The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation has announced a $30 million donation to The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that works to address critical conservation challenges around the world.

The five-year donation (Routes & Roots: Enterprise Healthy Rivers Project) helps support The Nature Conservancy’s long-term water resource management initiatives and is expected to benefit 150 million people.

The project highlights the importance of “blue infrastructure” — rivers and regional watersheds — which not only supply drainage and outflow for rainfall and streams, but also strengthen habitats and farmlands, generate renewable energy, and provide transportation options.

“This contribution is one of the biggest gifts we have received in many years,” said Mark Tercek, president and CEO for The Nature Conservancy. “It will benefit both people and wildlife across two continents, while facilitating the sharing of best practices to drive global progress in conservation. This effort to preserve great rivers is about more than just protecting fresh water today — it also demonstrates Enterprise’s leadership, vision, and commitment to making a difference for the long term.”

“Our philanthropic focus is not always directly related to our business, but instead reaches beyond to make a difference and improve the quality of life wherever our employees and customers live and work,” said Carolyn Kindle Betz, senior vice president and executive director of the Foundation. “We’re thrilled to support and partner with a world-class organization like The Nature Conservancy in this effort to help ensure that healthy rivers continue to enrich our lives for generations to come.”

The Nature Conservancy will use the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation’s $30 million donation to help protect and preserve four major rivers and watersheds across North America and Europe: Mississippi River, Colorado River, Canada’s Boreal Forest, and Western Balkans’ rivers and lands in Europe.