Contact:
Jennifer Benito
Save the Redwoods League
(415) 820-5814
jbenito@SaveTheRedwoods.org
SaveTheRedwoods.org
SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE JOINS THE NATIONAL #GIVINGTUESDAY MOVEMENT TO ENCOURAGE SPENDING WITH A PURPOSE
— Pioneering conservation organization will use funds raised on #GivingTuesday to secure a matching gift of up to $100,000 to protect ancient redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains
SAN FRANCISCO (December 3, 2013) — Save the Redwoods League has joined #GivingTuesday, a first-of-its-kind national effort that will harness the collective power of a unique blend of partners — charities, families, businesses and individuals — to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. Coinciding with the Thanksgiving Holiday and the kickoff of the holiday shopping season, #GivingTuesday will inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they support and help create a better world.
Taking place December 3, 2013 — the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a national moment around the holidays dedicated to giving, similar to how Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are, today, synonymous with holiday shopping.
“Save the Redwoods League is participating in #GivingTuesday because we and our supporters also think it’s important to encourage people’s generosity and determination to make the world a better place,” said Jennifer Benito, League Director of Outreach. “We offer concerned citizens a way to make a difference by protecting the redwood forest, one of the world’s natural wonders, for current and future generations to enjoy.”
People who contribute to the League on #GivingTuesday will help secure a matching gift of up to $100,000 from the visionary League supporter J. A. Woollam Foundation of Lincoln, Nebraska, which has already donated $10,000 to our Santa Cruz Mountains Old-Growth Campaign. The funds will be used to purchase and protect from logging and development some of the most magnificent old-growth redwood forest still left in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Thanks to generous redwoods enthusiasts, Save the Redwoods League has raised $4 million — half the funds needed for the campaign. If we do not raise the rest, we could lose forever the chance to open this ancient forest for the public’s enjoyment.
Seeing an opportunity to channel the generous spirit of the holiday season to inspire action around charitable giving, a group of friends and partners, led by the 92nd Street Y, came together to find ways to promote and celebrate the great American tradition of giving. Thought leaders in philanthropy, social media and grassroots organizing joined with 92nd Street Y to explore what is working in modern philanthropy and how to expand these innovations throughout the philanthropic sector. The concept gained steam, and united a group of founding partners, including the United Nations Foundation, DonorsChoose.org, Mashable, charity: water, GlobalGiving, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Kiva, Darden Restaurant Group, Groupon, Unilever and VentureThree 15 Capital — a nationwide series of discussions about how to make #GivingTuesday.
“It’s been a privilege to work with remarkable leaders all over the country building a movement around #GivingTuesday,” said Henry Timms, 92Y’s Interim Executive Director. “This initiative has truly been crowd‐sourced by some of the smartest and most connected minds among the next generation of philanthropists and entrepreneurs.”
A team of influencers have met to discuss the innovative ways that people are approaching giving during challenging economic times, along with how Americans can give smarter and use new media to encourage positive change in their communities.
More than 8,000 corporate and nonprofit organizations have committed to participate in the initiative. #GivingTuesday is endorsed by Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, Dorothy A. Johnson Center on Philanthropy, Giving Institute, Giving USA Foundation and InterAction. Charity Navigator, Givewell and GuideStar are serving as Charity Advisors. VolunteerMatch is a volunteer advisor to #GivingTuesday.
“#GivingTuesday is a counternarrative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday because it reminds us that the spirit of the holiday giving season should be about community and not just consumerism,” said Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation. “The most meaningful gift we can give our children, loved ones, friends and neighbors is the commitment to work together to help build a better world.”
For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit the #GivingTuesday website, #GivingTuesday Facebook page or follow #GivingTuesday and the #GivingTuesday hashtag on Twitter.
About Save the Redwoods League
Walk through a redwood forest — home of the tallest, largest, and some of the oldest living beings on Earth — and you can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of awe and peace among these magnificent giants. Since 1918, Save the Redwoods League has led the effort to protect the coast redwoods and giant sequoias for all to experience and enjoy. To date the League has completed the purchase of more than 190,000 acres of redwood forest and associated land. For more information, please visit SaveTheRedwoods.org, or to sign up for monthly updates please visit SaveTheRedwoods.org/signup.
Tags: 2013, Press Release
