As soon as I finished Yvon’s book “Let My People Go Surfing” six years ago, I signed my company, Apartment Therapy Media, up for 1% right away. At the time, our revenues were pretty small, giving 1% was easy and we asked our readers to suggest who we should donate to. I saw it as a great was to publicly involve our audience in our participation with this very good cause.

Each year our revenues grew steadily and two years in I was at a fund raiser near my house for the Peconic Land Trust and they were looking to raise a big sum from the event, $10,000. I realized then that if I directed all of our 1% giving to the Peconic Land Trust, we could do some really significant help and the results of it would be immediately visible. I was also really drawn to the opportunity of having an ongoing, personal relationship with the organization my company was helping.

As of this past year, we are giving about $25,000 annually to the Peconic Land Trust and have become the biggest source of funding for their CSA Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett, NY, which also acts as their marketing arm in the Hamptons. They are the largest source of land preservation on Long Island and one of the leading land preservation trusts in the United States.

The farm and the Trust are now deeply thankful for the support my company provides, and have invited me to talk about 1% at a number of their fund raising gatherings because company support is not something that people think about, and 1% is not a widely known vehicle for doing it.

I love it because my personal and company mission are now totally aligned in an ongoing relationship that enlarges our circle and allows us to say that we really put our money where our mouth is.

The Peconic Land Trust would not be able to complete this work without the help from their donors and volunteers. They recently shared a great story about their connection with Apartment Therapy through 1% for the Planet. After Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, Apartment Therapy’s owner, read Yvon’s Let My People Go Surfing, he was inspired to join 1% for the Planet. Apartment Therapy, which is an online blog/magazine devoted to helping its readers make their living spaces beautiful, organized and healthy, launched in 2001. They joined 1% for the Planet in 2007 without knowing exactly what organization(s) they wanted to support with their 1% contribution. After listening to some recommendations from 1% for the Planet staff, Maxwell realized that there was a place close to his heart that would benefit from his donation.  He asked the Peconic Land Trust to become an approved non-profit partner so that his 1% donation could support their great work.

(Photo taken from the Peconic Land Trust’s Spring/Summer 2012 Newsletter)

Having summered and spent many weekends in East Hampton, Maxwell was very familiar with the area and wanted to support a local project. Quail Hill Farm is an organic farm that was donated to the Peconic Land Trust and distributes food to local schools, food shelves, and restaurants, in addition to having a CSA and selling at  the local farmers market. Maxwell decided to donate 1% of his income annually to the Land Trust to ensure that this land would be used productively for many years to come.

Maxwell is glad to have joined 1% for the Planet, because it is clear to him that through his business he is able to make a huge difference. While a part of a larger global network, Maxwell is thrilled that he can still independently choose precisely what causes his dollars support! The Land Trust is very thankful for Apartment Therapy’s support and enjoys working with Maxwell. Thank you for sharing this inspiring story with us, and if any other businesses or non-profits have similar tales, please email them to Pauline at Pauline@onepercentfortheplanet.org