In April 2007 Global Greengrants Fund will be making a public debut of global proportions. Our longtime donor, the Aveda Corporation, has selected Greengrants as their “Global Earth Month Partner” for the year! Check out the announcement!
Building upon Earth Day celebrations on April 22nd, Aveda has designated the entire month to champion the earth and the environment in their salons and stores around the world. As their Global Earth Month Partner, Greengrants and our grantee network will be one of the major beneficiaries of fundraising activities and the focus of Aveda’s global commitment to environmental sustainability.
The theme for Earth Month 2007 is “Make Clean Water a Human Right” and in the stores and salons throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia, Aveda will be raising money to support water projects around the world. Each year, Aveda launches a limited edition candle for Earth Month. 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the Light the Way™ candle—a soy wax candle with aroma of certified organic Bulgarian lavender oil—will benefit Greengrants’ grantmaking projects around the world. We estimate that approximately 70% of our annual grantmaking addresses water issues in some way, such as these past grants:
Green Union of Harbin Institute of Technology in China, where an explosion at a petrochemical plant released 100 tons of toxic chemicals into the Songhua River, and Greengrants funding enabled this group to monitor the health impacts to alert and protect the community.
Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific Kiribati, where funds were used to train of 1,500 community members in techniques of home organic farming—which is a key way to protect water quality—and to establish a demonstration plot which will be used as a training site and seedling provider.
Special fundraising events will be held throughout the month of April to support local NGOs working on water issues in the U.S. such as Western Resource Advocates, the Gulf Restoration Network and Alliance for the Great Lakes.
Additionally, Aveda is launching their first “Text Message for the Earth” cell phone campaign to expand awareness about clean water rights, the results of which will be presented to the United Nations at the end of the campaign. Current estimates show that the campaign could mean as much as $1.8 million for water-related issues globally!
In Europe, Greengrants will also be the beneficiary of in-store fundraising events, and in February, Greengrants Southern Cone and Andes Advisory Board Coordinator Enrique Bostelmann, and Greengrants Director of Foundation Relations Kelly Purdy, took a whirlwind tour through Europe to talk to Aveda salon owners, marketing managers, and clients about Greengrants and the incredible work of our grantees around the world. It was a great opportunity to share our stories and start to generate more excitement and energy around Earth Month and environmental protection in general. Enrique’s stories of our grantee partners in South America inspired everyone to do all they can to raise funds to support our work, and we forged new connections between the Greengrants network and the Aveda community.
Aveda is known worldwide as a forerunner in environmentally friendly and socially just manufacturing, marketing, and promotion in the top-end beauty and spa world. Aveda’s commitment to environmental protection, and to the support of the various communities they source their ingredients from worldwide, make them an ideal partner for Greengrants. You can read more about Aveda’s mission and commitment to international environmental and social justice here.
And keep your eyes out for us in April! Support your salon and their local Earth Month partner in your region by booking an appointment and supporting their fundraisers, and don’t forget to pick up a candle to help us make grants around the world to Make Clean Water a Human Right! For those who members of the Aveda Pure Privilege rewards program, points can be redeemed to support Greengrants as well.