3 Reasons to Support the Great Outdoors Foundation with Your Year-End Giving

Today is GivingTuesday, the unofficial start of the giving season, and it’s no surprise that the next month is incredibly vital for those in the nonprofit sector. According to a recent study, the average nonprofit raises more than a quarter of its annual revenue during the month of December alone. We at the Great Outdoors Foundation recognize that you have no shortage of organizations to support with your year-end giving, but here are just a few reasons why we think GOF should be at the top of your list.

MISSION

For nearly thirty years, the Great Outdoors Foundation has served as a leader in our region, advancing conservation through innovation, collaboration, and stewardship. We’ve had the privilege to play a role in major quality-of-life initiatives including the Jester Park Nature Center, Athene Pedestrian Bridge, Polk County Water and Land Legacy Bond, ICON Water Trails, and our latest endeavor, the Great Outdoors Foundation Conservation Fund. If you have a heart for the great outdoors, you can trust that your dollars will be invested to support conservation and recreation, right here in Iowa.

VALUES

Earlier this year, in a survey to our board, donors, volunteers, and partners, a respondent called the Great Outdoors Foundation team, “happy disrupters.” We couldn’t agree more! At the core of our organization are three values that set us apart:

• Innovation: Thinking outside the box to develop solutions for priority outcomes.
• Collaboration: Bringing together the right people, resources, and objectives to achieve a common goal.
• Stewardship: Maximizing output through creative multiplying strategies.

If you’ve been around our organization for any amount of time, you know that we often take an unconventional approach, looking for creative solutions to conservation’s greatest opportunities. If these values resonate with you, then we invite you to join us in our work.

IMPACT

The Great Outdoors Foundation is a lean, green, fundraising machine. We kid, but in all sincerity, 99% of all funds donated to our organization are invested in conservation and outdoor recreation projects. In fact, we’ve secured more than $200 million in funding for our priority initiatives in the last three years alone. If you want your donation to go farther, consider giving to GOF this year!

About the Author: Jen Cross is the Vice President of Donor Relations for the Great Outdoors Foundation. An Iowa native, she boasts nearly a decade of fundraising experience. Cross and her family enjoy spending time outdoors, often biking and boating throughout the region.