Rough Draft Atlanta
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This holiday season you can help support college scholarships, two Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs), tree plantings and more when you purchase Fraser Fir Christmas trees, wreaths, garland, stands and other items from Trees for Tuition.
Five Christmas tree lots are now open across Atlanta – in Grant Park, Inman Park, Kirkwood, Virginia-Highland and West Atlanta – or their virtual shop for delivery.
“We donate 100% of our profits, after we’ve paid for trees, employees and other costs,” said Calder Johnson, Trees for Tuition co-founder.
Since 2020, the business has donated $100,000, including: $56,000 in scholarships to 28 undergraduate college students; $9,500 to Howard Middle School and Virginia Highland Elementary School (VHE) PTOs; $8,000 to the Inter Atlanta FC Player Fund; $10,629 to plant 10,629 forever trees (via onetreeplanted.org); and more.
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“Trees for Tuition has been super beneficial to our club, especially for our financial aid program,” said Kevin Kinley, Executive Director of Inter Atlanta FC. The program covers registration fees, uniform and equipment costs, and other travel related-costs for players in need. Co-founders and childhood best friends Johnson and Jack Faught played for the club.
New this year, Krog Street Market is hosting a Trees for Tuition location, mostly for delivery.
“We had a great experience hosting Trees for Tuition at Atlanta Dairies in 2023,” Asana Partners Representative, Matt Saylor shared. “So, we were eager to provide them a platform at The Krog District.”
“We expect a lot of people will wander in from the Beltline,” Johnson said. “We’ll say ‘if you see a tree you like we can deliver it tomorrow.’ Or they can walk over to the Howard Middle School lot for more options.”
Trees for Tuition staff will happily load your fresh cut tree into a stand and onto your car. For a nominal fee, they’ll deliver it to your doorstep or set it up in your home. After Dec. 26, they also pick up undecorated trees that Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation repurposes into mulch spread at nearby parks and public spaces.
“We are passionate about this organization’s mission and the long-lasting impact on students in our community,” Saylor added.
Students of all ages benefit. College students like Essence Stephens (Clark Atlanta University), Jesse Hart (Northwestern University) and Jordan Troy (Georgia State University) were each awarded $2,000 for their Fall 2024 semester, after describing how they plan to improve their community or the world at large. Younger students benefit through donations to their PTOs.
“Trees for Tuition is a staple in our community,” shared Lisl Huber, Co-President, VHE PTO. “We are grateful for their continued advocacy and support of our neighborhood and our school.“
As high school sophomores Johnson and Faught started this business in 2015, delivering Christmas trees out of Johnson’s pick-up truck to save money for college.
“We found Christmas trees for sale outside Atlanta,” Faught said. “We would buy them there and deliver them to our neighbors. Our first year we sold 30 trees. Then Calder asked Inter Atlanta FC if we could set up a pop-up in 2019.”
On this first lot, they sold all 500 trees before Dec. 1 and saw the potential for growth.
So after their college graduation in 2021 and four years of balancing the seasonal business and University of Georgia final exams, the co-founders turned Trees for Tuition into their full-time gig and opened a second location.
“That was the first year we broke 1,000 trees,” Faught said. It was full steam ahead.
As the business grew, so did their commitment to give back. In 2021, Trees for Tuition started its own scholarship fund. Georgia high school seniors or undergraduate students can apply for the $2,000 award by June 1. Awards are announced July 1. They also donate one dollar to plant a forever tree for every Christmas tree sold and support local nonprofits.
“For 2025, we would love to support 20 students ($40,000) and plant 5,000 trees ($5,000),” Johnson said. “The more people that come out and support us, the more we can donate.”
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 2 – 7 p.m.; Friday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Virginia Highland Elementary: 849 Clemont Dr NE
Inter Atlanta FC: 161 Arizona Ave NE
Atlanta Dairies: 777 Memorial Drive
David T. Howard Middle School: 586 Irwin St NE
Krog Street Market: 99 Krog Street NE
Upper Westside Improvement District: 950 Hoke St NW
Clare S. Richie is a freelance writer and public policy specialist based in Atlanta. More by Clare S. Richie
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