About Us
Forever Our Rivers works to improve the health and vitality of rivers to ensure a future where water and its connected communities thrive.
2018
founding year
providing grants for river conservation, restoration and stewardship projects in the Four Corners region that create the most significant impact.
To date
we have...
improved the condition of 12 rivers from mountain headwaters to desert steams—strengthening communities and improving lives.
Our Mission
Since 2018 we have invested over $4 million dollars in the rivers supporting underserved communities.
Forever Our Rivers works to ensure reliable supplies of clean water, protect wildlife habitat around and within rivers, lakes and streams, and support farmers and ranchers who grow local food and support our way of life in the Southwest. We are supported by a dedicated coalition of individuals, values-aligned businesses and foundations.
How
we work
We use decades of expertise to research and vet grantees and projects that create the most value. Our donors can be confident their gifts are making a powerful, long-term difference.
Where
we work
We serve rural, suburban and urban communities throughout Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, because we all benefit from clean and healthy rivers and streams.
Our Vision
We envision a future where rivers and communities provide benefits to each other so that people, plants and animals thrive.
The health of our communities is directly tied to the state of our rivers and streams that flow through them. We work toward a future where thriving communities and healthy rivers go hand in hand. Together, we will navigate the currents of change, channeling our resources, energy and passion into projects that safeguard our rivers and nurture our communities.
Our Values
Impact
We collaborate with partners whose projects spring from community input and bring lasting benefits to rivers. We believe the most impactful projects stem from the active involvement and integration of communities and cultures.
Science-Driven
To make a greater impact, we invest in projects that use objective data and validated methods. By establishing a common understanding, science provides us a foundation for collaboration.
Trust
We build trust through creative and strategic collaboration centered around the well-being of the rivers and the communities we serve. We hold ourselves accountable to the highest ethical and professional standards. We are accountable to our mission, our partners and our donors.
Inclusivity
We champion the rich diversity of talent, backgrounds, beliefs and culture that are embodied in the communities we fund, and strive to create more equitable, community-centric river conservation.
Nimble
Our ability to act with urgency allows us the flexibility to capitalize on high-impact opportunities as they arise. It also enables us to respond quickly to unforeseen challenges.
Strategic Partnerships for Long-Term Success
We work with partners as diverse as the landscapes and cultures we protect. We invest in carefully chosen community organizations whose years of experience and nuanced local knowledge ensure the projects we fund have lasting impact.
Our work does not stop when a restoration project is complete. We collect, review and share data annually to maximize the the effectiveness of the project and guide future projects.
Committment to Equity
The voices of rich diversities of talent, background, belief and culture which embody the communities we fund are incredibly important to us. We strive to share our programs and resources equitably, and we acknowledge it takes work and intention to overcome cultural, geographic and economic barriers— as well as historic traumas— that can hinder the progress of our mission.
We can achieve outwardly only what we model within, and we recognize this evolution is an ongoing process.
At Forever Our Rivers, we understand that we are all composed of the same waters.
$4+
million dollars
// conservation impact since 2018
335,880+
acres
