As a nonprofit organization, GreenLearning depends on the support from donors and funders to help us reach over 10,000 teachers and their 250,000 students across the country. These are supporters who believe in empowering youth with critical thinking skills for an evolving world. Our work centres on creating innovative teaching resources and providing rich educational experiences that empower young Canadians to create environmental and social change in their own lives, schools, and communities. We recently had a conversation with one of our generous donors, Kelli, and she had so much to share with us about her giving journey and passion for the environment.
Kelli has been mindful of her environmental footprint ever since she was a child. She remembers participating in a school club about the environment in grade 4 that introduced her to new learning resources about things like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the ozone layer and endangered species. During the students’ work together, they answered questions like “what can you do in your own life?” to help the environment, and that’s where she learned that simple actions can make a big difference. It was an experience that has stayed with her to this day. And now, as an adult, being able to give to GreenLearning contributed to this sense of belonging she felt while growing up. It’s also been a chance for her to care about something big.
Kelli worries that today’s adults are leaving behind some complex problems for youth. Based on what she has learned from Indigenous colleagues and friends about seven generations approaches, she thinks there is more we can do to help future generations tackle the challenges they’ll be faced with. “I like to be involved in the lives of kids around me and supporting GreenLearning’s work is an opportunity to support even more young people, on a much bigger scale. Supporting this organization enables me to inspire climate action as well as confidence for the next generation.”
On the subject of confidence, Kelli shared a story about GreenLearning where students in an energy program not only helped the school reduce its energy emissions and utility costs, but also empowered the students to speak up and advocate that those cost savings be reinvested into school programs for student enrichment. We believe in empowering and sharing the many wonderful examples of youth-led climate and environmental actions. These stories are what make our supporters, the team and board of directors committed to this work - knowing that they’re helping create the leaders and advocates of today and for years to come, just like someone sparked Kelli’s elementary school journey almost 35 years ago.
Today, Kelli believes her role as a donor is to trust that recipients of her charitable gifts will make the best possible use of donated funds. Rather than worrying about directing her donations to a specific program, she looks at the broader impacts that she hopes to contribute to. “I hope youth will gain an awareness of climate change as a complex challenge, but also feel inspired and empowered to take action and talk about solutions in ways that don’t further polarize the issue,” she adds. “I hope students feel connected and supported, and that we can all work together to remember that environmental and social issues are inter-woven and linked together.”
Kelli imagines that the complexity of these intersecting challenges (and opportunities) are a lot for educators to take on. She notes the feeling of responsibility that teachers already carry for curriculum and teaching objectives while also inspiring youth to take action on climate change, and thinks it must be overwhelming at times. She hopes that by partnering with GreenLearning, they feel supported in their work and proud of their students’ successes at the end of the day.
Our conversation with Kelli also included a discussion about charitable giving that goes beyond GreenLearning. Kelli shared the 3T’s, an acronym for giving of time, talent and treasure. In this philosophy, there are multiple ways to contribute and Kelli believes there is a strong connection between what we each care about and how we spend our time, talent and treasure.
For financial giving in particular, it can be built into monthly or yearly actions. At the start of every year, for example, Kelli reviews where she makes monthly donations and whether to continue that repeatable, predictable giving for each organization. Then, she reserves enough in her budget to respond to other causes that might come up in an impromptu way during the year. And finally, she notes that she was fortunate in 2025 to experience an unexpected increase in her own funds, so she decided to pay some of that forward; that is how she was able to provide a generous one-time donation to our organization and says she is grateful to be a contributor towards GreenLearning’s impact.
Given her approach, we asked Kelli about any advice for others who are embarking on a giving journey or thinking about getting involved in philanthropy. She simply said, “Just start. Don’t worry about how big your donation is. Just look for something that calls out to you and support it.” She went on to share a story about her late grandmother, who didn’t have very much but still gave small monthly donations to a cause she cared about for many years.
We hope this anecdote inspires you to start or continue your giving journey. There are many platforms such as Canada Helps, through which you can find causes that align with your passions. If you believe in GreenLearning’s work, we invite you to make a donation today. As Kelli says, “Be like my grandma!”