by C. Eliana Brown, RORG Director
On November 28, the Red Oak Rain Garden will join millions around the world by participating in the GivingTuesday global generosity movement. We celebrate this event with a campaign to provide signage for the rain garden and our ongoing effort to grow the RORG Maintenance Endowment.
RORG Signage We oftentimes hear that RORG needs signage. Layne and I wholeheartedly agree! We’re working with our Student Team to design interpretive signage that is as innovative as the rain garden. It’s a balance to create something engaging and robust to be appropriate for a college campus. Your gift makes it possible to bring these elements to life.
RORG Maintenance Endowment Rain garden maintenance isn’t the flashiest of causes. However, the lack of it can be a significant barrier to building ecological landscapes. At RORG, we are fortunate to have wonderful student and community volunteers via the Champaign County Master Gardeners and the East-Central Illinois Master Naturalists who provide stewardship. We also partner with the university’s Facilities & Services Grounds department, complementing our volunteer efforts. Tasks that go beyond Grounds’ normal job duties require compensation. Therefore, Extension established a maintenance endowment to ensure sustainable funding that overcomes barriers to lasting stewardship today and for the years to come. We’re happy to say that we are a third of the way towards meeting our fund goal!
People demonstrate generosity in many ways on GivingTuesday. Whether it’s helping out a neighbor, showing up for the people we care about, or giving to causes we value, every act of generosity counts. GivingTuesday has raised billions of dollars for critical causes worldwide and inspires people and organizations to speak up for the causes that matter to them and encourage others to get involved in their communities.
We each have a deep reserve of generosity, which we can deploy in myriad ways to make a difference. Your time, your kindness, your skills, and your voice are all things you can give in addition to charitable donations. If you’re in a position to make a financial contribution, follow the steps below.
Here is how you can get ready to give:
- Mark your calendar. GivingTuesday is November 28!
- Give. Visit the Extension donation page and select “Red Oak Rain Garden” as the specific program. If you have any questions, contact Eliana Brown or Angie Barnard.
- Spread the word. Encourage your friends and family to join you in creating a real impact by sharing what our mission means to you and why you support our organization. Make sure to use the hashtag #GivingTuesday and tag us so we can share!
Those who are interested in joining Red Oak Rain Garden’s GivingTuesday initiative can visit extension.illinois.edu/giftpage. For more details about the GivingTuesday movement, visit the GivingTuesday website, Facebook page, or Twitter account.
About the Red Oak Rain Garden
The Red Oak Rain Garden soaks up rainwater, enhances the campus and community aesthetic and educational experience, and promotes well-being for everyone who visits.
As part of Illinois Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the Red Oak Rain Garden Team believes in providing excellence in educational programming and providing accessible programs that help people solve problems. The rain garden does both! The Team creates service-learning opportunities for students and community volunteers and inspires visitors to find out how they can create healthier landscapes where they live.
About GivingTuesday
GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past ten years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give. GivingTuesday strives to build a world in which the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking dignity, opportunity and equity around the globe.
Red Oak Rain Garden 