The McKenzie River in Oregon and the surrounding area have been a constant in Raemie West’s (she/her) life since early childhood. Raemie, a senior executive assistant at Moss Adams, travels along the river when she commutes to the firm’s Eugene office. The region is special to her, so Raemie jumped at the opportunity to support her local community.

In the spring of 2023, Raemie participated in an annual GiveBack Day volunteer event with colleagues from the Eugene office. The event organizer invited Raemie to volunteer with the McKenzie River Trust, a not-for-profit organization working to preserve and maintain the land and wildlife near the river.

The volunteers cleared out invasive plant species at one of the trust properties, Finn Rock Reach, an area along the river previously affected by a wildfire. This experience motivated her to continue supporting their mission, so she began contributing financially until she learned of an opportunity to amplify her impact.

GiveBack Grants, a people-centric program launched by the Moss Adams Foundation, allows team members to nominate a not-for-profit organization to receive a $10,000 grant. Raemie knew the grant would greatly impact the McKenzie River Trust’s work, so she leveraged her volunteer experience and collaborated with the organization to complete the nomination form with detailed information about their cause.

In November 2023, the foundation announced the McKenzie River Trust as one of 10 inaugural GiveBack Grant recipients. The 2024 GiveBack Grant recipients were recently announced.

Direct Results: “They were very grateful when they received one of the GiveBack Grants. They sent me an email as soon as they found out, followed by a letter inviting me for a tour to see where the funds were allocated. They used the grant funds to provide tools for staff and volunteers, and materials to support inclusive event programming at their largest property, the Willamette Confluence.”

Personal Connection: “The McKenzie River is part of who I am, in the way that our pasts shape who we are and what we care about. My elementary school classes would do ‘watershed rotations’ at a creek near the school, where we would collect and test water samples and study the local ecosystem. Caring for our local environment was a big emphasis of my early education, like many kids who grew up in Oregon.”

Community Impact: “For me, making a difference like this was special and unique. The GiveBack Grants program enabled me to do something for my community that can have a much larger impact than anything I can do on my own at this time in my life. It’s amazing that the foundation does this for the communities we live and work in. It was absolutely worth the time invested to make the nomination, and I’m so glad I took the opportunity.”

A Thriving Future: “The McKenzie River Trust’s volunteer efforts and investment in long-term projects have positive impacts on the quality of our water, fish habitat, and small tourism industry—largely rafting and fishing guide services. They recently completed a project to improve bridge infrastructure and boater access to help negate erosion, an impactful part of protecting fish habitats. I’m so appreciative of their work to preserve and maintain the river and surrounding land for future generations.”

About the Moss Adams Foundation

The Moss Adams Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit with a vision to be a catalyst for equity and opportunity that has a lasting impact. It cultivates opportunity in the communities Moss Adams serves by investing in social equity, education, and the environment. Through grantmaking, giving programs, and volunteerism, the foundation fosters a culture of community engagement aligned with the values of Moss Adams and its people.