Give financial support to landscape architecture, environmental, or other charitable non-profit organizations.
In 2017, individual contributions comprised 70% of all charitable giving in the United States. The nonprofit organizations that receive these funds provide services that the for-profit and government sectors can’t or won’t do, ranging from advocacy, research, and education, to on-the-ground services. By investing in nonprofits, you support them to build capacity and deliver on their missions to a wide range of stakeholders. There are many compelling and impactful nonprofit organizations that drive policy, funding, and awareness about the issues critical to our work as landscape architects and whose success determines our success as well.
Here are a few ideas and examples to help you find a match:
CharityWatch is an independent charity watchdog. Their research provides transparency to help you understand how nonprofits use the money you donate. CharityWatch's tool allows you to search for specific organizations or view the top-ranked charities in popular issue areas and helps you to make educated decisions about your giving.
Global Impact Workplace Giving
Global Impact helps public and private sector employees to raise money for the issues they care about. Global Impact can help you to set up a workplace giving campaign at your firm that empowers your colleagues to be informed and in control of their giving.
CLIMATE CHANGE
According to the latest report from the United Nations IPCC, we have 12 years to reverse our course before we face catastrophic climate consequences. Organizations are advocating for the policies we need and implementing necessary solutions. Forests, in particular, have been recognized as a key strategy to closing the emissions gap between current climate commitments and the action needed to limit warming to 1.5˚C. Support the important work and results-driven strategies to protect the planet and the integrity of our work as landscape architects.
Equity and Inclusion
Built environment professions, including landscape architecture, must reckon with their histories as predominantly male, predominantly white spaces if we hope to design places where everyone feels welcome. Through recruitment, education, and supports that meet the needs of a diverse population instead of a one-size-fits-all solution, landscape architects and built environment professionals are rising to meet this challenge.
Built Environment
Nonprofits and associations in the built environment space support our work as landscape architects and the values of sustainability and equity that are key to our work. Organizations working in the built environment space understand our systems-thinking perspective and care deeply about many of the same issues we do. They also help develop our capacity as a profession. Support these organizations in our efforts to promote equity and inclusion, share best practices, especially about climate change, and generate new knowledge that benefits us all.
The Landscape Architecture Foundation
LAF is recognized as a thought leader in landscape architecture and addresses issues of climate change and equity and inclusion in the built environment. Our programs support the exploration of bold new ideas, equip landscape architects with the tools they need to act on the issues of our time, and provide the next generation of leaders with knowledge and resources to help them succeed. When you support LAF you are helping to inspire, grow, strengthen, and embolden the discipline of landscape architecture to innovate and activate.
