A few years ago we asked to join the Foundation for Dane County Parks based on a hunch. A hunch that we could donate our business skills to a cause and help that cause enhance its impact on the community. We chose the Foundation because parks and nature are vital to a healthy community. We're almost 4 years into this now, and we've learned so much from our experience. Mainly, great things happen when people come together to support a higher cause. 

Thank you!

Thank you to all of you who are donating your time, your skills, and your money to the causes that are important to you. You may not realize this, but you are role models who inspire others to follow your example. We're committed to following your lead and serving the Foundation and many

In January 2010, Haiti was the site of an earthquake that killed over 300,000 people and displaced millions of Haitians. Gergens Polynice, a student at UW-Madison, was from Port-au-Prince (the capital of Haiti and also the epicenter of the earthquake) and had spent the holidays at home. Although his family was not hurt, the needs of the Haitian community were immediate. One of his professors, Tom Eggert, taught a class on sustainable development and organized students in the class to help those in Haiti who were left without places to stay, places to work, and places of safety. “This was one of the first natural disasters you could donate to on your phone via text, and the international community arrived with food, medicine, shelter, and water. But my

Over the years we've been working to become more intentional about how we invest in the community. With this spirit in mind, we're offering gift certificates to the Dane County Farmers' Market to the first 20 people who reach out to us by August 15th. All you need to do is contact us, and we'll mail your certificate to you. 

When we buy directly from local producers, we use our purchasing power to support sustainable agriculture, invest in our local economy, and lead a healthier lifestyle. Not to mention that Downtown Madison is a wonderful place to be on a Saturday morning. Many downtown businesses are re-emerging from the pandemic, so we encourage everyone to spend some time on State Street and buy locally.

Speaking of supporting local

Madisonians looking for relief from the hustle and bustle of city life don’t have to travel far to become immersed in nature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, spanning a whopping 1,200 acres from the southern shores of Lake Wingra to beyond the Beltline.  

This beautiful oasis, which occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, offers an unparalleled visitor experience for users of all ages. Whether you enjoy learning about restored ecosystems (the Arboretum manages the oldest restored prairie and offers family nature programs and children’s day camps), hiking the network of trails (more than 17 miles wind through restored prairies, savannas, woodlands, and wetlands), biking or running the 3-mile scenic paved drive, or watching the birds and

NAMI Wisconsin is the state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which has 28 local affiliates across Wisconsin who serve their communities. The local NAMI affiliates offer support groups, resources, and classes to help people living with a mental illness, family, friends, and providers, whose goals are to improve the quality of life and care of those navigating the mental health system.

Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. During the month of May, NAMI Wisconsin joins the national movement to raise awareness about mental health right here in our Wisconsin communities. Each year the nonprofit fights stigma, provides support, educates the public, and advocates for policies that support

What began in 2006 as a couple’s dream to feed 100 families a week on Madison’s north side has grown tenfold as the need to provide healthy food access has also increased over the last 15 years. With a vision to achieve a fully nourished community, The River Food Pantry is now South Central Wisconsin’s busiest food pantry and serves more than 1,000 families each week.  

Much like the body of water, The River is no stranger to adapting to change and charting a new course when faced with obstacles, especially those intensified by the pandemic. The River distributed 2.4 million pounds of food to less than 5,000 households in 2019, compared to a record 3.7 million pounds of food to over 6,000 households in 2020. Communications Manager Becca Carpenter

The snow hasn’t all melted, but the spring season feels well underway for many community supported agriculture (CSA) farms. That’s because many farmers who are endorsed by the FairShare CSA Coalition have already sold out of their spring and summer shares of produce (either certified organic or in transition to organic certification). 

In the CSA model, purchasing a "share" in advance of the growing seasons helps to cover some of the farm operating costs, so members are directly supporting the farmers who grow their food. Consumers also seem to be eyeing up fall and winter holiday shares already, too. So if you’ve been on the fence about joining a CSA for the first time or selecting a new farm this year, best to snap to it. FairShare, a Madison-based

It may seem unusual for an organization to ultimately wish it didn’t have to exist. But for many local groups associated with the Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County, the issue of homelessness unfortunately isn’t going away anytime soon. And as long as these groups continue to receive funding and support for their needed services, neither are they -- especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that is causing the housing gap to widen further. 

Among them is The Road Home Dane County, the only agency in the county that exclusively serves homeless families with children, which believes that every child deserves a home. The nonprofit provides case management services to help these families achieve self-determined goals and affordable, stable

In one way or another, we each live in a bubble. And as we encounter new experiences, that bubble may widen so we are able to see beyond our own viewpoint. Like many others in my mostly white sphere, we were seeing the world through rose-colored glasses...until 2020. 

"The death of George Floyd woke more people up who weren't tuned into the atrocities that the black community has been enduring for centuries," said Vanessa McDowell, CEO of YWCA Madison. "We at YWCA Madison are glad people are starting to wake up and learn about racial injustice and want to do something about it, but quite frankly, it is about time."

Vanessa is a Madison native and the first Black woman to lead the 111-year-old nonprofit, which addresses challenging issues such as

When we put out a call in our last newsletter and blog for recommendations of another local nonprofit to spotlight, we were pleased that the word traveled quickly in our networks and beyond. Several people connected us with the incredible work of JustDane, whose mission is to help transform individual lives and social systems to create a just and equitable community. 

The name “JustDane” was at first unfamiliar to me, and I soon learned why. The nearly 50-year-old faith-rooted nonprofit, originally named Madison-area Urban Ministry (MUM), recently emerged from a rebranding effort this summer. A phoenix with a north star has been selected as JustDane’s new logo to better reflect its inspiring and hopeful vision of a community where everyone can succeed,