TREE Fund Strategic Plan Approved; Roadmap Provided Through 2028

The TREE Fund Board of Trustees approved a new strategic plan for the non-profit organization through 2028 at their recent September board meeting.

Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund- which is more commonly known as TREE Fund- looks at and revises its strategic plan every 3-5 years, with the help of its Board of Trustees and the volunteers that serve on various committees in order to have a mutual understanding between trustees and staff members as to the direction and focus the organization should have over the next few years.

The newly approved strategic plan is highlighted by three pillars that are: build to aid in the vision of becoming the leading force in advancing tree research and education by fostering financial resilience, expanding the TREE Fund audience, and becoming a funding hub for arboricultural knowledge and innovation.

The three pillars include:

• Financial sustainability and development
• Research and education
• Communications and outreach

Each of those pillars contain separate goals to work towards, including, but not limited to, growing the endowment to $8 million by 2028, producing a comprehensive Impact Report, and building strategic alliances.

“We are very thankful for the time and effort put in by our trustees and to all of our volunteers who shared suggestions on how to best lay out this plan for the next three years,” said Paul Putman, PhD, President and CEO of TREE Fund. “The goals laid out will help foster the growth of TREE Fund’s programs, which would not be possible without our volunteers, donors, and corporate partners.”

“The passion of our supporters to continue to fund tree research and education programs is unmatched and we are striving to be the organization people look to when they think about how important it is to have the most cutting-edge research when it comes to planting, soil, safety, and other needs of the tree care industry,” said Rachel Barker, TREE Fund Board Chair.

TREE Fund staff and committees will now be taking the suggestions and goals from the strategic plan and implementing those into their meetings, communications, and fundraising actions. More information on TREE Fund’s grant and scholarship programs can be found at www.treefund.org.

TREE Fund is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support scientific discovery and dissemination of new knowledge in the fields of arboriculture and urban forestry. TREE Fund promotes scientific inquiry designed to benefit commercial, residential, utility and consulting arborists, urban foresters, and other professionals in related fields in their shared work to create, support and sustain vibrant urban canopies. TREE Fund surpassed the $6 million mark in grant and scholarship giving in Spring 2025. More information can be found at www.treefund.org.