Can you remember what first inspired you to support Y2Y?
We love that our donors are as diverse as the wild landscape we protect. And your reasons to give are just as varied.
Lenore Hodgson, who’s been donating monthly since 2005, was inspired to start giving when she saw a presentation from Y2Y about Karsten Heuer’s epic hike from Yellowstone to Yukon.
From childhood, nature and wildlife have been an important part of her life, and supporting conservation was a natural step.
“When Karsten shared his story and explained that animals don’t know boundaries — I got it,” she recalls. “I believed in and supported the values and principles of Y2Y immediately. I started donating a little more than the cost of a lunch every month, and I’ve been giving ever since!” says Lenore.
Alison Wines, a lifelong nature lover and avid backpacker, often travels with her young family from Toronto, Ontario to the Rockies where she’s seen the impact of wildlife crossings.
But it was the heartbreaking news of two female grizzly bears being killed by trains in Banff National Park this past May that motivated her to start a monthly gift this spring.
“Y2Y is doing active work on the ground, making a huge impact with wildlife crossings and education. I love animals and nature, so donating monthly to Y2Y was an obvious fit for me,” says Alison.
You might assume large-scale conservation is powered by wealthy philanthropists, big foundations or government grants. While those do play a role, the steady, reliable support from monthly donors like Alison and Lenore keeps us nimble and effective.
Your monthly gift provides Y2Y with consistent funding that supports the day-to-day operations and long-range planning.
Alison understands this first-hand. As a former nonprofit executive director, she knows just how critical monthly donors are to the financial health of any charity.
“While one-off donations are fantastic, executive directors are always looking ahead and asking: can I afford to pay my staff salaries for the next 12 months? Can we afford to do the programming we’ve mapped out? Monthly donations keep consistent funding coming in to support long-term planning,” says Alison.
Lenore, now a retired grandmother, loves that monthly giving is set it and forget it.
“It’s such an easy way to support one of my favorite charities. I would find it pretty hard to try and give a larger lump sum at tax time. But this way, I don’t even notice it coming out of my budget each month, and I’m still doing something meaningful to help protect wildlife,” she says.
Though their backgrounds and reasons to give are different, both women share a desire to be part of something bigger than themselves.
As Alison says, “When I drive by those overpasses, I feel a sense of ownership. I know they were built long before I started giving, but I feel connected to them.”
Your support connects landscapes, wildlife and people. Whether you give $20 a month or $200, your contribution makes long-term conservation work possible.
Thank you for being an important member of our generous community of supporters
