Celebrating Love with a Gift for Sustainability!

When Joe Harper and Mark Stephanz decided to get married, they knew they wanted to make charitable giving an option for their wedding guests.

Joe is a magazine editor and Mark is a financial consultant. They consider themselves fortunate in life. So they chose four charities, including EESI, to reflect their values and concerns. In total, they raised more than $10,000! They also showed their commitment by becoming donors to EESI themselves. They and many of their guests are environmentalists, so including EESI was a natural. They noted “environmentalism shouldn't be political!”

Mark explained that they have “many passions in life and preserving our planet is one of them!” Environmental issues have been important to both of them since childhood. As Joe put it, “I grew up at a time when being conscious of sustainability and clean energy was not so politicized. The Earth is our home.” Mark added, “We are acutely aware that we are in a pivotal time as it relates to the sustainability of our planet.”

Mark told us, “We try to keep our carbon footprint as low as possible.” Living in New York City, they almost always walk or take transit, bring their bags to the grocery store, and avoid single-use plastics.

Asked if they had any tips for those who were considering incorporating a charitable component into their next special occasion, Joe advised: “Do  your research and go for the small nonprofits, where every penny counts. Don’t overlook the smaller, less-known groups who are doing effective work in highly specific areas. Weddings will probably not get you a substantial enough sum to put a dent into the needs of large nonprofits, but it can do a lot for a smaller group!”