giving & membership
The Cook Forest Conservancy appreciates your support!
Certain threats bearing down upon Cook Forest and the woodlands that surround and support it are of urgent importance – particularly the irreversible destruction that would be wrought by woolly adelgid infestation – and are impossible to surmount without your support. As a functioning ecosystem, the forest extends beyond the borders delineating state land from private. HELP US:
- Protect the entirety of the Black Forest that so many of us love;
- Control invasive insects and plants in and around Cook Forest;
- Shield the state park from pollutants;
- Educate & assist local landowners in implementing sound forest management practices; and
- Minimize the effects of other pressures —
Help us keep its waters cool and clean, its forest whole and healthy, and its future certain.
The Cook Forest Conservancy strives to educate the next generation of stewards of the forests, to preserve crucial habitat, and to maintain the unique and peaceful nature of Cook Forest into the future. The CFC will work to protect hemlocks on state-owned and on private property, and to encourage sustainable forestry practices through education and landowner assistance programs. The CFC is partnering with the Friends of Cook Forest and the State Park itself to replace six trail bridges – bridges which form an integral part of the character of beautiful Cook Forest, and without which many trails will become unusable.
Please join us in these programs, and in protecting this unique island of old-growth forest.
MEMBERSHIP: Your donation of $35 or more, or your recurring donation of any amount, entitles you to benefits including access to the member’s-only discussion group on Facebook, an invitation to the annual member’s breakfast in the park, a really nice CFC sticker, and our deep gratitude. All donations of any amount* are welcome and appreciated.
donate via paypal:
Donate fee-free via Paypal Giving Fund
NEW! Paypal Giving Fund will cover all processing fees for any amount donated via this platform
* Currently there is not an option through this interface to note a donation as in memoriam or in honor of someone;
but just email us at info@cookforestconservancy.org and we'll ensure the gift is notated and funds applied to the correct program, if any.
another secure option - donorbox:
These are also free on your end and on ours, up to $1,000 / month. Donations submitted via the form below or via this secure link help the CFC in whichever program most needs the funds – we thank you for entrusting us with this discretion.
If you’d like to designate your donations specifically for efforts to save the hemlocks can be made via the woolly adelgid page, or via this secure link.
For donors working to replace the steel stream bridges and keep the hiking trails of Cook Forest and the North Country Trail open – please earmark funds via the CFSP Bridges campaign.
ALTERNATIVE SUPPORT: Your knowledge, effort, & non-cash donations are very much welcome and appreciated – please feel free to contact the CFC (info @ cookforestconservancy.org) with information or suggestions, or regarding volunteer opportunities, conservation easements, and estate planning. Please also contact us at the address above regarding corporate sponsorship opportunities, corporate membership, or for requests to collaborate on a park project.
FUNDRAISING: Help the CFC encourage donations — see some options here at our Fundraising page
Donor Privacy
The Cook Forest Conservancy does not sell or share any of our donor or contact lists — please see our full Privacy Policy for more information. At the insistence of the bankers, we also have a terms & conditions page.
The CFC is committed to minimizing both its overhead and fundraising costs in order to direct the maximum percentage of donor dollars to the programs the forest most needs. From our founding through today (December 2021), Cook Forest Conservancy officers and directors advanced all organizational & start-up costs, and continue to serve only as unpaid volunteers.
* Donation minimum of $10 due to recommendation of DonorBox & Stripe, our primary processors, to discourage testing of stolen credit cards. We’re happy to accept your support via credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or ACH.
Since its founding in 2017, the CFC has been officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Our EIN is 82-1048700, and you can review our full report at GuideStar.
Your monthly or one-time donations are fully tax-deductible for income, gift, and estate taxes.