, including Lisa Fischer, Bobby McFerrin, Ruby Dee, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton, Houston Person, Darius Rucker, Fred Wesley, and Cyrus Chestnut to name a few. Outside of music and entertainment, he, and his wife, MaryJo, are the proud parents of Shalamar and D’Marcus and new grandparents to Sophia Rose. They are also parents to their FOUR pets...Jango, MoJo, Dakota, and Ginger.

Rooted In Legacy

Heirs’ Property:
A Critical Barrier
to Housing and
Land Ownership

Heirs’ property exists across the country and represents one of the most significant yet often overlooked barriers to housing and land ownership, particularly in African American communities. In the Lowcountry of South Carolina, most heirs' property (HP) is believed to be rural land acquired by African Americans following emancipation who were routinely denied access to the legal system and education. As a result, heirs’ property is owned "in common" by all descendants, regardless of their connection to the land, whether they live on it, pay taxes, or have ever visited it.

A
Persistent Barrier
to Stability
and Wealth

This unique form of ownership often leads to disputes, making heirs’ property vulnerable to forced sales and tax foreclosures. It has been a critical barrier to housing stability, community preservation, and wealth-building. In the Lowcountry, rampant coastal and inland development has intensified these pressures. Many historically underserved landowners (HULOs) with dormant or underutilized land adjacent to major developments risk losing their property due to unresolved title issues or escalating property taxes.

CHPP™: A Lifeline for Heirs’ Property Landowners

2002

CHPP™ began as a project of the Coastal Community Foundation in 2002 to assist historically disadvantaged heirs’ property landowners in obtaining clear titles and preserving family land. CHPP™ empowers families to address heirs’ property issues and helps them convert their land into sustainable, wealth-generating assets.

2005

Recognizing this urgent need, the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation® (CHPP™) was established in 2005 as an independent nonprofit.

2013

In 2013, CHPP™ launched the African American Land Retention and Sustainable Forestry pilot project (SFP), funded by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, USDA Forest Service, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The project’s success led to the expansion of CHPP’s Sustainable Forestry Program (SF), offering families practical solutions to land retention while promoting economic benefits.

2025

Over the past two decades, CHPP™ has evolved to become a vital resource for those navigating the complexities of heirs' property. By providing comprehensive legal assistance and community outreach, CHPP™ has empowered countless individuals to secure their rightful ownership and preserve their family's legacy.

Expanding the Model Nationally

In response to increasing demand, CHPP™ developed a strategic plan to collaborate by sharing its proven South Carolina model across other states. It has successfully collaborated with the Mississippi Center for Justice to replicate this approach and is extending its efforts to Appalachia and the Black Belt regions, focusing on states like Alabama, Arkansas, East Texas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia.

By addressing the historical and systemic issues tied to heirs’ property, CHPP™ is helping to dismantle one of the critical barriers to housing security, economic mobility, and family land preservation in underserved communities.

Sponsorships

By sponsoring CHPP’s 20th Anniversary Gala, you will be able to demonstrate a commitment to education and economic community development. We offer several sponsorship levels, each with corresponding recognition opportunities, detailed below.

Educational Initiatives

Your support will help us continue offering valuable workshops and seminars that help equip landowners with the critical skills and knowledge needed to manage and prosper from their properties.

Be A Sponsor

Community Engagement

Allows CHPP to provide knowledge about heirs’ property to landowners throughout South Carolina and East Texas (including additional states of our replication work).

Be A Sponsor

Driving Positive Change

Your support helps us continue our efforts to address heirs’ property issues, which directly contribute to economic stability and growth.

Be A Sponsor

Sponsorship Levels

$ 25,000

Exclusive branding
Prominent logo placement on all event promotion materials
Two premium, reserved tables with seating for 8 guests each
Special acknowledgment during the event
Opportunity to address the audience during the gala
VIP parking for up to 16 guests

SOLD

$ 15,000

Prominent logo placement on all event promotional materials
Premium reserved table with seating for 8 guests
Acknowledgement during the event
VIP parking for 8 guests
6 social media recognition posts

$ 10,000

Prominent logo placement on all event promotional materials
Preferred reserved table with seating for 8 guests
Acknowledgement during the event
4 social media recognition posts

$ 5,000

Logo placement on all event promotional materials
Preferred reserved table with seating for 8 guests
Acknowledgement during the event
2 social media recognition posts

$ 2,500

Listed as Silver Sponsor on all event promotional materials
Preferred seating together for 4 guests
Social Media recognition post

$ 1,000

Listed as bronze sponsor on all event promotional materials
Preferred seating together for 2 guests
Social Media recognition post

Stay Connected with
Heirs' Property

Contact us for any inquiries or questions you may have