My Nonprofit Reviews
Leaning Pisa
Review for The Trust For Hidden Villa, Los Altos Hills, CA, USA
Hidden Villa is one of the true gems of the Bay Area. Over the last 30 years, I've spent time hiking their quiet trails, cooking their organic produce, visiting their friendly farm animals, and taking varios workshops and classes from their docents. I love that there are so many wholsome things to do at Hidden Villa and so many ways to be involved. Whenever I drop by, I see people of all ages and all backgrounds exploring, learning, and bonding. Hidden Villa is one of the must-visit and must-support places in our community.
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I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
myself, my family, the stories I read in the local newspaper, and the multitude of people I see enjoyng the time they spend at Hidden Villa. In their quarterly newsletter (cleverly called the "Moos and Reviews")I also get to read about the school children, summer campers, and underserved family that benifit from their various programs.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
probably go a little crazy. There are so many different things going on at Hidden Villa that I can't imagine managing it all.
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
that I always feel like I belong. I also get inspired by a real sence community that exists at Hidden Villa. When I give money to the organization, I know that it is used well and helps keeps the gates open and the programs running.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
Amazing. They are so nice and knowledgable. Sometimes they are too busy to stop and talk, which is why I love to take their classes. I've always thought about volunteering there myself...maybe when I retire.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
probably spend less time trying to raise money and more time running programs and upkeeping the property.
Ways to make it better...
I could visit 12 months a year. Hidden Villa closes to the public every summer so that they can offer their summer camp. Enven though I understand why, I'm sad when I can only visit during their open weekends.
In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are...
the fact that they have a lot of land to maintain and a lot of programs to offer. This all costs money. A few years ago, they had to lay off staff and cut programs because they didn't get enough donations. I don't think they have a lot of money, just a great reputation and close to 2,000 acres of land.
One thing I'd also say is that...
I would probably put more effort into restoring their visitor's center. I miss having a place at Hidden Villa that I can always go to ask questions.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2008
