Meet OGC Mission Fund Recipient: McKenzie River Trust

A focus on sustainability has been important to us since day one, which is why many of our giving priorities are focused on caring for the planet. We’re proud to support organizations doing important environmental work in our community through our Mission Fund program. In honor of Earth Day, we’re celebrating one of those organizations, meet the McKenzie River Trust.  

McKenzie River Trust protects land in western Oregon by acquiring property with clear public benefits, helping landowners conserve their land, restoring natural systems, and connecting people to the places they care about. Since they were founded in 1989, the nonprofit McKenzie River Trust has protected nearly 8,600 acres, planted more than one million trees and shrubs, and restored over 25 miles of salmon-bearing streams.  

OGC has been a long-time partner in their work, and coworkers volunteer at events throughout the year to support them firsthand. In 2022, OGC gave the Trust an unrestricted Mission Fund grant to help them provide access to their land for people with limited mobility through tours, adaptive recreation events, and by offering a space for groups to connect with nature in a private setting. And this month, we’re helping them launch an Earth Day-focused fundraising campaign as a match fund business partner.  

“We’re grateful to be able to provide a place where people can connect with nature without obstacles,” said Holly McRae, events and outreach manager at the McKenzie River Trust. “One of the cool things about the McKenzie River Trust is our incredible circle of supporters, including OGC. It would be hard to do this work without a whole community behind you, and the McKenzie River Trust really has that.”  

The McKenzie River Trust is just one of the many organizations OGC’s Mission Fund supported in 2022. Find a list of all our recent grant recipients here.