Record Donation for Canopy from Andreessen Horowitz

Canopy is one of six local nonprofits selected to receive a $170,000 grant from the six General Partners of Andreessen Horowitz, according to Canopy Executive Director Catherine Martineau.

The grant is part of a larger commitment by the venture firm's partners to donate half of all their venture capital income to charity.

AH General Partner Peter Levine and his wife, Martha Blackwell, selected Canopy as one of the beneficiaries of the first $1,000,000 round of giving. Blackwell was been active in Canopy since 2006, according to Martineau. She started in a Tree Stewardship series, then moved into more active roles as a volunteer and a supporter, quickly moving into a Board position from 2006 to 2008, Martineau said.

“Our family's passion for the environment and my specific interest in trees, along with our familiarity with the important work Canopy does in the community, guided our choice for this first round," Blackwell said in a statement released by Canopy.

Blackwell was particularly moved by a nursery school campus tree walk she led a few years ago, according to the statement.

“For months following that one walk, the children gathered leaves and hugged the trees on a daily basis. Teachers and parents at the school are still, six years later, talking about it,” she explained.

“One of the most important things you can teach children is about the environment and what we can each do to care for it,” said Blackwell. “The environment is the one of the most significant issues future generations are facing and, doing little things, like appreciating or planting a tree, has a profound impact on kids.”

The gift is the largest ever in Canopy’s history, Martineau said, and will allow the organization to pursue innovative education programs.

“Canopy is honored and grateful to receive this large gift and to be part of a group of leading organizations that do vital work in the community. The commitment of Andreessen Horowitz’s General Partners and their families is amazing and incredibly inspiring,” said Martineau.