| | Mission, Vision, Goals, Values
The American Forest Foundation (AFF) is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization that was chartered in 1981 with the purpose of encouraging the long-term sustainability of America's forests, restoring wildlife habitat, and developing quality environmental education programs, to assure that Americans today, and in the future, enjoy healthy, growing forests. Strategic Priorities Mission We ensure the sustainability of America’s family forests for present and future generations in conjunction with our strategic partners. Vision AFF is committed to creating a future where North American forests are sustained by the public that understand and values the social, economic, and environmental benefits they provide to our communities, our nation, and the world. AFF Long-Term Goals - Increase public awareness and understanding of the role that forests and the environment play in our lives, and build the skills and commitment needed to conserve and sustain them.
- Develop and advance policies and programs that support conservation, environmental education, and sustainable forests.
- Enhance the ecological, social, and economic viability of family forestland ownership.
- Increase the number of family forest owners who sustainably manage natural resources.
- Support research that fills gaps in our understanding of forest ecology, the socio-economic dimensions of forest ownership and management, and the impact of public policies on forest sustainability.
Background The priorities below are the areas that AFF believes offer the richest opportunity to build AFF and advance our mission and goals through intense focus during the next three years. We expect that each of these priorities not only has value for the next three years, but as achieved, will set AFF up for greater success in the future. These priorities are not intended to cover all that we do but rather are our judgment, based on today’s environment, where we should place our operating emphasis. External: - Stem the Loss of America’s Woodlands: Most of America’s forested land is privately owned and most of that is owned by family woodland owners. These lands provide many economic, social and conservation benefits. Yet this land is being lost at an alarming rate of 1.5 million acres a year. Stemming this loss is vital to preserving sustainable communities. If we want to conserve the economic, habitat, wildlife, biodiversity, clean water and clean air benefits these lands provide, we also need incentives for management to sustain all these values. To address these issues and demonstrate clear accomplishments, over the next 3 years AFF will focus on the follow metrics:
1.1 Congress will enact improved tax incentives for woodlands including incentives for woodland legacy agreements (conservation easements), improvements in the estate tax, reduced capital gains rates, and incentives for endangered species conservation.
1.2 We will research and establish working models for ecosystem service markets for water quality, carbon storage, and habitat protection that will be replicated by others.
1.3 State and federal governments will enact green building policies that support the use of sustainably harvested wood products, including wood from ATFS certified forests, together with policies that encourage environmental education in connection with school “green” construction and sustainable building management policies.
1.4 Congress will triple the dollar amount of incentives available through the Farm Bill, appropriations, and climate and/or energy legislation for private working woodland owners to help keep working woodlands intact and working.
- Enhance the Quality of America’s Woodlands: Certification offers one measure of sustainable management, so we will grow the acres we certify. However, we will also reach out beyond the 10% of woodland owners that have been the traditional target of these efforts. We will do this by focusing on the interests and concerns of these unengaged woodland owners, focusing on the following metrics over the next 3 years:
2.1 We will add at least 3 million net acres to the ATFS system.
2.2 We will create and test at least two models to engage presently unengaged woodland owners in the adoption of sustainable practices.
2.3 We will improve woodland management for ecosystem services on at least 2 million acres.
2.4 We will ensure 2,000 schools, youth groups, and local community and conservation-based organizations adopt sustainable practices on at least 10,000 acres of school forests and community woodlands.
2.5 We will slow the loss of woodlands during intergenerational transfers.
2.6 We will slow the loss of woodlands to pests and pathogens.
- Ensure Decision makers and Educators Understand and Value America’s Woodlands: Stemming the loss of woodlands and ensuring they are well managed can only happen if key decision makers and the broader public fully understand the value these lands create for all of us. To address this challenge, we will focus on the following metrics over the next 3 years:
3.1 We will increase AFF leadership in the conservation community by convening diverse stakeholders and framing the debate on the biggest threats and opportunities facing our mission.
3.2 We will develop at least 12 legislative champions each, for environmental education and for working woodlands, by creating an effective grassroots network and grasstops leadership operation, with active leaders in our 20 target states.
3.3 We will educate future decision makers about the role that forests and the environment play in our lives, and build the skills and commitment needed to conserve and sustain them.
3.4 We will ensure that educators have the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to educate future decisions makers about America’s forests and how to conserve and sustain them.
3.5 We will double the amount of funding from the federal government for environmental education.
3.6 We will increase the understanding of decision-makers and community leaders, in targeted areas, regarding the value of America’s woodlands and policies for conserving and sustaining them.
3.7 We will use the UN-designated 2011 Year of Forests to work with partners, to educate decision-makers in targeted areas about the importance of America’s woodlands.
Internal: To strengthen AFF’s long-term ability to accomplish its mission and move toward our long-term goal of securing 70% of our revenue from external sources, during the next three years we will:
- Grow Revenue to Become Less Dependent on Income from Reserves for Program Expenses
By the End of 2012:
4.1 We will grow revenue so that the reserves provide 60% or less of total operating funding.
4.2 We will consistently meet the IRS public support test of at least 33.3% of revenue coming from other sources.
4.3 Our planned giving program will add 75 new bequests or bequest intents during this period.
4.4 We will grow annual and on-line giving to $300,000.
4.5 We will grow our individual major donor program to 500 people giving $500 or more annually for a total of $500,000.
4.6 We will secure at least $1 million in corporate donations annually.
4.7 We will secure at least $500,000 in foundation donations annually.
4.8 We will secure at least $1.75 million in government grants annually.
4.9 We will secure earned income of $1 million.
- Nurture Excellence in our Education and Woodland Networks of Volunteers, Committees and Partners: AFF accomplishes what we do through the active engagement and participation of thousands of volunteers in our networks. For us to succeed we need these networks to be robust and resilient. To strengthen our networks over the next 3 years, we will focus on the following metrics:
5.1 Both ATFS state committees and PLT’s state sponsors will annually improve their performance in targeted improvement areas.
5.2 Each of our networks will have secured long-term performance-based MOUs with at least 40 state governing bodies and those bodies or AFF will have MOUs with their supporting organizations.
5.3 We will have an active grasstops leader and supporting network in 20 target states.
5.4 We will increase the amount of revenue from AFTS to provide more support for the network and our supporting organizations. Values - All American have a stake in the future of our nation’s forests.
- Forest owners are stewards of vital resources that provide value to their communities, the nation, and the world.
- Environmental education enables citizens to learn the skills and gain the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about our natural resources.
- Our success depends on the passion of volunteers and the capacity of state based organizations who share our goals. Likewise, we share responsibility for assuring they have the resources they need to succeed.
What We Do - Ensure that America's family owned forests continue to provide clean water, fertile soil, quality recreation, homes for wildlife, and wood for products -- not just for this generation, but for all that will follow.
- Help young people learn the skills they will need to become responsible environmental decision makers.
- Work with partners and family forest owners to conserve and create critical wildlife habitat for imperiled species.
AFF's 2008 Audited Financial Statement (PDF) Form 990—Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax |
