Last chance to support the Forever Forest Campaign!

Rockefeller Forest
Rockefeller Forest in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Photo by Max Forster.

Make a legacy gift through the Dr. Craig White challenge

To date, the Forever Forest Campaign has secured over $100 million in outright gifts and $3 million in future gifts towards our goal of $120 million in contributions and $5 million in irrevocable bequests. While the Forever Forest Campaign will conclude at the end of the month—on March 31, 2022—there are still some ways you can make a final lasting impact through the campaign.

You’ve likely heard a lot about our efforts to dramatically scale up our pace, reach, and impact through Forever Forest: The Campaign for the Redwoods—and through the campaign we’ve been focused on protecting the remaining old growth redwood forest, regaining the forests we’ve lost to logging, welcoming visitors from around the world, and inspiring them to follow our lead. We have the experience, opportunity, and responsibility to act now.

It’s donors like you, through your gifts today and in the future, that allow us to take bold action to meet all of these goals. Through the generosity of his estate, Dr. Craig White, a Redwood Legacy Circle member, you can participate in the Forever Forest Campaign before its conclusion at the end of the month.

The Dr. Craig White Challenge presents an opportunity to reach our goal of securing the remaining $2 million in future gifts by March 31, 2022.

Over the next few months, you can do even more for the beloved redwoods through this special challenge by either:

  • Paying forward all or a portion of your future gift (bequest).
  • Making all or a portion of your future gift (bequest) irrevocable by signing a testamentary pledge agreement.

In return, your gifts and irrevocable pledges will be matched dollar for dollar up to $250,000 by Dr. White’s estate.

Who was Dr. Craig White?

Dr. Craig White, a white man with dark hair and salt and pepper beard, wearing a blue shirt and a tie.

Like You, He Loved the Redwoods

A Renaissance man by any measure, Dr. Craig White was a physician, furniture store owner, darkroom photographer, accomplished chef, downhill skier, and a hiker. Always thinking of the welfare of others, he worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and on AIDS-related and public health issues, especially in the LGBTQ+ community.

Dr. White grew up in Ojai, California, and studied at the University of California Berkeley before attending Emory University School of Medicine. His hikes throughout northern California spurred his love of the redwoods. These beautiful forests and other natural spaces brought him peace and solace throughout his years battling cancer. Dr. White, a Redwood Legacy Circle member, passed away on New Year’s Eve morning in 2020 at his home, surrounded by loved ones.

Today, his forward-thinking generosity helps us reach our campaign goal—and offers a rewarding way for you to be part of it. While time is passing, we all must move ahead, now and together, to rebuild California’s great redwood forests.

Interested in Participating?

There are only a few more weeks to have your gifts and irrevocable pledges matched dollar for dollar (up to $250,000) by Dr. White’s estate through this challenge—contact Deborah White, Director of Gift Planning at [email protected] or 415-820-5828, if you are interested in either making a future gift now or an irrevocable pledge!

About the author

Deborah joined the League's staff in 2012 and served as the Associate Director of Development. She is now the Director of Gift Planning. She brings over a decade's worth of experience fundraising for conservation organizations in the Bay Area.


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