Generous Colorado

We are pleased to be a part of The Colorado Nonprofit Association’s Generous Colorado campaign. GenerousColorado.org connects Coloradans with the nonprofits that need them most. Nonprofits create a community of hope, love and belonging for thousands of Colorado families and individuals with essential services like shelter, food, clothing, health and safety. These organizations need you to make the difference.

Check out The Colorado Nonprofit Association’s commercial, titled Philanthropy at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIJS6MJqByY

Trees, Water & People Raises Over $3,000 for Fuel-efficient Stoves

This year’s 2^nd Annual Holiday Stove Party was a great success! Over 75 guests helped us raise over 3,000 dollars to build 40 stoves for Central American families in need. The forest-saving, life-changing stoves use 70% less firewood, and reduce the risk of health issues and possible burns. Just 75 dollars worth of brick, mortar and metal can change the lives of families. In our existence, we have built more than 26,000 stoves in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Haiti. We would like to thank Laura Davis, Adele Dinsmore, and all of our supporters who make the Forest Saving Stove Program possible.

Trees, Water & People Receives A+ Better Business Bureau Rating

Trees, Water & People is pleased to announce that we have received an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming. The BBB Accreditation remains the most reliable way for consumers to identify trustworthy businesses.

BBBs throughout North America have launched an updated versions of their BBB Reliability Reports, which feature a more visually appealing and user-friendly format, and a new rating system. The new rating program will replace the scale of “satisfactory” and “unsatisfactory” with a more comprehensive letter grade (A+ through F).

Businesses are assigned a letter grade based on computer-generated formulas that takes into account 16 different factors. Nearly 85 percent of the scoring is determines by consumer-reported complaints that have been investigated and assessed by BBB, such as the number of complaints, the severity of complaints and how a business resolves complaints.

The new rating classification is designed to help consumers identify and compare the reliability of businesses more easily and quickly. The system is bases on standards and developed using objective information and actual incidences of a business’ behavior that are investigated and evaluated by BBB professionals.

Combined, BBB Accreditation status and BBB Reliability Reports is a valuable resource consumers can start with then they seek trustworthy businesses such at Trees, Water & People.

Bring a Charitable Focus into Your Wedding

Getting married? Now you can support Trees, Water & People by registering with the I Do Foundation. From honeymoons to invitations to wedding gifts to charitable wedding favors, the I Do Foundation allows couples and their guests to make wedding-related purchases that generate donations in lieu of gifts. All of these services are available free of cost at www.IDoFoundation.org. Check it out today, and be sure to select Trees, Water & People as the beneficiary of your charitable wedding.

Support the New Energy Economy with Green Dining Week

Green Dining is not about eating your greens- it’s about sustaining out environment. FortZED Green Dining Week will be held from November 3-9. During the week, participating Fort Collins restaurants will commit 8 percent of the week’s average daily revenue to implementing sustainable practices like investing in energy efficient equipment and implementing conservation programs.

FortZED was born from the UniverCity Connections Sustainable Energy Taskforce as a vision to create a net-zero energy district in the Fort Collins’ UniverCity area. Fort Collins’ UniverCity focus area, encompasses the CSU campus, Old Town, and the downtown river corridor. Fort Collins will demonstrate visionary leadership, create substantial economic development and be at the forefront of social change through a bold commitment to “Net Zero Energy.”

This week, show local businesses that you support sustainable efforts! For a list of participating businesses, or for more information about FortZED and Green Dining Week, please visit www.fortzed.org.

Trees, Water & People Recognized For Fiscal Management

We are proud to announce that we have achieved Charity Navigator’s four star rating for our ability to efficiently manage and grow our finances. This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator differentiates us from other nonprofit organizations and shows the public we are worthy of their trust.

As the nonprofit sector continues to grow, donors are demanding more accountability, transparency, and quantifiable results from the charities they choose to support. Charity Navigator, America’s premier charity evaluator, highlights the work of efficient charities and provides donors with the information they need to give to give them confidence in the charitable choices they make.

Approximately a quarter of the charities Charity Navigator evaluates have received their highest rating, indicating that we executed our mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperformed most other charities in America.

