DocuSign for Forests and the conservation work it supports

DocuSign for Forests™ was unveiled at the World Economic Forum in 2019 with the goal to protect the world’s forests for years to come. DocuSign encourages customers and prospects to be aware of their environmental impact. An environmental calculator has been built into the core DocuSign eSignature product so that customers can identify their paper savings. As well as helping hundreds of millions of people worldwide replace over 38 billion sheets of paper with digital processes, DocuSign for Forests™ also supports conservation work. 

Over 2.5 million dollars has already been committed to organisations doing critical work to preserve the world’s forests. DocuSign is supporting non-profit partners in their efforts to achieve their missions. Here are five of the conservation projects DocuSign is supporting:

1. Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation

An initial 1 million dollar commitment was made by DocuSign for Forests™ in 2019 to the Jane Goodall Legacy Foundation to support Dr Goodall’s fight to protect the resources of our planet. Dr Jane Goodall discovered that when we put local communities at the heart of conservation, we improve the lives of people, animals and the environment. The Jane Goodall Institute advances Dr Goodall’s holistic approach to bring the power of community-centred conservation to life - working to help local communities improve their health, education and economic livelihoods to protect forest habitat. Deforestation and forest degradation continue to contribute substantially to global greenhouse gas emissions - protecting our rainforests helps absorb carbon and release oxygen. Dr Jane Goodall has redefined species conservation to include the needs of the environment and local people - she also has shown us the urgent need to protect chimpanzees from extinction. 

2. The Wilderness Society

DocuSign have supported The Wilderness Society with a donation of $1 million. The support will go towards scientific research and innovative approaches to protect forests for the future. The Wilderness Society will also use the funds to promote greater awareness of the forest's role in preventing climate change and providing clean air and water. The donation supports efforts to ensure that wild forests stay healthy and intact for generations to come.  

3. Rainforest Trust 

Rainforest Trust works with local partners to develop projects aimed at securing vital habitats and saving endangered wildlife. They create rainforest reserves through community engagement and partnerships, so support from donors like DocuSign is vital to their work. 

The organisation helps protect our planet by creating rainforest reserves through partnerships, community engagement and donor support. In 2019, the London DocuSign team helped save 15,137 acres, or 23.6 square miles of the Amazon Rainforest, by making donations and having their gifts matched to Rainforest Trust UK. That's half the size of San Francisco! DocuSign has also worked with Team4Tech to create capacity-building workshops for some of the Rainforest Trusts' partner organisations by providing advice on ways to improve fundraising, human resources and IT capabilities. 

4. Trees for Cities

DocuSign have also partnered with Trees for Cities as part of the DocuSign for Forests initiative. Trees for Cities is a UK charity working on an international and a national scale to improve lives by planting trees in cities. The partnership aims to restore urban green spaces in the UK and Ireland. Throughout 2019 and 2020, DocuSign staff dedicated their time to help on several Trees for Cities projects, and DocuSign also funded a number of tree planting projects. Find out more about the DocuSign partnership with Tree for Cites.

5. Friends of the Urban Forest

Last year was the 40th anniversary of Friends of the Urban Forest, also a recipient of a DocuSign grant and an organisation DocuSign staff like to volunteer at. FUF advocates for the urban canopy by working in San Francisco neighbourhoods that have endured systemic neglect and disinvestment - there are typically fewer trees in economically disadvantaged areas. The organisation takes a local leadership role in mitigating global environmental problems through the simple act of planting trees; FUF has planted more than 60,000 trees.

Through the DocuSign IMPACT initiative, employees are encouraged to take action in their communities by volunteering with organisations and causes they believe in and have volunteered thousands of hours at organisations promoting healthier forests.  Discover more about DocuSign for Forests.