We knew when we established the Skjersaa Group in 2012 that we wanted to create a way to consistently give back to our amazing community. We feel so grateful to live in this beautiful place, and our passion for our natural resources and outdoor recreation fueled our desire to fund local environmental and conservation nonprofits. Inspired by 1% for the Planet, which was created by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and Craig Matthews of Blue Ribbon Flies, we established our own 1 Percent initiative with the goal of setting aside at least one percent of our revenue for environmental causes.

While our passion for the environment has only strengthened as we face climate crisis, we realized there were other local and regional charities and non-profit organizations that needed our help, and we expanded the purpose of our 1 Percent campaign to include educational initiatives. Today, we are proud supporters of many nonprofits that provide important outreach and awareness in our community to help protect the environment, conserve our natural lands and waterways, support children, feed the hungry, and improve the quality of life for those who need it most. We also look for ways to sustain and support the unique culture of Bend through events that bring people together and raise awareness for important community initiatives.

Whether you donate money, give your time or share your expertise, giving comes in many forms.

On this Giving Tuesday, we hope you’ll commit to doing what you can to support our community by giving back. Whether you donate money, give your time or share your expertise, giving comes in many forms. We are fortunate to have a robust non-profit community in Bend, and there is an organization for every passion. The GreatNonprofits website has a terrific search tool for finding charities by category as well as volunteer and donor reviews that rate the nonprofits, and the Bend Chamber of Commerce provides an alphabetical listing of non-profit organizations in Central Oregon.

Want to actively participate by donating your time? There are hundreds of specific volunteer opportunities in Bend, and the Volunteer Central Oregon website is a great resource for matchmaking you–based on your interests, skills and available time–with a rewarding volunteer role that resonates with you.

However you decide to give a gift today, we hope it will inspire you to make giving back to our community an ongoing part of your Bend lifestyle. Happy Giving Tuesday!

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