For the past five years, the Messenger has published an annual Give Guide, a listing of local nonprofits, each which is doing important work to make our communities safer, smarter, more interesting and, overall, helping make the world of southern Oregon a better place. 

Let’s not mince words: For this important word, each relies on financial support from is neighbors; that’s you! 

In the next few pages is some basic information about 17 different groups. We encourage you to learn more, and then give!

And, join us 5 – 8 pm, Tuesday, December 3 at ScienceWorks in Ashland for our annual Giving Tuesday event. It is the only in-person meet, greet and give event in southern Oregon and part of a larger national trend. It is a chance to meet in-person the people and organizations doing this good work.

There may be more and more problems in world, but giving rates are up across the country—and, we believe that is an encouraging trend about how much TK, and that more and more solutions are just around the corner. 

Be part of something bigger this holiday season!  

 

Ashland Independent Film Festival

PO Box 218
Ashland, OR 97520

Mission Statement: Celebrate the diversity of human experience through the art of independent film by enriching, educating and inspiring all audiences.

How Donations Help:  
$25: Allows us to distribute four (4) tickets through our GiveFilm program, a program designed to distribute film tickets to people who would otherwise be unable to afford them.
$50: Covers the cost of ten (10) festival catalogues, which are printed and distributed for free to the community.
$100: Helps support our effort to engage local classrooms to participate in our LAUNCH student film competition.
$500: Provides a full travel stipend to bring an independent filmmaker to Ashland to share their work and engage with audiences.

Ashland New Plays Festival 

Peggy Moore, President
PO Box 3314  Ashland, Oregon 97520
AshlandNewPlays.org

Mission Statement: Ashland New Plays is an incubator for new plays and assists playwrights in the development of new works through public readings and offers an educational forum to the community through discussions and workshops. 

How Donations Help:
Much of our cost centers around pay for actors and directors. $500 pays for a director for one play. $200 pays for an actor. Smaller donations, coupled with other smaller donations, provide money to fund a reading. We do not have the costs of office space; most of our staff are volunteers.

We have need of a few volunteers to help at our Fall Festival (in October) and at the two “one offs” we in January and in the summer. Volunteers usher, take tickets, help set up and clean up

 

The Ashland Folk Collective 

Jacqui Aubert (610) 209-4784
AshlandFolkCollective.com

Mission Statement:The Ashland Folk Collective’s mission is to support the Arts through live musical performances and musical education.

How Donations Help:
$15: Dinner for one musician
$35: Flyers for a concert
$45: A venue rental fee
$100: Pays for a musical opening act
$500: A performer for a concert of 75 people
$2,000: Insurance for 2020

We would love more volunteers to help with our performances including greeters, clean up and band helpers.  

 

Friends of John Muir Memorial Green Burial Sanctuary

Dr. Diana Cunningham
1467 Siskiyou Blvd. #313, Ashland OR  97520
GreenBurialSanctuary.com 

Mission Statement: To offer the people of southern Oregon and beyond the most environmentally-responsible and affordable choice in green burials at our certified-Conservation cemetery outside Ashland OR. With each burial a native wildflower seeding or tree planting can be chosen to mark the grave of a loved one.

To restore the ancient forest and native meadow habitats over the 101-acre cemetery, which is held in perpetuity for public access and for people to see that death is natural and beautiful and part of the cycle of life.

To provide a safe environment for grief in a green-built Memorial Hall for visitation and memorials, for families coming from afar for Celebrations of Life, and for public access to learn the basic life skills for grieving in community grief circles (skills not available in conventional grief counseling, support groups, grief therapy or hospice counseling).

