Charity of the week: The Grand Canyon Trust

The Grand Canyon Trust (grandcanyon​trust.org) works to protect and restore the Colorado Plateau, the 130,000-square-mile landscape of cliffs, canyons, and desert wilderness around the Four Corners, where Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico meet. The geologically unique region has the greatest concentration of national parks and wilderness areas in the U.S., including Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Arches national parks. Since 1985, the trust has worked to preserve the plateau’s delicate ecosystem and natural beauty by combating air pollution, restoring forestland, and improving management of the Colorado River. It also helps the region’s Native American communities develop sustainable energy sources.

Each charity we feature has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, which ranks not-for-profit organizations on the strength of their finances, their control of administrative and fund-raising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest ranking.