At The Giving Grove, we believe in the power of partnerships to create lasting change. As nonprofits and businesses come together to address challenges like sustainability and community vitality, the potential for meaningful impact grows exponentially. Through our nationwide network of community orchards and food forests, we’ve seen firsthand how collaboration can transform neighborhoods, improve access to healthy food, and enhance the environment. In this post, we’ll dive into the different models of corporate partnerships within our network and highlight how businesses can join us in fostering a greener, more sustainable future for all.

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Contributed by Erica Kratofil, Giving Grove Co-Executive Director

Models for Corporate-Nonprofit Partnerships

Nonprofits and businesses are increasingly joining forces to address challenges in sustainability and community vitality. Partnerships between businesses and nonprofits offer a powerful way to create meaningful change, benefiting not only the environment but also the communities they serve. By working together, these entities can amplify their impact, leverage resources efficiently, and drive innovative solutions for a sustainable future.

The Giving Grove: A Nationwide Network for Sustainable Partnerships

The Giving Grove is an Aligned-Action Network of community orchard and food forest programs that provide healthy calories, strengthen community, and improve the urban environment. Founded in 2013, the network now includes more than 650 community orchard and food forest sites nationwide addressing food insecurity, creating access to nature and providing important environmental benefits like cleaner air and stormwater retention. These sites are cared for by local trained volunteers and supported by Giving Grove’s affiliate network – community-based nonprofits in each program market that provide tools, training and technical assistance for the orchard sites to thrive.

Types of Corporate Partnerships in The Giving Grove network

With programs in 16 U.S. markets (and counting), The Giving Grove network includes a variety of partnership models, including corporate team building programs, multi-year support through orchard adoption programs, and ongoing collaboration at the national level benefitting the entire network. This multi-city reach creates opportunities for local businesses, regional entities and national corporations to provide support and engagement in the places where their employees live and work.

Getting to Know the Network: Corporate Team Building Events

Many of Giving Grove’s affiliate programs offer team building events for corporate partners at a local orchard or food forest site. Staff from The Giving Grove’s local affiliate program plan and deliver half-day outdoor volunteer projects, including opportunities to learn about the fruit and nut trees that grow well in the local climate. Volunteer activities often include orchard maintenance such as weed removal, mulching, watering, thinning fruit and – in some cases – harvesting. While costs vary based on the city and the company size, a typical event might include a $2,500 donation to cover the nonprofit partner’s staff time in planning and overseeing the event, as well as materials like mulch and compost for orchard maintenance. These outdoor team building exercises may also include sharing a meal or picnic together at the site.

Multi-Year Support: Adopting an Orchard or Food Forest

For companies that have seen the power of team building in an orchard space, a multi-year partnership with a local Giving Grove program can be a great next step. In many Giving Grove cities, corporate partners can adopt an orchard or food forest site. For a modest annual investment, the corporate partner receives an annual team-building event at the site, along with signage indicating their company’s support. In some cases, corporate partners also take advantage of curated workshops for their team or unique products – such as local honey – from the site they adopt.

Program Launch: Bringing Giving Grove to a New Market

Corporate partnerships have even fueled Giving Grove’s expansion to new cities. PCNA, the leading supplier of customized and promotional products, partnered with The Giving Grove to launch a community orcharding program in its headquarters city of Pittsburgh, PA. PCNA invested a percentage of its ProudPath product line in the orchard program, while employees helped plant trees for new orchard sites. PCNA’s ongoing commitment to The Giving Grove through 1% for the Planet also helps grow the network across the U.S., reaching many communities where PCNA employees and customers live and work.

Ongoing Collaboration for National Impact

Across the network, numerous companies have made ongoing commitments to amplify Giving Grove’s reach and the impact of its community orchard sites. Yes! Apples, headquartered in New York, represents 50+ family farms that grow and sell more than 20 varieties of apples. Since 2022, Yes! Apples has been a corporate partner of The Giving Grove through 1% for the Planet, providing not only financial support for program expansion in key markets but also ongoing collaboration for marketing and storytelling.

The Giving Grove has built relationships with dozens of suppliers who provide orchard care and maintenance products for Giving Grove’s network free of charge or at discounted pricing. These suppliers, including SCD Probiotics, DRAMM Corporation, Coast of Maine, and many more, support the network’s commitment to holistic, natural fruit production by donating probiotics, fish fertilizer, and compost that contribute to healthy soil, healthy trees, and healthy food for hundreds of neighborhoods across the U.S.

Fruitful Partnerships Drive Sustainability

Partnerships between businesses and nonprofits like The Giving Grove are instrumental in driving sustainability and fostering community resilience. By aligning shared goals, leveraging resources, fostering innovation, and enhancing credibility, these collaborations create long-term solutions for environmental and community challenges. These joint efforts are key to building a greener, more sustainable future for all.

Companies interested in partnering with The Giving Grove can learn more here.

Nonprofits interested in creating more opportunities for corporate partners can check out this Partnership Planning Guide.

Building Stronger Communities: Corporate Partnerships with The Giving Grove