By Allison DeFord, Executive Director, North American Forest Foundation Collierville, TN 901-860-41
From the time you turn over the calendar page, you know that November is associated with gratitude and the spirit of giving and helping others. This year, the month finishes with Giving Tuesday falling on November 30.
Giving Tuesday got its start back in 2012, highlighting radical generosity amid the peak season of holiday spending and shopping in general. (We all know how easy it is to bring home treasures for yourself when you’re doing holiday shopping for others! But, I digress…) The purpose of Giving Tuesday is to promote a culture of giving, building “a world where generosity is part of everyday life” as it states on their website.
Giving can take many forms—from volunteer hours or acts of kindness to financial contributions to your choice of non-profit or charitable organization. The event has swept the world, counting participants in 75 countries and hundreds of cities worldwide. So, as an individual or as a corporate citizen, how will you participate this year?
And how will you decide where your donation dollars will go? Choosing a charity doesn’t have to be a challenge. Need inspiration? Think back over the event of your year. What causes resonated? Where do you see that you can make an impact? Next question to answer is whether you want to act locally or globally.
Maybe your thoughts go toward an educational cause that helps people today and pays dividends into the future. After all, our future is with us today, in the hearts and minds of children. Even a single gift serving an educational purpose is multiplied by all the lives it touches.
At the North American Forest Foundation we know what it means to plant seeds and watch them grow—from acorn to oak, or from a child to an adult with a passion for forestry. We have a mission to help people understand the value of trees and increase awareness of the sustainability of wood. Encouraging young people to enter wood-based careers is one part of our purpose, along with teaching children about trees and the wood industry—and how wood is the best renewable resource to fight carbon emissions.
Teaching young people about trees takes place in the classroom and in the Omaha Children’s Museum traveling Forever Forest exhibit. Education takes place in the community and through introducing teens to the career opportunities in forestry and related industries. Spreading the word is only possible through the generous support of our donors and corporate sponsors.
Producing and participating in educational outreach, like Indiana’s IHLA Wood on Wheels traveling interactive exhibit, requires financial resources. As a non-profit, we understand stewardship and wise management. Support from donors has allowed us to reach more than one hundred thousand elementary school kids with our TruthAboutTrees educational kits; our eyes are set on the goal of reaching one million students by 2030.
Why not join us and be part of a project that touches lives today and future generations.
Giving Tuesday will be here before you know it. For many organizations, it’s an opportunity to be part of something bigger and even explore new charitable endeavors, like helping more people learn about how North American forests are sustainably maintained to keep trees growing and flourishing for generations.
To make your tax-deductible donation by November 30th, go to Naff.kindful.com and select Giving Tuesday!
And, thank you in advance! Together, we’re changing hearts and minds about wood, for good, by harvesting the next generation through education. Helping kids become #exTREEmelysmart creates a healthier future for them, our industry, and the planet.
To learn more or find out how you can support this important work, please visit us at www.northamericanforestfoundation.org or drop Allison DeFord, our Executive Director, a line at adeford@northamericanforestfoundation.org.
