TIMBER is a nonpartisan public interest group for working people in Troy, New York. We were founded in mid-2022 and quickly found a place as a reliable, thorough, and hard-working advocate for our neighbors in and around Troy. Over the last few years, we’ve played a part in jumpstarting Troy’s lead service line replacement program, keeping Burdett open, building up local coalitions and organizations, watchdogging the city’s finances, and so much more. We’ve worked hard to balance our attention between short-term and long-term solutions, plug away at critical but unglamorous issues, and bring information to the public that often gets missed in the news.
When we started TIMBER, we had to decide what kind of nonprofit we wanted to be and who we wanted to be accountable to. Most advocacy and research organizations incorporate as 501(c)(3) nonprofits because that makes them eligible for foundation and government funding and more attractive for donors considering tax implications. When we decided to become a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization instead, we essentially bet that a lot of folks in the community would chip in what they could to keep our work going if they saw better results from an agile, responsive, and punchy organization that relies on them.
This is a much slower way to build something resilient and effective, and we’ve been astounded by how much you all have stepped up: since getting started, our scrappy little outfit has processed almost 1,200 small-dollar donations from hundreds of supporters throughout the community. As an all-volunteer organization, that money all gets reinvested into things like public education campaigns, research projects, legal expenses, and rapid response efforts. To stay viable – and to address the sorts of challenges we face in the coming years – we need to keep building upon that foundation and grow as a genuinely grassroots voice for working people.
If you appreciate our work, please consider making a small contribution to our 2024 Summer Donor Drive. We encourage supporters who can afford to do so to please support us with a monthly donation of any size. Steady monthly donations help us get a sense of what we can realistically commit to. We also accept one-time contributions. Either way, we’re very grateful for your support.
TIMBER is a 501(c)(4) public welfare organization located at 386 First Street in Troy, New York, EIN 88-2862920. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.