Tohono Chul Wins TEP Social Impact Award at the 2024 Copper Cactus Awards

We Won!

We’re thrilled to share that Tohono Chul took home the Tucson Electric Power Social Impact Award ($2,000,001+ Revenue) at the 2024 Tucson Metro Chamber’s Copper Cactus Awards last Friday, September 13th. This prestigious award honors nonprofits making a meaningful difference in Southern Arizona, and we are deeply honored to be recognized for our efforts in creating a more inclusive, accessible, and vibrant community space.

We couldn’t have achieved this without the support of our incredible team, volunteers, members, and visitors—thank you for being a part of our journey!

Learn more about this incredible honor below or click here to read the media release.

About the Award

For 27 years, the Copper Cactus Awards have been the premier event recognizing outstanding businesses and nonprofits in Southern Arizona. This prestigious ceremony, led by the Tucson Chamber of Commerce, honors those who drive innovation, create jobs, and make a positive impact in our community.

The Tucson Electric Power Social Impact Award, presented by the Tucson Metro Chamber, recognizes a nonprofit organization that has made a significant contribution to Southern Arizona. In 2024, the focus is on groups creating a social impact, defined as having a positive effect on people and communities through actions, programs, or policies. The award honors organizations that have improved the quality of life for those they serve, maintained a strong workplace culture, stayed current with industry trends, and demonstrated positive local economic impact.

Tohono Chul’s Community Impact

Over the last two years, we’ve worked to create a more vibrant, inclusive space for all Southern Arizonans. Through family-focused activities, evening events, and the opening of Children’s Museum Oro Valley at Tohono Chul (CMOV@TC) on-site, we’ve welcomed more Tucsonans than ever before. We’ve experienced a 62% increase in overall attendance with a tenfold rise in visits from children, with many young visitors and families exploring the wonders of Tohono Chul for the first time.

This award highlights our efforts to make Tohono Chul more accessible and welcoming to the Tucson community. We’ve introduced bilingual signage, partnered with Museums for All and Act One’s Culture Pass program to offer reduced admission to low-income families, and worked with Sun Tran to improve public transportation to and from our gardens. These initiatives are all part of our mission to be a community oasis where people from all backgrounds can experience the beauty and importance of nature.

In addition to these community-focused efforts, we’re dedicated to creating a positive, supportive environment for our staff and volunteers. We launched a professional development program that offers staff the opportunity to continue their education, attend conferences, and pursue certifications; because of this we now have two certified arborists on staff!

We believe that by investing in our people, we can continue to grow as an organization and better serve the Tucson community.

Take a closer look at our initiatives and the impact we’ve made this year with our Copper Cactus Awards nomination video.

Thank You

We want to express our gratitude to our hardworking staff, dedicated volunteers, trusted board members, generous sponsors, and the entire Tohono Chul community—the members, donors, visitors, artists, critters, and flowers alike.

To everyone who has strolled our trails, admired our gardens, supported a fundraiser, become a member, attended an event, dined at the Bistro, enrolled in a workshop, or brought their kids to explore nature with us—this award is for YOU. Your support allows us to join hands with our community and protect this little desert corner for future generations.

And of course, we would like to give a big thank you to the Tucson Metro Chamber, Tucson Electric Power, and everyone who helped make this achievement possible.

Here’s to another year of being your community oasis.

Click here to see all the amazing winners from the 2024 Copper Cactus Awards!