My Nonprofit Reviews
Richard Midddleton
Review for Cottonwood Canyons Foundation, Cottonwood Heights, UT, USA
I met CCF through joining one of their wildflower walks when I first moved to Salt Lake City. It was a wonderful way of learning about a part of the country that was completely unfamiliar, to me and added enormously to my enjoyment of the spectacular scenery here. I soon found myself (with no previous experience!) training as a wildflower guide, a volunteer naturalist and a snowshoe guide, and have led field trips for the past 9 years. The winter snowshoe trips especially are a great experience for students (mainly main-stream 4th grade, but including some older ones, special needs students, and other groups), many of whom have never been out in the canyons in winter before,. Often they come back later in the year and delight in learning about beavers, and hunting for aquatic macroinvertebrates (bugs!) in our lakes . Also in summer, the 3-day wildflower festival in our canyons draws hundreds of people, not just from Utah but from all over the country, some experts, but many experiencing this magnificent display for the first time. I believe that CCF is playing a vital educational role, and I'm proud to be part of it. In addition, CCF is active in conservation, through programs such as trail maintenance and removal of invasive weeds, both vital in keeping our National Forest intact despite heavy recreational pressures.
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If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Work towards establishing more reliable long-term funding, so that CCF would have the staff resources to manage more grant-funded conservation programs, provide outreach and support to schools that at present find it difficult to participate, and work even more closely with the many environmentally-focused organizations in the area.
Would you volunteer for this group again?
Definitely
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
Life-changing
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2014
Review for Defenders of Wildlife, Washington, DC, USA
This organization will not take "no" for an answer! Requests to stop sending me materials that I do not want fall on deaf ears. I have received approximately 2 appeals per month for the past 9 months (which is when I started logging appeals). Perhaps this organization actually does do something connected with environmental conservation; I don't know, because all I get is generic "If you care about wolves/polar bears/whatever, send us money". Like everyone else, I have had to reduce charitable giving in these hard times; I am now targeting my donations to organizations, mainly local, where I know what they are trying to do, can see the results, and be confident that they are not selling my name to other organizations, DOW fails on all counts.
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I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I have no experience of this organization in the field.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Cut back on endless appeals. Inform supporters or potential supporters about what DOW actually achieves, rather than making vague claims about being involved in everything. Stop selling mailing lists.
