Establishing the Mark Ferguson Chapter Matching Fund
Written by Shawna Wagner, Concierge for the Rachel Carson Society, Life Members, John Muir Society & Wilderness Guardians
Mark Ferguson was visiting one of his parents’ friends in Florida where he stumbled upon a Sierra Club brochure. He hadn’t thought about the Sierra Club for several decades. As a young man, he was inspired (as so many were) by the book On the Loose, published by David Brower through Sierra Club Press. The book led him to leave his hometown on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri to explore the West.
In October 2019, Mark Ferguson made his first gift to the Sierra Club, joining the John Muir Society. When he told me he'd be traveling, again, to see his friend in Florida that February, he asked if I had any Florida hiking recommendations. A colleague sent Mark recommendations for five of his favorite places across the state. Shortly after that, Mark became a Life member.
In Mark's first year of giving, he called regularly to ask what was going on at the Sierra Club. Mark doesn't have a computer nor a cell phone and isn’t really a television fan. Mark reads. He gets his news from Time magazine, newspapers, and the organizations that he supports. Mark can quote song lyrics and Shakespeare’s Henry IV with equal confidence and describe the battles of Normandy--both 1066 AD and 1944--as if he was there. Mark gave so often that I bundled the receipts together and sent them in packages along with interesting stories from the Sierra Club related to issues we discussed.
Mark's first gifts were to the Environmental Law Program, Military Outdoors, Sierra Club political program, and his state chapter. Missouri Chapter Director Gretchen Waddell Barwick sent him information on work that Missouri was engaged in, and he supported the chapter's political work, as well. Rob Vessels from Military Outdoors also called him and offered to take Mark on a Military Outdoors camping trip when trips would begin again, after COVID. Mark enthusiastically accepted, as the proud son of a US Veteran.
In May 2021, Mark made four gifts to honor states he and I had discussed a lot--Iowa, Utah, California, and New Mexico. He had his first taste of conservation as a young boy at Philmont Scout Ranch in Northern New Mexico.
Thus began Mark’s generous giving trek across the country: He would give to every state. He talked about his parents taking him camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and gave Tennessee chapter $1,000 to honor that experience. Matt Posen from the Tennessee Chapter called him and invited him on a tour of the park. Jessica Morehead from the Georgia Chapter invited Mark for coffee in Decatur to talk about travel stories. He's planning a detour to make those visits on this year's tour to his parents' friend in Florida. His parents got married in Maine, so he gave to the Maine Chapter to honor them. He honored a woman he danced with in college with a donation to the Montana Chapter and his parents' friend with his donation to the Florida Chapter.
With every program and state Mark supported, chapter volunteers and staff either called and wrote notes of thanks. He's corresponding regularly with some of them, and made additional gifts to several states.
The experience of supporting every state chapter has given Mark a unique perspective on the value of the chapters and all of the work they do. As he learned more about the important work local chapters manage, Mark made two more generous choices. First, he established the Mark Ferguson Chapter Matching Fund to help chapters raise much needed advocacy funds among its local members. Second, he decided to direct part of his estate to replenish his named fund after he dies.
When someone is this generous, you might think they've spent a lifetime as a philanthropist. You would be wrong. Mark shared, early on, that he gives to us because he has a lot of making up to do. Clearly, he’s done that. He's well-read and understands what we're up against. I don't know when he realized he could make such a big difference in so many programs, but I’m glad he did.
Mark has given every month since October 2019, but he's not wealthy. He says his needs are simple and he doesn’t need all that he has. Every month, he gives to some program or chapter at the Sierra Club, he donates to a couple of other charities, then he puts the rest of the money into three savings accounts that will be given to two family friends and Sierra Club chapters after he passes away.
Among Mark’s many admirable qualities is his humility. When he realized he was about to make gifts to the last of the United States, I told him how grateful I was to have worked with him on that goal. He said, "I'm grateful to the Sierra Club. Before I started giving, I knew two dozen people in the whole world. I've had at least that many cards and calls and invitations to go hiking in the past three months. I should thank the Sierra Club for opening my world."