This is a fun one – a press release hit my inbox today that I have been really eager to break apart and share with you. As MadTree joins 1% For The Planet, it provides us a fantastic opportunity to take a peek into the brewery and who they are today, and more importantly who they hope to be in the future, and how they hope to shape the world around them.
Who MadTree Has Grown To Be
Like watching a kid grow up, MadTree has been an amazing journey, so far. Like a proud Uncle, I’ve spent a lot of time watching some really amazing people guide this little brewery into who it has become today. Ever since bursting onto the Cincinnati beer scene back in 2013 they’ve been trying to communicate who they are to us while brewing beer that stays true to all of what that entails.
They talk at MadTree a lot about community, about giving back to the people and organizations that sustain their business – about growing to help people around them more than it is to just help themselves. It’s a beautiful synergy that I don’t think we spend enough time celebrating or paying attention to. When you walk in their door, the MadTree logo is sprawled across the concrete floor with the words “Inspiring Madness, Rooted In Purpose” inscribed underneath it. But what does that mean? The purpose is right there in front of you if you start to look around.
Ever since they opened their doors, giving back has been a massive part of who the brewery is, and as they’ve grown into one of the biggest breweries here in town, it’s only enabled them to do so in bigger and better ways. Their desire to continually increase their sustainability has logically led them to a group of businesses that holds the same ideals.
MadTree Joins 1% For The Planet
The brewery announced today that it has joined a non-profit initiative that was founded by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, called 1% for the Planet. This non-profit is geared to get its members to commit to contributing at least one percent of their annual sales to environmental causes. Their mission is to build, support, and activate an alliance of businesses finally committed to creating, and sustaining a healthy planet.
In the press release, MadTree Co-founder Brady Duncan talks a lot about some of the things that pulled them into craft beer back when they founded MadTree. He talks about a desire to build something that is bigger than who they are, bigger than just the beer that they make. They were drawn to Patagonia and how they were so much more than just a clothing company… and took inspiration from how they could use business as a platform to connect people to nature, and to each other.
Selecting Organizations
As a business, it’s not a hard to choice to want to give back – at least it shouldn’t be. Especially in this industry, giving back to the communities that help you exist is the thread that holds it all together, but choosing how to give back and who to help support can be a tough choice.
For MadTree, when they went about identifying the organizations that they wanted to work with, it was important to them to partner up with projects that were seeking a combination of financial giving and volunteer opportunities. The brewery is a group of folks who enjoy getting outside and spending time in the outdoors. In their words, they “like to get their hands dirty and take pride in the work they do to help beautify their area”. We’re talking everything from local trash pickups, which happen pretty frequently to events like in 2019 when they closed down the taproom so that employees could go down to Mt. Storm Park to plant trees in support of the Arbor Day Foundation and Cincinnati Parks.
It’s safe to say that MadTree will always push themselves to continue to identify, connect with and build relationships with environmental non-profits to make actual, local impact across their entire distribution footprint.
When MadTree joins 1% for the planet – you know they aren’t going to do it halfway, either. They’ve already started to make their presence known in the Network. MadTree identified an opportunity to bring in more local non-profits to the network and nominated several local organizations to join – including Wasson Way, Cincinnati Parks Foundation and Cincinnati Nature Center — they aren’t messing around.
A New Role On The Team
Today isn’t just the news that MadTree joins 1% for the Planet, there’s more – the brewery is announcing that they are also kicking off the search for a new role on their team. The brewery is looking for their first ever Director of Strategic Impact. The new person will oversee the company’s Strategic Impact Program to amplify their reach and to impact the communities that they serve.
You? You should apply. You can find more information and directions to do just that here.
The Full Press Release
MadTree Brewing Joins 1% for the Planet to Amplify Their Community Impact
MadTree commits 1% of sales to environmental sustainability-focused non-profits
CINCINNATI (February 10, 2020) – MadTree Brewing announced today that they have become a member of the international non-profit organization, 1% for the Planet. 1% for the Planet was created by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard whose members commit to contribute at least one percent of their annual sales to environmental causes. Their mission is to build, support, and activate an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet.
