Spotlight on: A Living Tribute

Since 2017, we have enjoyed a flourishing partnership with A Living Tribute. Over the years, they have helped sponsor our tree planting activities through increasingly generous donations. We are incredibly grateful for their now $500 per month infusions, which makes them one of our largest partner-donors.
 
We asked Barry Pinto, founder of A Living Tribute, to share more about his business with our audience.  Here’s what he had to say:
 
Please tell us about how, why and when A Living Tribute (ALT) got started.
A Living Tribute was formed in 2012 and officially launched in 2014, with the goal of creating a green alternative to the traditional sympathy flowers and greeting card industries. Our very first memorial trees were planted by the National Forest Foundation, and today we sponsor the tree planting and reforestation programs of over a dozen non-profits and NGOs.
 
How did you learn about and choose to support the Sugar Pine Foundation?
We first learned about the SPF through two of our existing tree planting partners: American Forests and One Tree Planted. We were specifically looking for conservation non-profits with a localized tree planting mission. The Lake Tahoe region is a sentimental place for many of our customers, so SPF's mission and their dedication to the region made it a perfect fit for a new partnership. 
 
Your contributions to the SPF have grown each year - is this a reflection of ALT's growth?  Yes, in ALT's first year, we sponsored the planting of just over 1,000 trees. This year, we will support planting over 100,000 trees throughout the United States and Canada. The recent California wildfires have definitely caught the attention of our customers, and we expect to be growing our contributions to the SPF year over year.
 
Is A Living Tribute a non-profit? 
No, ALT is a green company. Non-profits and NGOs are incredible organizations and we partner with many to plant our tribute trees. However they are limited in their ability to spend funds on marketing and advertising. Our model is to market green gift giving and green memorials, which allows us to grow year after year, and then we sponsor and support the amazing charities and non-profits that do the work on the ground. Many of our customers share that prior to discovering ALT, they were not aware of these forests or the causes.
 
Innovative green businesses dedicated to helping the environment like A Living Tribute are an important asset in society and for our little non-profit.  Our partnership with ALT showcases how for-profit and not-for-profit enterprises can successfully support one another and the greater good all at the same time!

Many thanks to Barry Pinto and his team at A Living Tribute for allowing us to share this story.  Don’t forget to check out their website to see their full offerings.

If you are a business or an individual interested in partnering with us and/or sponsoring our work, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!  We would love to work together to plant more trees!