Raising $750K for wildfire mitigation and conservation projects

Context:

At age 19, I was hired as Development Director for the Pacific Skyline Council of Scouting America, serving Silicon Valley and the broader Bay Area. The office ran outdoor education programs for more than 5,000 youth each year, and I was responsible for raising roughly $750K annually as the only fundraising staff member.

One of our most important assets was a summer camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which generated more than one-third of the organization’s annual revenue.

Following a prior wildfire, approximately 1,000 large redwood trees had died and remained standing on the property. Over time, they dried out, creating a serious wildfire hazard for the camp and for participants. The organization determined that removing the trees would cost approximately $250K.

My role was to raise the funding necessary to complete the project and ensure it moved forward.

Actions:

The project involved two different responsibilities. The capital projects team was led by a board member with construction expertise. He ran the technical side, including coordinating contractors and vendors, as well as managing operational logistics of the project. My responsibility was to ensure the project was funded, communicate the need to donors, validate the financial case behind the $250K budget, and maintain donor engagement and reporting throughout the project.

Initial Fundraising Strategy

I began by targeting donors who had previously supported infrastructure or camp-related projects.

To help donors visualize the project, I created a graphic lookbook explaining the wildfire risk created by the dead trees, the scale of the removal effort, and the impact on youth safety and camp continuity. This allowed donors to understand a project that was otherwise difficult to picture.

I also sent a targeted email campaign to our top donors giving more than $1,000 annually. The message framed the project around two core risks: safety risk to youth participants and operational risk to a camp that generated a major share of organizational revenue.

Major Donor Outreach

Beyond digital outreach, I scheduled meetings with several major donors through cold outreach on email or LinkedIn. During these conversations, donors asked detailed questions about the cost of the project. Many were skeptical that tree removal could realistically cost $250K.

To address this, I brought vendor contract data and cost estimates to donor meetings. However, the skepticism raised a legitimate question: was the estimate accurate?

Independent Cost Analysis

To answer this question, I conducted my own analysis.

I reviewed local labor rates, equipment requirements, tree size and density, estimated timelines, and comparable forestry work costs. Based on my calculations, the project initially appeared significantly cheaper than $250K.

I brought this discrepancy back to the capital projects team. They explained an important constraint: the camp was located high in the mountains on United States Forest Service land.

This meant that only contractors approved by the Forest Service could perform the work; hourly labor costs were significantly higher, volunteer labor was not allowed for trees of this size and risk level, and it was expensive and difficult to move equipment up the side of the mountain to reach our remote camp location.

Once I understood the regulatory constraints, the cost estimate became clear and defensible.

Securing the Funding

I returned to donors with the updated explanation and cost justification. Within a short period, three major donors funded the project.

One donor came directly from my email campaign. He had not previously been on our major donor radar, and ultimately contributed $100K. This placed his gift among the top 15 donations the organization had received in over 30 years.

This occurred within my first three months in the role.

Project Oversight

Once funding was secured and the project began, my role shifted to stewardship and monitoring. This included documenting progress with photos and updates for donors, ensuring spending remained within budget, and monitoring project decisions from the capital projects team.

The oversight was particularly important because the board member leading the project sometimes preferred more expensive materials or approaches. Maintaining cost discipline ensured donor funds were used responsibly.

Results:

I was able to raise $250K for wildfire mitigation, including a major donor gift of $100K secured from a new supporter. This resulted in hazardous redwood trees being removed from camp property. It reduced the wildfire risk for youth programs and camp infrastructure, which protected a major revenue-generating program for the organization.