Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation Pledges $30 Million to The Nature Conservancy to Improve the Health of Rivers and Freshwater Ecosystems
Donation Extends Enterprise's "Routes and Roots®: Healthy Rivers Project" by Five Years and Reinforces its Commitment to Causes that Positively Impact Employees and Customers
ST. LOUIS, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation today announced a $30 million donation to The Nature Conservancy. The donation extends the Foundation's "Routes and Roots: Enterprise Healthy Rivers Project," which assists The Nature Conservancy's efforts to support the protection, restoration and sustainable management of rivers and other freshwater ecosystems globally. The "Routes and Roots: Enterprise Healthy Rivers Project" was first established in 2017, when the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation pledged an initial five-year, $30 million donation to The Nature Conservancy. This latest donation, which will also be distributed over a five-year period, will further benefit many of the world's most vital rivers, watersheds, streams and more.
"At Enterprise, we are passionate about supporting causes and initiatives that positively impact the communities where our employees and customers live and work," said Carolyn Kindle, President of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation. "Our 'Routes and Roots' program is a shining example of this sentiment. Our employees are deeply passionate about this initiative, and we look forward to seeing the continued progress that this program will have on many of the world's most vital waterways."
Support to The Nature Conservancy through the "Routes and Roots: Enterprise Healthy Rivers Project" has already helped achieve significant conservation outcomes at these estimated scales1:
- Securing or improving the health of nearly 5,400 river miles
- Keeping 54 million pounds of pollutants out of rivers and streams
- Conserving 7 million acres of land
- Taking action that helps improve water security for 78 million people
Over the next five years, The Nature Conservancy will use the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation's donation to continue conserving rivers and other freshwater ecosystems around the world. Geographical focus areas include:
- The United States – Funding will support many U.S. rivers, with particular emphasis on the Colorado River Basin and Mississippi River Basin.
- Canada – Funding will support Indigenous-led conservation of lands and waters, including in the Canadian boreal and coastal British Columbia.
- Europe – Funding will help ensure The Nature Conservancy's proven, science-based approaches for river protection are shared throughout the continent to help create more resilient watersheds and protect and restore rivers.
"Businesses have a critical role to play in protecting nature and Enterprise has demonstrated their commitment to this work over the past five years – and now is ensuring it continues for the next five," said Jennifer Morris, CEO of The Nature Conservancy. "This generous gift will continue the work to not only protect fresh water but also the communities that depend on it."
In addition to the "Routes and Roots: Enterprise Healthy Rivers Project," the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation oversees a variety of initiatives focused on positively impacting the communities where its employees and customers live and work. Examples include:
- Enterprise Holdings ROAD Forward – Enterprise first announced its ROAD Forward commitment of $55 million in November 2020. The initiative focuses on Respect, Opportunity, Achievement and Diversity (ROAD) for youth and families by helping to address three areas in need of urgent attention: early childhood development, youth health and wellness, and career and college preparation. As part of the ROAD Forward program, annual grants are distributed at the local level that work to address social and racial equity issues.
- Enterprise 50 Million Tree Pledge – Established in honor of Enterprise's 50th anniversary and to thank customers for their longtime support, this program is funding the planting of 50 million trees throughout the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the U.K.
- Enterprise Fill Your Tank® Program – Established in honor of Enterprise's 60th anniversary in late-2016, this program is committed to addressing food insecurity around the globe. In 2020, the Foundation announced a re-investment in the program and pledged an additional $65 million into Enterprise Fill Your Tank to address food insecurity. This brings Enterprise's total financial commitment to the program to $115 million annually.
"Giving back is part of our DNA," said Kindle. "Since its establishment in 1982, our Foundation has contributed more than $520 million to thousands of nonprofit organizations focused on community improvement, education and environmental stewardship."
For more information about Enterprise's philanthropic initiatives, visit https://www.enterpriseholdings.com/en/corporate-social-responsibility/philanthropic-initiatives.html.
About Enterprise Holdings
Enterprise Holdings is a leading provider of mobility solutions, owning and operating the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car brands through its integrated global network of independent regional subsidiaries. Enterprise Holdings and its affiliates offer extensive car rental, carsharing, truck rental, fleet management and retail car sales, as well as travel management and other transportation services, to make travel easier and more convenient for customers. Privately held by the Taylor family of St. Louis, Mo., Enterprise Holdings manages a diverse fleet of more than 1.85 million vehicles through a network of nearly 10,000 fully-staffed neighborhood and airport rental locations in more than 90 countries and territories.
About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 72 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.
1 Source: The Nature Conservancy
SOURCE Enterprise Holdings, Inc.
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