End of the Year Tax-deductible Donations to Preserve the Mountains

There are dozens of worthy organizations in need of donations to continue their hard work to preserve and conserve the beauty and ecology of the mountains. Here are just a few of the many we recommend for your last minute deductible donations:

Appalachian Voices, protecting the central and southern Appalachian mountain region.  Learn the ways to donate HERE.  Sign up for the newsletter, The Appalachian Advocate. Upcoming events from Appalachian Vioces:

Christmas in Old Appalachia Dec. 5-24: Join the Museum of Appalachia as they recreate Christmas from an earlier era. Admission to museum required. Norris, Tenn
First Day Hikes Jan. 1: More than 400 hikes nationwide. Find First Day Hikes near you at your local state parks
Century of State Parks Poetry Contest Jan. 1-April 1: Celebrate the centennial of the North Carolina State Park system by contributing to this poetry contest
Animals in Winter Jan. 2: Interactive Nature Foundation presentation about what animals do in winter. For ages 3-10. Wintergreen, Va
Energy Efficiency Webinar Jan. 20: Ask our panel of experts questions about how energy efficiency can reduce your carbon footprint
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference Jan. 27-30: The 25th annual conference offers informative courses and field trips, practical sessions, networking, and more. Lexington, Ky
Appalachian Studies Conference Mar. 18-20: Save the date for this annual conference to encourage dialogue, research, scholarship and creative expression in the Appalachian region. Shepherdstown, W.Va.
Get a complete calendar HERE.

Every kid in a park program

 National Parks Foundation, celebrating 48 years of supporting our parks.  The National Park Foundation works to protect national parks, connect people to them, and inspire park enthusiasts. Make an impact for America’s treasured landscapes, historical sites, and ecosystems - today, and for generations to come. Get one of the FREE national park Owner’s Guides, filled with travel tips and inside information on what not to miss. It’s your one-stop resource to discover your national parks. Find ways to donate or volunteer HERE. The National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, 2016 - join the Centennial celebration by visiting your local parks and making a donation to save our parks for another 100 years.

Every Kid In A Park - The Every Kid in a Park initiative will provide an opportunity for each and every 4th grade student across the country to experience their public lands and waters in person throughout the 2015-2016 school year FREE of charge.

Little Tennessee River

Little Tennessee Land Trust (LTLT).  In 2015, LTLT ( to become Mainspring Conservation Trust on January 1) conserved another 300 acres of land and started the process to conserve hundreds more; restored 1,500 feet of streambanks; and connected over 2,000 children and 1,000 adults to their natural resources through education and outreach programs.

Private donations make up more than 70% of the overall funding. YOU make a difference with the support you give. As of today, they are at 90% of the 2015 Annual Fund goal with less than two weeks to meet or exceed it. Please consider helping reach this goal by including the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee in your year-end giving today.

the devastation of mountaintop removal

 ILoveMountains.org  end mountaintop removal and coal mining.  The organization couldn’t do what they do without you -- it’s as simple as that. All year long, you lent your voice to the fight against mountaintop removal coal mining. This year, you supported grassroots community leaders as they fought for an effective Stream Protection Rule, demanded firm limits on toxic selenium pollution, and began building toward a brighter future by supporting the POWER+ Plan. You helped spread the word when we launched our Communities at Risk tool, which uses 30 years worth of satellite imagery to show how mountaintop removal is getting closer to communities. Now they are asking you to be a part of one more thing this year: making the work in 2016 possible.

As we close in on the 2016 public comment periods of critical water-related rulemakings, it’s crucial that we begin the year on a strong footing -- and that can be done with your help. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution today. Whether you're able to contribute $10, $25, $50 or more, every dollar of your holiday contribution goes directly to groups working to end mountaintop removal. Help  end 2015 by donating to end mountaintop removal. 

photo courtesy of wunc.org

Friends of the Mountain to Sea Trail (FMST).  Give through Amazon Smile. Amazon has created a very easy way to give to FMST through smile.amazon.comhttps://smile.amazon.com/. That website works the same way amazon.com works, has the same products and uses your same passwords. The only difference is that Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase price to the charity of your choice. When you first use smile.amazon.com, it will ask you to select a charity to receive your gifts. It's easy to find Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail on the list. After that, every time you purchase through smile.amazon.com, your purchases will help build, protect and promote the MST. 

3 Great Ways to Support the MST
ONE: Become an FMST member. Financial donations make this trail possible. You can join online or print and mail your membership form. Your donation will leave a legacy for future generations. MST license plate with HK
TWO: Buy an MST license plate. For $30 per year, you can show the world your love of the trail and help the trail financially too. $20 of your annual fee will come back to FMST to build, protect and promote the trail. You can now order your plate directly from NC DMV.
THREE: If your employer hosts a workplace-giving campaign, look for FMST as a giving option. We are a proud member of Earth Share which promotes workplace giving for conservation and environmental groups. We are a giving option in all North Carolina state and federal employee campaigns and in many local government and corporate campaigns too. FMST code numbers are: State employee campaign - 1102; Federal employee campaign - 30392; United Way of the Triangle - 60001159.

Wildcat Mountain acquisition, photo courtesy  Foothills Conservancy

Foothills Conservancy, celebrating 20 years.  Consider including a special birthday gift to Foothills Conservancy's Annual Fund in your year-end giving, so they can continue the work of saving the places you love across the Blue Ridge Mountains and Foothills.  Tax-deductible year-end gifts payable to Foothills Conservancy can be mailed to PO Box 3023, Morganton, NC 28680, or make your gift online at foothillsconservancy.org/donate  and learn more about the places you are helping protect. **Gifts "in honor" or "in memory" of friends and loved ones make wonderful holiday tributes and will be acknowledged with a special seasonal card.**