Lasting Impacts on Water Management
Carolyn Kindle Betz, President of Enterprise Holdings Foundation, shares the inspiration behind a transformational gift.
In 2017, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation announced a $30-million donation over five years to Nature United’s global affiliate. This transformational gift supports long-term water resource management initiatives with the potential to benefit 150 million people and four major rivers and watersheds across North America and Europe. In Canada, Enterprise supports Nature United’s work in the Boreal Forest.
Carolyn Kindle Betz, President of Enterprise Holdings Foundation, shares the inspiration behind this gift and the impact that Enterprise hopes to achieve. Enterprise Holdings Foundation is commonly known as Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation.
Making a Lasting Difference
Enterprise was inspired by the work of Nature United, and the work of its global affiliate, to promote the health and vitality of major rivers and their watersheds across North America and Europe. Our philanthropic focus is not always directly related to our business, but instead reaches beyond to make a difference and improve the quality of life wherever our employees and customers live and work. We’re proud to support and partner with a world-class organization like Nature United in this effort to help ensure that healthy rivers continue to enrich our lives for generations to come.
Canada’s Blue Infrastructure
In Canada, we recognize the strategic importance of “blue infrastructure”—rivers and regional watersheds—which not only supply drainage and outflow for rainfall and streams, but also strengthen habitats and farmlands, generate renewable energy and provide cost-efficient transportation options. Canada’s blue infrastructure also directly impacts Indigenous communities.
Our company has deep roots in St. Louis, and one of the world’s greatest rivers, the Mississippi, runs right through our hometown. In light of Enterprise’s international expansion, it was important that this gift benefit communities and their surrounding environment worldwide. We hope it will help more and more people understand and support the critical role rivers play in our lives.
Supporting Indigenous-led Conservation
Like Nature United, Enterprise is committed to supporting the well-being of local communities and protecting major rivers and watersheds. Our support of Canada’s Boreal Forest is just one example. It is home to more surface freshwater than any other ecosystem on Earth and to more than 600 Indigenous communities who have depended on, and cared for, this vital global resource for thousands of years. In Canada, our support of Indigenous-led conservation isn’t just about protection; it’s about building partnerships that create healthy economies, enabling long-term solutions that help people and nature thrive.
In a region of northwestern Manitoba that includes the mighty Churchill and Saskatchewan rivers, Nature United is partnering with several First Nations and Indigenous Guardian programs as they work to increase their leadership and authority around decisions regarding natural resources in their territories. We hope that our contribution will go a long way in supporting the work of Indigenous communities and Guardians.
Share Your Plans
Have you already made a gift through your will, retirement plan, or insurance policy for the future of nature? If so, please let us know your plans so we can thank you and welcome you to The Legacy Club.