How Donations Help:
$5 pays for a packet of pollinator seed to be held in memory for a loved one’s plot
$10 goes to a wildflower seeding for a child plot (children receive free burials)
$25 pays for a native dogwood tree to be planted along the country road inside the cemetery
$50 pays for the purchase of a native tree (where a homeless or low-income person cannot afford one)
$150 pays for the planting, maintenance, and purchase of a Founder’s tree —15 of which will be planted along the road as a privacy screen
$1000 pays for the pre-plot reservation for a person who cannot afford to pay for a basic green burial in the meadow

Interested persons can ask us about our Naming Opportunities for large donations of $100 plus

 

Grandmas2Go-Family Coaches

Linda Otto Founder/CEO
Joy Marshall Executive Director
140 S. Holly Street, Suite 1291
Medford, OR 97501
grandmas2go.org

Mission Statement: Grandmas2Go-Family Coaches connects “women of wisdom and experience”with struggling and at-risk families to mentor, nurture and support parents during the critical years of their child’s brain growth – from pregnancy to preschool.
We are rebuilding “the village”and the extended family model that has sustained families for eons while giving seniors an opportunity to stay active, involved and giving back to their communities.

How Donations Help:  $25 supplies a new baby with a safe swaddling sleeper to help prevent the heartbreak of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS);
$50 provides parents with a “baby carrier”so parents can “wear their baby”and support the bonding and attachment that is vital for infants to thrive;
$100 helps us to support struggling and at-risk families in our communities;

If one caring adult can change the life of a child, just imagine what a team of grandmas can do!

 

Jackson County Children’s Advocacy 

Danae Crawford
816 W 10th St Medford
www.cacjc.org

Mission Statement: To meet the needs of children and families by providing a community-based, child-focused center that facilitates a compassionate, multi-disciplinary approach to the prevention, treatment, identification, investigation, and prosecution of child abuse. 

How Donations Help:
A donation to The Children’s Advocacy Center will help to provide forensic interviews, medical exams, therapy sessions, and advocacy services to abused children in Jackson County Oregon. It also helps us provide prevention education to the community.

Volunteering at The Center can take on many different forms. Some volunteers dedicate their time to weekly or monthly schedules helping to lighten the workload of our staff. We also have committees that help plan events, promote our educational and preventative trainings, and that work to maintain our facilities so our funds can go towards helping children not fixing a broken toilet. Our Board and Advisory Committee is also made up of dedicated volunteers who work together to guide The Center toward accomplishing our mission. 

 

Jackson County Library Foundation 

Sandy New, Executive Director
205 S Central Avenue
Medford, OR 97501
www.jclf.org

Mission Statement: The Jackson County Library Foundation secures resources to strengthen innovation and literacy in our community.

How Donations Help: 
Donations go toward investing in our libraries and the crucial services they provide to our community. Private support is the greatest endorsement of our belief that free and open access to information can change lives for the better and build a brighter future for our community.

The Foundation does not have volunteers. However, we help recruit volunteers for the Libraries. There are many volunteer opportunities through Library Services. People can go to the JCLS website to apply to be a volunteer.

 

Klamath Bird Observatory

P.O. Box 758
Ashland OR 97520
KlamathBird.org

Mission Statement: Advancing bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. By protecting birds, we are helping to address today’s most pressing environmental challenges.  

How Donations Help:
You may have heard that since 1970 we have lost 3 billion birds, nearly a quarter of the birds in North America. Many include the tiny warblers that make miraculous migrations from their breeding grounds here in Oregon to the montane forests of western Mexico. KBO applies our science to help conserve the habitats that these birds need during their breeding, migration, and wintering seasons.

A $150 dollar donation will pay for a small tracking device; a relatively new technology that is rapidly advancing our knowledge of where our migratory warblers are going. Information gained from a few individuals can help us identify what habitats they need, and where they may experience threats along their annual journey.

KBO leads many community science programs that are driven by volunteer bird watchers. We are gearing up for our Eastern Oregon Short-eared Owl surveys. These involve venturing to remote parts of the state where volunteers implement a standardized survey protocol. Training materials will be provided and no experience is necessary to volunteer. To learn more about this volunteer opportunity contact Nate Trimble nlt@klamathbird.org. 

 

Legacy Earthkeepers Academy of Permaculture (L.E.A.P) 

How Donations Help:
Donation Packages are based on tier levels that include time share housing, special retreat discounts, a permaculture certificate, harvest goods, holistic services, tax services, acupuncture, curriculum access, permaculture courses, events, retreats and workshops.

