If Christmas and New Year's get eves, John, why not Giving Tuesday? Certainly, such an inspiring day deserves a little extra love and attention. It's only the single biggest global giving day for causes near and dear to our hearts!
So, we're calling it—it's Giving Tuesday Eve. And to make this year's GTE extra special, some of our donors are offering to match your gift not once, not twice, but five times over—but only through midnight tonight!
Make your Giving Tuesday gift one day early to have it matched 5X >>
Not only will your gift quintuple in impact, it will count towards our ambitious goal: to inspire at least 1,300 Trust for Public Land members to participate in Giving Tuesday this year. That would beat last year, John, and show just how committed our members are to providing the benefits of protected public land to all.
There are many reasons why I think a Giving Tuesday gift to Trust for Public Land is a great investment of your hard-earned dollars, John, but I'm just going to share one right now.
You know that land conservation is important. It’s beneficial for reasons of climate, wildlife, recreation, and health. The list goes on. But we aren't just conserving land here; we're intentionally investing in the next generation of conservationists—to keep conservation going strong and ensure that it evolves to meet the needs of the day. We do this through a program called Generation Now, or "Gen Now."
Gen Now refers to the people we hire and specially train as early career conservationists. On top of the usual onboarding any new hire receives, Gen Now staff get mentorship from senior colleagues, meet monthly to create community as younger conservationists, and participate in seminars to help learn the niche aspects of conservation, like how to navigate large real estate deals.
Structuring our work with younger staff as a program also gives us a great way to hear their ideas and concerns. That two-way dialogue is crucial to the future of conservation.
Give now to 5X match your gift for Giving Tuesday—before this very generous match offer expires at midnight >>
Hayden Smith is a Gen Now colleague of mine. He's had several formative experiences since joining TPL. We called to offer him a job during his wedding (rightly so, it went to voicemail). He helped secure nearly 750 acres to create the Wolcott Community Forest in Vermont. And now he's a dad, all in two years!
"I definitely think [parenthood] provides a whole new perspective on the type of work we do," Hayden says. "Even though Charlie is not yet in school, I realize now more than ever the importance of providing children safe and equitable access to nature and giving them opportunities to get out of the classroom."
When finished, the Wolcott Community Forest will put a protected forest within walking distance of an elementary school, creating outdoor learning and recreational opportunities for hundreds of students. It will also protect migration corridors for threatened wildlife. And, of course, let nature be nature.
Wolcott Community Forest is adjacent to Wolcott Elementary School; children and classes frequent the area for outdoor learning. Photo: Chris Bennett
We're thrilled to have Hayden (and his young family!) engaged in our work—and thrilled to help foster the conservation impact of so many more Gen Now colleagues. With devastating news about climate change and its impacts hitting us day after day, it's inspiring to see so many young people engage in conservation with the urgency of today.
Support Hayden's work in Wolcott Community Forest and the work of so many other Trust for Public Land conservationists with a quite powerful 5X matched gift for Giving Tuesday Eve >>
We are only authorized to 5X match gifts through midnight tonight, so, please, don't delay your support.
Thank you—and happy Giving Tuesday Eve!
Josh VanDavier
Trust for Public Land
P.S. We do our best not to ask members for gifts who just made a gift, but sometimes our records don't update fast enough to keep recent donors from receiving an appeal like this. So, if you did just give, thank you for your support, and our apologies for the extra request!
