As a fundraising organization, it’s easy to assess our value in terms of dollars and cents, which of course, are vital to advancing our mission. For example, in the last 18 months, we’ve secured more than $5 million for the Conservation Acceleration Fund (CAF), unlocking upward of $20 million in water quality investments, conservatively. Numbers certainly demonstrate scope, but to me, stories convey impact. 

Earlier this fall, I had the opportunity to meet Joe Jardon, a multigenerational farmer and veteran who is benefiting from our recent partnership with Google, activating 37 grade stabilization sites led by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Joe, like many farmers, has had a desire to implement conservation practices on his land but hadn’t been able to until his project received gap funding from the CAF. Even with the significant time and resource investment he’s made personally, Joe said of conservation, “I guess I’m old enough [that I know] it’s not just good for me, it’s good for the next generation.” 

Joe is exemplary of farmers and landowners across our state, region and country. There has never been a greater collective desire for sustainable agriculture, robust stewardship and strategic conservation. I’m encouraged by the dynamic public-private partnerships that are being deployed in order to achieve greater gains for our natural resources, and I’m honored that the Great Outdoors Foundation gets to play a role in changing the landscape. The market is already primed for change; we are merely providing the catalyst capital to increase the outcomes of existing initiatives. 

Moving the needle on water quality requires radical collaboration upstream and downstream, across the aisle, and throughout the public and private sectors. We’re already seeing tremendous success in the pace and efficacy of the CAF, attributed to the alignment in values and vision from our investors in the private sector to our technical partners in the field. Perhaps most notable, though, are the individuals like Joe who are literally betting the farm for the sake of conservation. It’s for people like him, and the hundreds of thousands who will benefit from improved water quality, that we continue to do what we do. 

As you consider how your business or corporation can play a role in the health and vitality of our community, I encourage you to remember Joe’s sentiments. Our investments in conservation aren’t just for ourselves; they’re for generations to come. To learn more about the Conservation Acceleration Fund or to become an investor, visit greatoutdoorsfoundation.org/.