Donations go towards obtaining a Co-Op lifetime membership for all grade levels to High School Graduation with a Diploma ($5,000), Acquiring Permaculture Sites ($200,000+), Land and Course Development ($50,000-$100,000+), Community Outreach ($3,000+), Supplies ($3,000), and Website ($1,000).

 

Mt Ashland Association

Hiram Towle, General Manager
PO Box 220
Ashland, OR 97520
MtAshland.com

Mission Statement: The Mt. Ashland Association is dedicated to providing and promoting a healthy, quality experience in an alpine environment. Founded in 1992 when the local community rallied to “Save Mt. Ashland,” the Association provides affordable and free opportunities for any young person growing up in our area to try skiing or snowboarding.

How Donations Help:
A $50 donation to the Mt. Ashland Association enables the organization to give one child a scholarship to visit the ski area with their classmates through our school program. 15 percent of the kids in our school programs participate completely for free.

We love our volunteers! We have an amazing group of ski patrollers, most of whom are volunteers. Our Snow Hosts help guide guests as they arrive to ensure everyone gets set in the right direction from the moment they arrive. All volunteers are rewarded with free skiing and snowboarding as a reward for their hard work.

 

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

15 South Pioneer Street
Ashland, OR 97520
osfashland.org

Mission Statement: Inspired by Shakespeare’s work and the cultural richness of the United States, we reveal our collective humanity through illuminating interpretations of new and classic plays, deepened by the kaleidoscope of rotating repertory.

How Donations Help:
Ticket sales cover a little over half of our budget. Donations have the following impact:

• OSF education program annually serve of total of 89,700 students and 9,300 adults and families.
• Audio description for 106 performances.
• Assistive listening devices upgraded and loaned out 5,168 times in 3 theatres.
• Caption services during 341 performances, for 1-11 patrons per performance.
• American Sign Language for 286 patrons, with interpretation for eight performances over 3 weekends.

Each season, over 700 volunteers donate more than 30,000 hours working in various departments at OSF. Opportunities include ticket takers and ushers in our theatres, concierges for Student Groups and Festival Noon, volunteers in the Tudor Guild Shop. 

 

Ride My Road

Lauren Trantham
PO Box 298
Talent, OR 97540
RideMyRoad.org
541.219.1429

Mission Statement: Ride My Road imagines a world free from the demand for commercial sexual exploitation. Ride My Road is national collective of bikers raising funds for anti-trafficking organizations. Funds that are raised are granted out to established organizations combating trafficking and offering direct services to American survivors. 

How Donations Help: We have a goal to enroll 100 bikers into our program in 2020. A $150 contribution ensures that a rider will receive printed educational and promotional material on human trafficking needed to start their fundraising campaign. This enrollment package equips our riders with the knowledge and education so that may reach out into their communities to spread awareness and to begin their fundraising campaign.

Ride My Road is always looking for event coordinators, graphic designers, videographers and support in marketing. Volunteers can work remotely and a very appreciated! 

 

Rogue Valley Mentoring

295 E. Main St. Suite G
Ashland, OR 97520

Mission Statement: To transform entire communities through the mentoring of youth.

How Donations Help:

• $25: supplies healthy snacks for one session of a youth circle.
• $100: provides activity passes for a one-to-one match for one month.
• $625: supports one youth in a mentor circle for six months.
• $1,000: sponsors an individual youth in a one-to-one match for one year.

Our volunteers receive training to mentor young people, ages 10-20, in a one-to-one match or as co-facilitator of a mentor circle.

 

Rogue World Music

Ana Byers
2305-C Ashland Street
#421 Ashland, OR 97520
RogueWorldMusic.org

Mission Statement: Rogue World Music builds community and cultural awareness through world music education, participation, & performance. Our programs include Choristers (where 3rd-5th grade students discover a world of joy through world music, song, & movement) and the Ashland World Music Festival (a FREE, multi-day, multi-event festival where our Rogue Valley community celebrates local and global cultures).

