Global Reach for Local Roots
iTreeBank, a 24-7-365 "funding engine" located at www.itreebank.org , provides an easy way to support hometown community forests through local nonprofit branches.
Why the Need For iTreeBank? Our cities and towns are growing at unprecedented rates, and satellite photos dramatically show they are turning gray. Gray is the color of the surfaces and rooftops of our built environment. At the same time, the green is disappearing. iTreeBank branches provide a pro-active way for anyone, anywhere to support local urban forests and make a difference where we live - in our own community. Dollar for dollar, there is no better investment in the local environment.
How Does iTreeBank Work? First, iTreeBank provides a simple Web-based "funding engine" to build community funds for hometown forests. Second, iTreeBank works with qualified branches that identify projects to support.
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What Does iTreeBank Do? Using cost-efficient technology, iTreeBank provides the tool to build local funds in order to plant and support healthy "urban forests" in any community. By working together, "branch offices" help support each other.
Why should people contribute? Urban forests provide a long list of benefits for the environment in urbanized areas, where 80% of Americans live. Trees are the only part of the infrastructure that appreciates in value as the rest depreciates. The great majority of community trees are on private property, so the public has a key role and personal responsibility for the majority of the environment where we live - the urbanized habitat. Most people want to support the environment, but many don't know how. iTreeBank branches provide a way!
Who's Helping? The United States may be economically challenged and politically divided, but most Americans care deeply about this country, the economy and the environment, and even more deeply the closer they get to home.
Federal, state and municipal governments provide limited support as many cities struggle just to keep up with essential services. Local nonprofit organizations deliver urban forestry programs to community residents on the local level. But current funding only scratches the surface as population growth and development expands U.S. communities.
The Sleeping Lion: What's Missing? Public awareness and mass public participation. Most people are willing to contribute, but don't know where or how. What if there was a way to awaken the "sleeping lion" of the American public to the value of local environmental stewardship? What if there was an easy way to get involved?
iTreeBank branches provide "Global Reach for Local Roots." At the same time, the iTreeBank branches support each other by marketing together and taking advantage of the economy of scale that technology has to offer.
How Can You Help?
Find out more about iTreeBank at www.itreebank.org or e-mail your questions to support @itreebank.org
TreeLink is the most extensive compilation of urban forestry resources on the Web. It was created in 1996 with support from the USDA Forest Service on the recommendation of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, and a grant from the Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation.
This past September TreeLink marked 10 years of service. We started in 1996 with a matching grant from the Forest Service at the recommendation of NUCFAC, and a grant from the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation. Hoever, TreeLink is only three years old as an autonomous organization.
We hit the ground running. In those first three years TreeLink sweeped three national awards in urban and community forestry and gained recognition as the most comprehensive website in the field. We currently reach 70 plus countries.
Today TreeLink is a national initiative providing nearly a half-million dollars in services annually to connect people with trees. We have a fully invested Board of Trustees, a 3-Year Strategic Plan, a Communications Strategy and a Fundraising Plan to build capacity.
What's New
TreeLink's spring Board meeting set new core values and goals, along with plans for our board strategic planning. Our new mission is to raise awareness and raise support for urban forests. Our new vision is to provide information and communication that inspires people to cultivate sustainable urban forests worldwide.
We have updated our core values, quite simply: Honesty, credibility and dependability.
We underwent a 10-day, two-part leadership training. We are strategically building our board while developing a business model for a diverse funding plan. We are stabilizing our base staff and strategically planning our management. Since 1996, we've upgraded TreeLink three times. Now we're planning the next upgrade - an experience like no other - and won't you be surprised! TreeLink is constantly inundated with requests from government agencies at all levels (local, state and federal) for assistance. Besides problem solving and information sharing on our national communications tools, TreeLink is often used to recruit, develop, market, promote and otherwise support outreach for worthy causes related to community forestry programs.
Lean Years
It hasn't always been easy. There were lean years when the dotcoms were crashing and TreeLink survived on a wing and a prayer, a surplus of humor and the encouragement of friends and partners around the country. But TreeLink isn't just a website. It's a neutral portal with more than 2,000 urban forestry resources in 12 languages. It's a technology organization providing cash-saving communications tools.
We spent 10 years developing target audiences with more than 500 local, state and Federal land agencies, trade groups, academics and researchers, green industry, and local nonprofit organizations in cities and towns from Los Angeles to New York and from Chicago to New Orleans. We provide inreach for these constituents and, most important, we provide outreach to the general public - all with cost-efficient technology.
The TreeLink staff promises to redefine what a dot.org should be. Beyond 2005, we vow to expand participation and support for urban forests and our partners by reaching out to the public from a stronger organization with a savvy staff and a Web experience like no other.
Best regards,
Team TreeLink