Upstream Minnesota

Mission

Upstream's mission is to channel Minnesotans’ love of our natural places into greater trust, connection, and stewardship. Through our work, we are changing Minnesota’s culture for the better, building stronger stewardship of our natural surroundings and greater trust between fellow Minnesotans.

Our differentiator: We are not another advocacy group taking sides in the fights over land and water. We are the bridge. We use the one thing Minnesotans across every divide share, a love of Minnesota, to grow the community that stewardship depends on. Where other organizations sharpen their arguments, we widen the table.

When you give to Upstream, you are:

• Building trust locally;
• Connecting people across the regions of Minnesota to build greater trust across differences and inspire greater care of our natural places;
• Creating a surround sound message that these lands and waters are worth caring for, together.

Upstream’s work begins in community focused events to grow connection and find what people love specifically about their regional natural places. Bringing together people with food, music, and great conversation! From there our work takes a more hands on approach as we craft in collaboration with our community’s stewardship projects to care for the places they love. These can be park clean ups, storm drain adoptions, nature walks and more. Upstream shares these events widely to inspire care of our natural placers in Minnesota. The end result is a better cared for Minnesota, one that’s wonderful for generations to come.

Upstream’s Tree of Support

Join us by donating today, each gift makes you a part of our Tree of Support!

We love where we live, and trees are a huge part of many of our natural spaces. Trees provide support for our whole eco system, providing fresh air, shelter and shade, and enriching the soil. We all need these resources to thrive, and Upstream is no different!

As a monthly sustaining or annual donor, your support ensures we have a rich network of leaves that ensure we have the nutrients to make our mission and work happen. It is the multitude of leaves that do the heavy lifting for a tree and it takes all sizes to ensure the longevity of our tree.

Canopy Donors

Our monthly sustaining and annual donors make up the canopy of our tree of support.

$10 a month or up to $120 annually – You’re a Photosynthisizer! You give our mission and work the energy to succeed.

$25 a month or up to $300 annually – You’re an Oxygen Maker! You make the air that ensures our mission and work thrives.

$50 a month or $600 annually – You’re a Primary Vein! You provide the structure and nutrients our mission and work needs to be secure.

$100 a month or $1,200 annually – You’re the branches of the Canopy! You ensure our mission and work have an excellent habitat to thrive and grow.

Trunk Donors

For monthly sustaining or annual gifts between $1,200 and $10,000 – You’re the Trunk of our tree of support! Without the trunk, a tree simply would not be a tree without the stability provided by the trunk, moving the nutrients and resources throughout the tree of support.

Root Donors

For monthly sustaining or annual gifts over $10,000 – You’re the Roots of our tree of support! No tree would thrive without an intricate root system providing grounding and the entry point for resources. Our roots are where the foundation of our mission and work is held fast. The roots of our mission and work run deep and are enriched by supporters and sponsors who contribute over $10,000 annually. This support guarantees Upstream’s long-term growth in our mission and work.

A gift of any size supports our mission to inspire connection, trust and stewardship.

See you Upstream,

Afton Benson, Development Manager