Charity Navigator’s review of our fiscal health is available on their website at www.charitynavigator.org. Thank you to everyone who has helped us grow over the years!

The Point Features Trees, Water & People

99.9 The Point has been in the Fort Collins community for many years and will be doing a November non-profit awareness month. The Point will be featuring Trees, Water & People (TWP) on-air and on their website this Wednesday, November 5!

Tune into 99.9 FM and visit www.999ThePoint.com to find out more about TWP’s efforts. TWP would like to thank 99.9 The Point for this opportunity!

Thanks to our Supporters and Odell Brewing Company

We would like to thank everyone who visited Odell Brewing Company on October 16 to support Trees, Water & People. We are very grateful to have been chosen as Odell’s Charity of the Month and every purchase helped save our planet!

Remember, you can still help support Trees, Water & People through the end of the month. One hundred percent of all taster tray proceeds will be donated to TWP, so stop by and enjoy their delicious brews.

Odell is a long-time supporter of TWP and is an in-kind sponsor of our annual “Renew the Rockies” fundraising event, benefiting our Clean Energy Program. We look forward to continuing our valued partnership with Odell Brewing Company.

Trees, Water & People Make Progress at Pine Ridge

This last week was an important one as our good friends from the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL) came to visit us on the Pine Ridge Reservation. RREAL is working to break down financial and informational barriers to the widespread use of solar energy out in Minnesota. They feel that like the digital divide which separates communities based on access to information, there is also a renewable energy divide and that specifically lower income communities are in danger of being left behind as our society shifts towards a renewable economy.

These are our types of folks and a natural friendship has evolved that is slowly becoming a successful partnership as we share ideas, equipment and a vision to extend solar heating systems and other renewable energy applications to those who need it most.

This week, Jason Edens Tim Ollhoff and Steve Benson arrived at the Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center (RCREC) on Pine Ridge with three of their solar heating systems. The first one they installed with Henry and Avery Red Cloud of Lakota Solar Enterprises at the Lakota Children's Village, which serves as the home for Lakota children in need of shelter.

It was a most wonderful installation that will provide heat for pennies a day for Lakota children in great need for many years to come!

Their second solar heating system was installed as a solar demonstration and education unit at the Red Cloud Renewable Energy Center. The Center is being developed as a place for tribal members from across the Great Plains and beyond to be trained in facility and family sized renewable energy applications and installations.

The third unit will be installed by Lakota Solar Enterprises for another family at Pine Ridge in the weeks ahead.

We also planted windbreaks and shade trees for two families at the Fraggle Rock community in Pine Ridge. The north wind there blows hard and cold for much of the winter causing entire rooms in homes to be abandoned during winter because they are so cold. So we plant trees as family windbreaks which will immediately start to shield the homes from the bitter chill and will grow over the years into a solid wall of protection. We also planted two shade trees at each house to provide shade during the extremely hot summers.

While we were in the neighborhood, we also installed one of LSE's solar heating systems. Together, we will use these three homes to demonstrate natural ways to lower heating costs and we will now begin to raise funds for additional tree planting in the neighborhood in the spring of 2009.

A special thanks to TWP's Tribal Lands Program Coordinator, Liz Sunderland, who coordinated the RREAL visit and handled many of the logistical details of getting these five installations done.

That's the true spirit of Trees, Water & People....getting difficult things done.... and done well!

Help Locally and Globally at the “Giving Twice Shopping Event”

Want to purchase beautiful fairly-traded handcrafted products from around the world while helping locally and globally? On Thursday, November 20, Ten Thousand Villages will hold their “Giving Twice Shopping Night,” which will benefit Trees, Water & People (TWP)! On that day, from 3:00-7:00pm, 10% of their gross sales will be donated to TWP.

Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade gift shop which offers hand crafted goods from around the world. Every item purchased at Ten Thousand Villages helps provide vital, fair income to artisans and families, allowing them to live healthier lives of dignity. Every purchase makes a difference in our world because buyers encourage artisan partners to use environmentally friendly processes, sustainable natural resources, and recycled materials.

