As a company, Aspen has committed to performing acts including financial support and volunteer action to support both global and local nonprofit organizations and NGOs.

In addition, Aspen encourages and wishes to acknowledge the volunteer activities of our individual staff members. In order to encourage such acts of kindness, we have instituted a policy allowing each staff member a paid day off each year to perform volunteer work.

Please take some time to explore the websites of these very important organizations. In the belief that education is a key to solving many of the ills troubling our society, we have added several agencies which support educational endeavors in 2004. Most recently, our staff took up a collection matched by the company to support the Asian Tsunami Relief Fund at UNICEF.

2005
UNICEF, Asian Tsunami Relief Fund: http://unicefusa.org
Aspen staff made a pooled contribution which was matched by the company.

2004
El Centrito De La Colonia: http://www.elcentrito.org/
A bilingual community center that serves youth and families, especially youth at risk of low academic achievement.

Oxnard School District, Literacy Project, BookMobile Lending Library:
The program strives to bring the "profound and bountiful benefits of reading" to the local families, particularly low income and migrant workers.

The Nature Conservancy: http://www.natureca.org/nc/

UCLA Foundation, Environmental Science and Engineering: http://www.ph.ucla.edu/ese/index.html

American River Parkway, Sacramento: http://www.arpf.org/

UMOM- Homeless Shelter, Phoenix: http://www.umom.org/

San Francisco School Volunteers: http://www.sfsv.org/

The Wellness Community: http://www.thewellnesscommunity.org/default.asp

Children's Burn Center: http://www.childburn.org/

Mona Foundation: http://www.monafoundation.org/
A non-profit charitable organization dedicated to supporting grassroots educational initiatives, and raising the status of women and girls in the United States and abroad.

Center for Global Integrated Education (CGIE): http://www.CGIE.org
CGIE supports educational activities that in addition to achieving academic excellence will help create unity, foster the full human potentials, support and bring to life those aspects of culture and moral values that promotes the progress of an ever-advancing civilization.

School of the Nations in Macau, China: http://www.schoolofthenations.com/

Aspen's employees are committed to volunteerism and giving back to their communities. Together, we are involved with dozens of community, nonprofit organizations as coaches, leaders, or serving on committees or boards of directors. A sample includes the following:

• Boyce Thompson Arboretum, preparation of educational materials
• Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count
• Breathe California
• Paint the Town (Sacramento)
• America Reads
• Habitat for Humanity
• Elementary school volunteer
• San Diego Stream Team
• Preserve Calavera
• Oak Park MOMS Club
• Youth Coordinator, Club West Youth Track
• A-T Medical Research Foundation (Ataxia-Telangiectasia), donor
• AYSO, Santa Barbara Region, Team Administrator for U10B and U12B Allstar Teams
• Bluestar Baseball League, assistant coach to "coach pitch" team
• Boyce Thompson Arboretum, provide Arboretum photography
• Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House at Barnsdall Park in Hollywood, Docent/Tour Guide
• Getty Center, Los Angeles, Volunteer Tour Guide for non-gallery portions of the center
• Girl Scouts Spanish Trails Council, troop leader, Neighborhood Cookie Manager for 22 troops.
• Los Padres National Forest, volunteer providing information on biological resources
• North Hills West Neighborhood Council (Los Angeles City), Co-Founder
• Pine Mountain Club
• Emergency Preparedness Committee, member
• Noxious weed control program, coordinator
• Birding Association, organizer and field trip leader
• Planning Commissioner (Appointed) for the City of Whitter, 8 years
• Ridge Route Historical Society, field trip leader
• Sierra Club, meeting speaker (Biogeographic Islands, Wind Power Environmental Issues)
• Sierra Club, scientific advisor to study on local montane wetlands
• Signs of Hope, an outreach program for foster children with events and mentorship programs
• Camp counselor for Santa Cruz mountains overnight camp. In addition, Aspen funded environmental education activity providing Junior binoculars and wildlife educational materials
• USGS Breeding Bird Survey, conduct annual Mt. Pinos Survey Route

Aspen takes prides in the fact that a high percent of our staff have advanced degrees and Aspen encourages continuing education for the professional development of its employees by offering flexible hours, tuition reimbursement for courses and seminars, and for obtaining professional registrations.

In addition, Aspen encourages its staff members to join professional organizations such as the American Planning Association, National Association for Environmental Professionals, and Association of Environmental Professionals. Such memberships allow our staff to grow professionally and build relationships in their fields.