Your Donation Doubled on Giving Tuesday
By Anna McGee Hanson
It’s been an incredible year at Farm & Wilderness—and a year which brought with it some incredible challenges.
Severe flooding followed quickly by a major norovirus outbreak led to loss of both facilities and revenue at many of our camps this summer. The Great Flood of 2023 damaged public and private roads, culverts, bridges, bodies of water, and other crucial infrastructure. While all of Vermont was impacted, Plymouth and Ludlow were some of the most devastated areas in the storm’s aftermath. F&W’s financial losses from the facility damage and subsequent program cancellations exceeded $125,000.
As a resilient community, we rallied together to mitigate the impact of the damage. As we always say, “Work is love made visible.”
Just when we thought we were in the clear, norovirus struck Timberlake and affected over 50 campers and staff. In order to responsibly contain the spread of the virus, we had to cancel rentals and major events and sanitize the affected camps, leading to an additional $100,000+ financial hit.
On the much brighter side, Affordable for All has been an incredible success, and in 2023 we really started to see the fruits of this critical initiative. In 2022, our community contributed $1 million to launch this ambitious financial aid program rooted in transparency, equity, and integrity. This summer, F&W provided over $900,000 in camperships to more than 290 families—a 58% increase from 2022. Because of generous donor contributions, we were able to attract and enroll triple the number of campers from families with household incomes of under $50,000, and nearly 20% more campers from middle-income families.
To continue to provide equitable access in alignment with our values and to rebuild from a summer of natural disasters, we need your help! Our goal is to raise $1,225,000 by the end of 2023, and we have already achieved 60% of that target—will you help us make it over the finish line?
The Tuesday after Thanksgiving--Tuesday, Nov. 28--is #GivingTuesday. On this global day of generosity, we ask that you support Farm & Wilderness at whatever level your heart desires and your budget allows. Whether a one-time $5 gift or a $5,000 multi-year pledge, financial support from our wider community makes Farm & Wilderness happen. Live our shared values by supporting our mission this holiday season!
Choosing to donate this #GivingTuesday comes with some exciting perks, like F&W merch giveaways so you can rep Farm & Wilderness wherever you live, all year long! We also have a generous offer from a donor to provide a 2:1 match for all #GivingTuesday donations.
After a summer of both gains and challenges, onward and upward! Stand with us, and help continue F&W’s important work by donating on #GivingTuesday.
Click here to give now!