On November 20, come support TWP’s commitment to sustainable living and conserving our earth’s natural resources, by shopping at Ten Thousand Villages.

Trees, Water & People Partners with Albertsons

Trees, Water & People (TWP) has joined Albertson’s Community Partners program, which gives back to the community one shopping cart at a time! Albertsons has linked the Community Partners Card to the Preferred Savings Card, so organizations can earn a rebate as supporters shop just by scanning it.

Organizations receive 1% on the first $50,000 supporters spend and 5% on everything over $50,000 per quarter.

By choosing TWP as your organization, you can help save the planet! For more information on how to receive your Trees, Water & People Community Partners Card, contact Heather Herrell at heather@treeswaterpeople.org or call (970) 484-3678.

Odell Brewing Company Charity of the Month

TWP has been chosen as Odell Brewing Companies Charity of the Month! On October 16, ten percent of all sales will be donated to us, and throughout the month, we will receive all taster tray proceeds.

Odell’s Charity of the Month program allocates proceeds to non-profit organizations serving environmental, educational or humanitarian causes. The Tasting Room donation averages $1500 each month to the chosen charity.

Odell is a long-time supporter of us and is an in-kind sponsor of our “Renew the Rockies” fundraising event, which raises money for the clean energy and environmental education programs. We are so honored to be selected as the October Charity of the Month and look forward to continued valued partnership with Odell Brewing Company.

Trees, Water & People Awarded Seal of Excellence

Trees, Water & People (TWP) has been awarded the prestigious “Best in America” Seal of Excellence from Independent Charities of America (ICA). The seal is given only to members of ICA who meet the highest standards of public accountability, program effectiveness, and cost effectiveness. Of the one million charities operating in the United States, only five percent meet these expectations, and fewer than two thousand charities have been awarded the exclusive seal.

TWP’s conservation efforts have been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally.

Camp Fire Coffee: Warming You and the Lakota Sioux

TWP is excited to announce our new partnership with Lakota Coffee Company! Proceeds from the sale of the new Camp Fire Coffee (organic Columbian/Sumatra blend) will benefit our Tribal Lands Renewable Energy Program which harnesses the power of nature to improve the lives of Native American families living on reservations across the Great Plains.

Skip DuCharme, owner of Lakota Coffee Company, was inspired to open the popular Columbia, Missouri coffee shop by the Seven Sacred Campfires, known as the Western or Teton Sioux, Lakota -- meaning “friendly people.” Through his generosity, every bag of Camp Fire Coffee sold will help TWP install cost-effective solar heaters, plant important windbreak and shade trees, and train tribes about the many benefits of renewable energy.

Beginning October 2008, Camp Fire Coffee may be purchased at the Lakota Coffee Company website, and soon after at TWP’s online sustainable gift store.

TWP Presents 10K Check to Local Elementary School

On Saturday, September 13th, I had the great honor and pleasure of presenting a large and rather beautiful check for $10,000 to Ann Alfonso, the principal of Bethke Elementary School, at the new school’s dedication ceremony. This funding will initiate the installation of a 10kw photovoltaic solar electric system on the school and was the culmination of a year’s worth of work here at TWP. It is also the kickoff of a program that is sure to result in many more renewable energy installations throughout Fort Collins and Northern Colorado.

Trees, Water & People’s Clean Energy Program’s initiative called Renewables on Schools raises money through our annual Renew the Rockies fundraising event to initiate the acquisition of renewable energy installations on area schools. Bethke Elementary was the first of hopefully many schools! After the wonderful success of Renew the Rockies last year, we are already starting to pursue sponsorships and make plans for next year’s Renew the Rockies– The Future IS Clean Energy! Scheduled for March 7th, 2009, it will benefit another school in Fort Collins, likely Kinnard Junior High, which was pre-wired for a 10kw photovoltaic solar electric system when it was built in 2004. With a futuristic theme, we plan to celebrate the promise of renewable energy and do our part to bring that technology to the present. If you or someone you know is interested in being involved as a sponsor or auction donor, please contact Elizabeth Mozer at (970) 484-3678 or Elizabeth@treeswaterpeople.org .