The Case for Green Responsibility
Corporate sustainability commitments are no longer a differentiator, but a baseline expectation for many employees. Employees want to work for companies whose values align with their own, and customers favor brands that demonstrate environmental responsibility. Increasingly, communities look to the businesses in their midst to be active participants in the health of the places they live, work, and play. Concepts like Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) have become core considerations for many.
Instead of reacting to these growing trends, corporations can distinguish themselves as a leader in this space by taking the initiative to lead the charge for corporate environmental stewardship, rather than reacting to existing patterns and falling behind.
And the good news is that companies don’t necessarily have to start from scratch; they only have to find the right partners.
Trees Forever has spent more than three decades helping businesses across Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin translate environmental commitment into tangible results. Since 1989, the organization has helped plant more than 3 million trees and shrubs, working across hundreds of communities with the support of thousands of volunteers.
Thanks to key corporate partners, Trees Forever has helped businesses make a real impact on the communities where they operate, yielding results that have far exceeded the investment.
Corporate Champions
Trees Forever’s corporate partnerships take many forms, reflecting the reality that companies engage best when the engagement model fits their capacity and values. While many of our partnerships have resulted in the planting of trees across the Midwest, three instances emerge as a shining example of corporate responsibility.
Eocene Environmental Group
Based in Des Moines, Iowa, Eocene Environmental Group has taken the Lunch and Learn model to heart, furthering its employees’ environmental awareness by arranging for Trees Forever educational sessions that bring the story of urban forestry and the needs of communities across Iowa directly to their team. The context and depth of Iowa’s ongoing efforts to reforest its communities is driven home in a format that requires minimal time investment and generates investment and action. Eocene’s generous donation following the Lunch and Learn distinguishes them as patrons of environmental conservation in Iowa.
Alliant Energy Community Tree Planting Program
Since 1990, Alliant Energy has worked closely with Trees Forever and communities across Iowa to plan, fund, and implement community tree planting projects. Designed to encourage energy efficiency, environmental awareness, and community stewardship, this program has yielded over 1.1 million trees planted and provided $7.9 in grants, reshaping the landscapes of countless rural communities in Iowa and Wisconsin. With this vast and far-reaching partnership, Alliant Energy has proven itself to be one of the great leaders in corporate environmental stewardship.
International Flavors & Fragrances
Since the IFF team began volunteering as part of the ReLeaf Cedar Rapids derecho recovery campaign in Fall 2022, they approached tree planting with enthusiasm, humor, and attention to detail. They have continued to plant with Trees Forever every fall since then, maintaining and even increasing their dedication and enthusiasm. IFF answered the call of the ReLeaf plan with gusto, wearing Raygun ReLeaf shirts to plantings unprompted, bringing their own tools to events, and keeping Trees Forever staff on their toes with their zeal for restoring Cedar Rapids’ tree canopy. Donating both their valuable time and money to the effort, IFF took the initiative, helping Trees Forever pilot new programs like the Corporate Tree Voucher program and setting a precedent that would be hard to beat for future partnership.
An Invitation to the Future
By supporting Trees Forever and organizations like it, corporations can demonstrate their investment in the resilience of the communities where their employees live, their customers shop, and their business operates. From volunteer time and donations to in-kind giving of supplies and equipment, corporations can prove themselves leaders in the field of environmental social governance and see the tangible effects of their generosity in the flourishing canopies of communities across the Midwest.
Trees Forever offers a proven framework, experienced staff, and a network of community relationships built over three decades. Join the ranks of the environmental champions above and help build something that lasts. Contact Trees Forever to explore how a partnership can be built around your organization’s values, capacity, and community.
Help us plant a better tomorrow.