Strategic Plan

Mission

The Tacoma Tree Foundation is focused on educating, empowering, and supporting community greening efforts in the Greater Tacoma area, Pierce County, and the watersheds of the Puget Sound.

Vision

Our future has trees in every neighborhood, healthy vibrant and cohesive communities that sustain tree planting, tree care and tree education. Neighbors helping neighbors to grow a greener, healthier, and more connected Greater Tacoma, Pierce County and the watersheds of Puget Sound.

Values

Community Inclusion: Supporting inclusive and safe communities for all races, ages, genders, abilities, cultures, and lifestyles through community tree stewards training and tree care/planting workshops.

Community Cohesion and Social Capital: Leading social cohesion and civic engagement through restored community and mutual caring with Earth Day South Sound and advocacy for trees and community.

Urban Trees and Neighborhood Greenspaces: Promoting tree protection, planting, and neighborhood greening where it is most lacking through tree giveaways, the exceptional tree program and tree walks.

Community Health and Human Well-Being: Working to ensure healthy lives and well-being through community greening with nature explorers, the nature explorers zine, organic landscape maintenance workshops and school landscapes.

Priority partners

The Tacoma Tree Foundation was founded in 2018 to address the gap in community support to increase Tacoma's urban forest. Turning this vision into reality requires leadership, new partnerships, and community solidarity. Everyone belongs and has a contribution to make.

Community

Work with the community is an essential part of the Tacoma Tree Foundation. Without social inculsion and cohesion we cannot build a greener Tacoma. We work together with community members to dismantle racism and other forms of oppression and help communities with access to green resources.

Our focus is where the need for trees, greening, community health and human well-being is the greatest where we can help direct local benefits for communities. Currently, our primary focus is on the Tacoma neighborhoods of Hilltop, South Tacoma, South End, and Eastside.

As regional development continues, so do our partnerships in the Cities of Lakewood, Sumner, Edgewood, Fife, and the Pierce County communities of Parkland, Spanaway, Fredrickson, Midland, South Hill, and perhaps on land of the Puyallup People (swatxʷixʷtxʷəd ʔə tiił spuyaləpabš).

Tacoma Government and services (Municipal)

We work with the City's governing bodies to protect and increase the tree canopy throughout Tacoma by focusing on urban heat equity and elevating community voices, particularly frontline communities, to protect and increase the tree canopy.

Working with municipal partners supports tree preservation and greening at all levels, and lays the foundation for a healthier and greener community planning and development.

South Puget Sound or Pierce County(Regional)

Working in the larger region of the south sound we are able to be part of forest preservation and restoration through partner work and policy on tree preservation, climate change resilience and climate justice.

We are part of a network of organizations involved in tree and greening-related activities throughout the greater Puget Sound, as what happens in the Snohomish/King/Kitsap/Pierce/Thurston County megalopolis affects the surrounding region.

Action Plan

The action plan presents our goals that represent how we see tree planting, preservation, and community greening efforts over the long run. We are here to improve community health and well-being through social inclusion, cohesion and capital-building to restore urban trees and greenspace.

Community Actions

  1. Focus efforts in urban communities identified as significant heat islands

  2. Provide tree planting and care workshops for community members and professionals serving focus communities

  3. Align tree planting with other greening efforts

  4. Encourage youth leadership and job training in tree planting and stewardship

  5. Train community tree stewards in multiple languages

  6. Support post-planting tree care through capacity building and training

  7. Support fruit tree planting and culturally relevant food systems to help enable tending and gleaning initiatives

Partner Actions

  1. Form partnerships with organizations and civic groups in focus neighborhoods by listening before acting

  2. Support obtaining a 30 percent tree cover goal within urban areas

  3. Advocate for funding, ordinances, policy and plans to strengthen tree preservation and care of the urban forest

  4. Encourage climate resiliency and socially-just adaptation practices in urban forests

  5. Support outdoor learning in nearby nature and school landscapes

  6. Highlight significant trees in our neighborhoods through tree inventories, tree walks, and exceptional tree designation

Foundation Strategy

  1. Raise and retain a $20,000 prudent reserve fund

  2. Establish a donor membership network

  3. Fundraise to cover 10% of operating costs

  4. Develop and approve an Operations Plan

  5. Fund and provide opportunities for staff professional development

  6. Recruit and retain a robust and diverse volunteer network, Foundation Staff, and Board of Directors

  7. Broaden community and agency partnerships within underserved urban areas of Pierce County

Strategic Plan

Download and read our complete 2021-2025 Strategic plan