Joining 1% for the Planet is a continuation of the community giving and sustainability values that are at the roots of MadTree and the efforts they have taken since the brewery was founded in 2013. They are one of only a handful of breweries in the organization.
MadTree believes in supporting the local communities across their footprint – which crosses OH, KY and TN. Within Cincinnati, MadTree identified an opportunity to bring in more local non-profits in the 1% for the Planet network and has recently nominated several local organizations to join – including Wasson Way, Cincinnati Parks Foundation, and Cincinnati Nature Center. The Arbor Day Foundation, of whom MadTree is an ongoing supporter, is already a member.
“We are thrilled to be working with MadTree Brewing as part of the 1% for the Planet movement. In addition to all the other benefits resulting from the Wasson Way project, we want to plant hundreds of trees to filter our water, clean our air, provide food to animals and create wonderful shade for Trail users. We will also be working to install rain gardens and bioswales along the Trail to create habitats for butterflies, insects, birds, bees and other pollinators. Without the support of MadTree and our incredible volunteers and donors, none of this would happen” said Jay Andress, co-founder Wasson Way.
When selecting organizations, it was important to MadTree to identify those projects that were seeking a combination of financial giving and also volunteer opportunities. “We are a group that likes to get outside and spend time in the outdoors. We get our hands dirty and take pride in the work we do to help beautify our area” said Emily Chapel, Marketing Director for MadTree. MadTree’s employees regularly conduct trash pickups in the brewery’s Oakley neighborhood, and in 2019 MadTreeclosed their taproom for a day so employees could plant nearly 60 trees in Mt Storm Park, a project supported by the Arbor Day Foundation and Cincinnati Parks. MadTree will continue identifying, connecting with, and building relationships with environmental non-profits to make local impact across their distribution footprint.
“With MadTree, we have a shared vision to connect our community with the beauty and wonders of the natural world.
It is our great honor to partner with them to grow and connect people to our community’s urban forest through the Cincinnati Park Board’s ReLeaf Program. The fall program offers a wide variety of established trees to Cincinnati property owners with the intention to increase the City’s canopy outside of public spaces. The benefits of this program go well beyond the environmental gains to our community. These trees will not only become part of landscapes but part of families,” says Crystal Courtney, Cincinnati Park Board Urban Forestry Supervisor.
Brady Duncan, Co-founder of MadTree, says “When we started MadTree 7 years ago, we were driven to craft great beer – but more importantly – to build something bigger than ourselves and the high-quality beer we produce. We care deeply about creating meaningful connections with our communities. We are inspired by Patagonia and how they are so much bigger than a clothing company – we will use our business as a platform to connect people to nature and each other. These are the areas where you’ll see us focusing– in addition to the great beer that has helped us to build a tremendous community.”
To continue their efforts in this space and take them to the next level, MadTree is kicking-off the search for a new role on their team – a Director of Strategic Impact. This person will oversee the company’s Strategic Impact Program to amplify their reach and impact in the communities they serve. Additional information about this role and the opportunity to apply may be found at www.madtreebrewing.com/jobs.
About MadTree Brewing Company
MadTree puts purpose in every pour. Founded in 2013, MadTree has always been driven to craft great beer – but more importantly – to build something bigger than themselves and the high-quality beer they produce. Since the beginning, MadTree has cared deeply about creating meaningful connections with their communities. They embrace their namesake and work to celebrate and protect nature while reducing their impact on the environment. They are proud members of 1% for the Planet, with a commitment to donate 1% of sales to non-profits focused on environmental sustainability. The craftspeople at MadTree wake up every day to connect people to nature and each other. MadTree. Inspiring Madness, Rooted in Purpose.
About 1% for the Planet
1% for the Planet started when two business owners met and bonded over their shared love for the outdoors. In 2002, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, created 1% for the Planet and started a global movement to help fund diverse environmental organizations. 1% for the Planet brings dollars and doers together to accelerate smart environmental giving to non-profits so that collectively they can be a more powerful source in solving the world’s problems. 1% for the Planet focuses on climate change, land, water, food, air and pollution. Learn more at onepercentfortheplanet.org.