Press Release: Our Shared Future – Give the Gift of a Friends of South Mountain Membership

This holiday season, South Mountain Partnership (SMP) offers a different gift to share with friends and family—a membership to the Friends of South Mountain Partnership, which sees a future where the land along the South Mountain is home to vibrant communities, sharing a common sense of place and collaborating on well-planned growth and sustainable economic development. In 2020, SMP established the Friends of South Mountain Partnership, a project of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC), which acts as fiscal sponsor to further SMPs vision by allowing membership and tax deductible donations that support SMP’s efforts.*

There are several membership levels to choose from: individual membership ($10), family membership ($20), non-profit organization membership ($35), and supporting membership ($50). Founding members at all levels will be listed in the South Mountain Partnership Year-In-Review report, receive event invitations, and get the ‘Around South Mountain’ e-Newsletter every other month.

Katie Hess, Director of the South Mountain Partnership, said, “The South Mountain Partnership fosters collaboration among businesses, nonprofits, governments, and interested citizens across the South Mountain landscape. Now more than ever, we look to our partners and friends to help keep our mission and diverse projects going. A membership in the Friends of South Mountain Partnership shows that you care about the landscape and want to support all the amazing work being done to protect and promote what makes it unique.”

There are two ways to donate:
• Visit https://southmountainpartnership.org/get-involved/friends-of-south-mountain to pay by credit card
• Mail a check to “TFEC at 200 N. 3rd Street, 8th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101 and include “Friends of the South Mountain Partnership” in the memo line of the check.

When signing up for a membership, consider the option of an additional donation. Thanks to the CARES Act, most people can deduct up to $300 of charitable cash donations to eligible non-profits without having to itemize deductions on 2020 tax forms. That means a donation to the Friends of the South Mountain Partnership will financially benefit both you and the SMP!

The SMP is a regional, landscape-scale conservation project in south-central Pennsylvania launched in 2006 to envision and secure a sustainable future for the South Mountain landscape. TFEC was established in 1920 as The Greater Harrisburg Foundation as an organization “to support community members seeking to create long-lasting, meaningful impact.”

*TFEC handles donated assets and creates permanent funds, investment, and grantmaking for the benefit of local nonprofits in the region. TFEC also inspires giving by partnering with donors to achieve their charitable goals and strengthens our local communities by investing in them now and for future generations. The official registration and financial information of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1.800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. The Foundation for Enhancing Communities is registered in each state requiring such registration for charitable solicitation.