How Donations Help: 

• $35 helps one child discover a world of joy through music over the course of 8 weeks.
• $100 brings the gift of one song (words, tune, and moves) to 30 kids in a way they can retain for life.
• $150 provides overnight accommodation to a visiting Ashland World Music Festival artist or culture bearer.
• $300 puts a local cultural artist on stage at the Ashland World Music Festival.

We welcome volunteer help!

 

Rogue Rowing 

175 Emigrant Lake Rd.
Ashland, OR 97520
412-735-0295
roguerowing.com

Mission Statement:  Rogue Rowing is a community based organization that inspires and supports a passion for the sport of rowing, promoting a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment where every athlete can discover the powerful connection between self, boat, teammates and water.

How Donations Help: 

• $10: Buys a Rogue Rowing racing shirt for a youth athlete
• $25: Underwrites the race fee for a high school student
• $75:  Purchases safety lights for pre-dawn workouts
• $260: Provides stabilizing pontoons for ability-impaired rowers

All amounts appreciated! Your contribution to float our community’s new dock on Emigrant Lake!

 

Rogue Valley Farm 2 School

PO Box 898
Ashland, OR 97520
rvfarm2school.org

Mission Statement: Rogue Valley Farm to School is working to create healthier, thriving communities by connecting school children with the local food system, providing school garden education and getting farms selling to schools, for better meals, healthier kids and happier famers!

How Donations Help:

• $5/month: brings two children out to a farm for a 4-hour Harvest Meal field trip
• $50/month: supports a whole class
• $100: supports a Tasting Table to a school
• $1000: supports a Tasting Table for a whole school year—with a different locally-grown fresh fruit or vegetable every month!

We always need volunteers! Help prep food for local lunches in schools, help us with our Harvest Meal program, join our school-based educators in caring for school gardens. And every year we need 80 volunteers to help us with the Siskiyou Challenge! That’s tons of fun!

 

Rogue Valley Metaphysical Library & Media Exchange

Jordan Pease, Executive Director
1757 Ashland St.
Ashland, OR 97520
www.rvml.org

Mission Statement: With emphasis on practical solutions to the world’s critical challenges, RVML’s mission is providing easy access to information that inspires, heals and connects.

How Donations Help:
Founded in Ashland in 2002, RVML’s unique collection of books, audiobooks, and DVDs has grown to be among the largest of its kind in the world. Specialties: Metaphysics, spirituality, personal development, science, paranormal, health/healing, culture and community.

In addition to the lending library, RVML also operates a media exchange where people can trade items on any subject at no cost. RVML also produces lecture and workshop events including the annual Architects of the New Paradigm Conference Series.

 

Sanctuary One 

13195 Upper Applegate Rd
Jacksonville, OR 97530
sanctuaryone.org

Mission Statement: To provide a refuge for animals and a healing place for people while promoting environmental stewardship.

How Donations Help: 

• $25: Provide a life-changing service learning opportunity for one at-risk youth.
• $50: Provide veterinary Care for one dog or rabbit for one month.
• $100: Provide medical care and quality feed for one sheep, llama, alpaca or goat.
• $250: Sponsor one class of students for a hands-on field trip.
• $1000: Covers the cost of running the farm for one day.
  

From weeding and walking to mucking and mopping, the daily to-do list at Sanctuary One is vast. We couldn’t get it all done without our team of dedicated volunteers, who embody the true spirit of community by saying “Yes I can.” In turn, by providing the opportunity to volunteer on a real working farm, the Sanctuary helps people of all ages experience nature’s power to heal. Working with animals and gardening has been widely shown to lower blood pressure, ease depression and stress, and help people establish therapeutic relationships.

 

Science Works 

1500 E Main St
Ashland, OR 97520
scienceworksmuseum.org

Mission Statement: To inspire wonder and stimulate creative exploration through fun interactive science and the arts.

