Why More Companies Should Have a 2020 Philanthropic Goal like Wells Fargo

I am thankful and in awe of Wells Fargo’s corporate giving program and their bold commitment to environmental education.

Wells Fargo has an incredible philanthropic arm with an admirable 2020 Environmental Goal to provide $65 million in contributions to foster resilient communities, clean technology and innovation, and environmental education. As part of this goal, Wells Fargo has made a very generous $2MM donation to my non-profit organization. This donation will equip our team to reach its 2020 impact goal to build 1000 Learning Gardens in schools across 10 American cities. 

We’ve already built 400 Learning Gardens reaching 200,000 kids; and with this support from Wells Fargo, and donations from many others, we can continue to build more outdoor Learning Garden classrooms to connect hundreds of thousands of children to fresh, healthy food.

With Learning Gardens in schools — primarily in underserved areas of our nation — we can connect kids to real food, the natural world, and teach them about a key environmental issue of our time: from where their food comes.

The $2MM donation from Wells Fargo is the largest, philanthropic corporate donation our organization has received to date. I am of course both thankful and in awe of Wells Fargo’s corporate giving program and their bold commitment to environmental education.

I believe that trust is the currency of our generation. Without trust, we all lose. By donating to worthy causes and impactful organizations, Wells Fargo is making significant investments in its communities. Wells Fargo is both building trust and doubling down on a belief that we must cultivate citizens of tomorrow to improve the health of our communities.

Every company in America should aspire to follow in Wells Fargo’s footsteps for their clear vision to make a difference in the communities it serves.

Since 2005, Wells Fargo has integrated sustainability initiatives into its culture, funding innovative organizations that foster environmental literacy and a new generation of sustainability leaders. Through its environmental education grant-making, Wells Fargo promotes scalable community outreach and education programs, targeting low to moderate-income communities and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives. The bank’s larger environmental commitment also focuses on improving its own operational efficiency, financing renewable energy projects, and advancing clean technologies.

What are your 2020 philanthropic goals? How can your company further its community giving and investments? How can we all pursue an America where everyone — no matter the financial situation — has access to real food?