Financials - Tahoe Fund

Dear Tahoe Fund Friends,

We are proud to present our Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Annual Report. As you’ll see in this report, the Tahoe Fund broadened its impact as a philanthropic leader in the Tahoe Basin. This past fiscal year, we granted over $1 million to 42 different projects — more than ever before.

What a year it was. The Caldor Fire shook us to our core. For only the second time in history, a wildfire crossed the Sierra Crest, putting Tahoe at great risk. Later in this report, you will read about the incredible response from our community, which rallied together to make it through this extremely trying time. We are still hard at work with our partners rebuilding trails, determining the precise impact of the fire, and understanding how to better protect the Basin from catastrophic blazes in the future.

Without question, the Caldor Fire reinforced that forest health must continue to be the Tahoe Fund’s number one priority. Over the last year, we stepped up our efforts in this space, collaborating with local, state, and federal partners to help increase the pace and scale of forest health restoration. With the support of our donors, we grew our Smartest Forest Fund to over $500,000, enabling us to invest in game-changing initiatives, such as software that uses high-resolution imaging and artificial intelligence to reduce the time it takes to plan forest resilience projects from years to months.

We also deepened our impact in the other focus areas of the Tahoe Fund’s strategic plan. We funded projects to improve lake clarity, enhance sustainable recreation, streamline transportation, and build lifelong stewards of Tahoe. In this report, you’ll learn more about these priority areas and have the chance to take a deep dive into key projects within each.

Even as we continue to grow, we remember where we started. Just over a decade ago, a dedicated group of Tahoe leaders created the Tahoe Fund to inspire the private community to support environmental improvement projects. Now, the organization has a portfolio of more than 80 projects. Working with over 30 agencies and organizations throughout the Basin, the Tahoe Fund has raised over $20 million in private funds and helped to secure more than $60 million in public funds.

None of this work would be possible without the unwavering support of our Stewardship Circle donors, sponsors and partners. We believe that collaboration is the key to progress. Together, we are improving the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.

Yours in gratitude,

Allen Biagi,
Chair, FY 21/22