A time to give back
In rapidly developing Eagle County, Colorado, the Land & Rivers Fund helps to protect rivers and open spaces. In partnership with Eagle River Watershed Council, the accredited Eagle Valley Land Trust launched the program, which is supported by local businesses and their customers, who make voluntary donations with purchases.
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, the Land & Rivers Fund team decided to give back to the community and businesses — including fishing outfitters, specialty food shops and microbreweries — that continue to support local conservation. “We’re trying not to fill the space with our own needs right now. We decided this is really the time to be supporting our partners,” says Bergen Tjossem, EVLT’s deputy director.
Of the 30 businesses that support the fund, approximately 75% closed due to the crisis. “We tripled our marketing efforts to support them and get the word out for the ones still operating,” Tjossem says.
EVLT encouraged its large community network to purchase gift cards to provide cash flow for local businesses temporarily shutting down. And the Land & Rivers Fund used its biweekly ads in a local paper to promote its community partners. “We’re not just in the business of conserving land,” Tjossem says. “We’re also figuring out creative ways we can support our community.”