It occurred to me that if I wanted to get in my charitable giving for 2008 at 12:02 on December 31st, that I'd better get on it.
1. My 1% of sales donation to Heifer International for knitting basket shares in Verra's name. In a way I feel like I'm giving in your names too -- after all it's one percent of your purchases that are helping a family in need.
2. Verra's 1% of sales donation to a 1% for the planet non-profit. It turns out I don't have to make this donation prior to the end of the year, so I thought I'd ask for your help in choosing which organization receives a donation.
I've narrowed it down to a few contenders and I'd love for you to help me choose -- just leave a comment below or send me an email.
Based right here on Bainbridge Island.
Mission: "The mission of Islandwood is to provide exceptional learning experience and to inspire lifelong environmental and community stewardship."
"Inspiration for IslandWood came from the land itself, and the knowledge that half of Seattle School District children did not receive overnight outdoor education programs. Today IslandWood targets approximately 60% of its students from schools on free and reduced lunch programs for its School Overnight Program. Proceeds from other IslandWood programs and special events help support these efforts by providing scholarships for those who need financial assistance."
"Since 1935, The Wilderness Society has led the conservation movement in wilderness protection, writing and passing the landmark Wilderness Act and winning lasting protection for 107 million acres of Wilderness, including 56 million acres of spectacular lands in Alaska, eight million acres of fragile desert lands in California and millions more throughout the nation."
"It is our calling and our passion to protect America's wilderness, not as a relic of our nation's past, but as a thriving ecological community that is central to life itself. To meet our goals, we use science and collaboration with communities and conservation groups to bring about sensible policies and positive change in land conservation. Above all, we work to protect wilderness and to inspire Americans to care for our wild places."
Mission: "The Nature Conservancy's mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive."
"We have developed a strategic, science-based planning process, called Conservation by Design, which helps us to identify the highest-priority places -- landscapes and seascapes that, if conserved, promise to ensure biodiversity over the long term."
"The Nature Conservancy works in all 50 US states and in more than 30 countries."
"The Western Environmental Law Center is a non-profit public interest law firm that works to protect and restore western wildlands and fights for healthy environments on behalf of communities throughout the West. We provide free or reduced-fee legal services to local, regional and national conservation groups, individuals and communities working to enforce and strengthen environmental laws. We focus our work on these key regions of the West: Pacific Northwest, California, Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, Southwest."