How Donations Help: 

• $9: sponsors 1 person’s access to our financial accessibility programs, such as 1st Sunday and Museums for All.
• $125: refills the liquid nitrogen tank that we use in ScienceLIVE! shows and other educational programming.
• $325: brings a hands-on inquiry program and educator to a rural school for a day.
• $4,500: buys new batteries for the forklift
• $50,000: produces a community science event, such as the Rogue Valley Mini Maker Faire.
• $250,000: underwrites the cost of researching, developing, and producing a new exhibit, such as Pterosaurs or Wild Music.

ScienceWorks welcomes new volunteers of many backgrounds and talents! A sample of what our volunteers do for us: work in classrooms with field trip students, run programming stations during operating hours, help at special events and fundraisers (ex: Rogue Valley Mini Maker Faire, Brews & Boogie), work in the outreach event booth at Ashland parades, and set up materials for field trips.

 

Spay/Neuter Your Pet

John Yunker
P.O. Box 477
Medford, OR 97501
SpayNeuter.org

Mission Statement:  Spay/Neuter Your Pet is committed to providing affordable spay/neuter services to the communities of southern Oregon and northern California to reduce the tragedy of pet overpopulation through prevention.

• Provides affordable spay/neuter services to the public with special attention to providing assistance to the underserved population.
• Supports the needs of feral/community cats and their caregivers.
• Reinforces southern Oregon and northern California shelters’ efforts to spay/neuter pets before adoption.
• Educates the community on the importance of spay/neutering their pets.

How Donations Help: 

• $25 covers a feral cat spay/neuter; $60 covers a cat spay
• $80 covers a small dog neuter; $155 covers a large dog spay

Donations in any size provide subsidies to help our low-income clients get their companion animals spayed and neutered.

Currently we need volunteers working from home to make appointment reminder calls. Future needs may include help in the clinic, marketing, and more.

Southern Oregon Historical Society 

106 N. Central
Medford, OR 97501
www.SOHS.org

Mission Statement: To make history come alive by collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories and artifacts of our common heritage. 

How Donations Help: 

• $10 pays gas for our volunteer curator to transport artifacts from storage facility for exhibits around the region 
• $15 pays for one month of hosting SOHS’s website and affiliate site, “Southern Oregon History Revised”
• $35: The cost of an individual membership to SOHS. Membership dues help SOHS publish its Quarterly magazine, and preserve and share artifacts. IN addition, $35 pays for half a month of PastPerfect Online, which allows us to keep our records catalogued and searchable online. 
• $100 fixed a 19th-century wagon part at Hanley Farm. 
•  $500 would allow us to finish digitization of the early Jackson County newspaper the Democratic Herald  

SOHS could not operate without volunteers. We rely heavily on volunteers for much of the daily work. We need volunteers to work in the Research Library, at Hanley Farm, and to serve on committees. Further, SOHS is actively seeking board nominees, as well people to serve on various committees, including fundraiser, membership and education. 

 

Spirit of Resh Foundation

Lily Myers Kaplan
PO Box 1119
Jacksonville, OR 97530
www.reshfoundation.org

Mission Statement: We envision a cultural re-alignment in which people embrace death as a way of enhancing life. Through stories and advocacy we inspire people to people to find meaning in mourning, live more fully by accepting death, and create purposeful legacies that make a difference in their homes and communities.

How Donations Help: All funds contribute to ongoing program development, outreach, and informative presentations as well as general operating expenses such as marketing, printing, insurance, bookkeeping, and stipends.

• $5 covers supplies and postage for mailing one Loss to Legacy book
• $15 covers one donated Loss to Legacy book to local cancer, hospice, or counseling center.
• $20 covers one participant at a Community Ceremony or Story Circle. 
• $50 covers the cost of supplies for a Stories of Remembrance event.
• $100 covers 25% of travel expenses associated with presenting at statewide conferences.
• $250 covers a 90-minute presentation on Befriending Death to a local cancer, hospice, or counseling center.

We welcome volunteers to support Story Circles, Story of Remembrance events, and Community Ceremonies. Set up and break down help is especially helpful.