The RWF World Tree of Hope
The Rainbow World Fund (RWF) World Tree of Hope® is the largest origami-decorated holiday tree in the world, standing over 23 feet tall and adorned with over 20,000 origami cranes and stars, each hand-folded and inscribed with wishes for the future of the world.
The RWF World Tree of Hope is created each year as a symbol of global unity, promoting peace, love, and humanitarianism. Rainbow World Fund creates the tree as a gift from the LGBTQ+ and friends community to the world. The tree was displayed at San Francisco City Hall for eleven years. 2025 will be the ninth year the tree has been shown at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The Tree lighting celebration is on Monday, December 8, 2025 from 6:30-8pm - learn more here.
A video invitation to the RWF World Tree of Hope
2019 Tree will be displayed at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.
Designed as the world's most unique holiday tree, people worldwide can help decorate the tree by simply sharing their wishes for the future. Wishes may be sent by mail or online at http://www.worldtreeofhope.org. The wishes are then printed and folded into origami cranes by a diverse team of volunteers, including members of San Francisco's LGBTQ+ and Japanese American communities, survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, local children, and life-sentence prisoners from San Quentin. The origami "crane wishes" are then placed on the tree. Over 300 people come together to donate over 2,500 hours to create the tree.
"I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world"
Yes We Can! One of thousands of wishes that adorn the tree
RWF Founder Jeff Cotter, Dame Jane Goodall with her wish for the tree, and Paul Stankiewicz
"I dare to wish for a world in which people live in harmony with each other and the natural world" - Dame Jane Goodall
Wishes from world leaders to schoolchildren, from San Francisco to Sri Lanka, make the RWF World Tree of Hope a powerful expression of people coming together to create a better world.
Notable wish contributors include President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Dame Jane Goodall, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Frances Moore Lappe, Arianna Huffington, Mariela Castro, Isabel Allende, Shirley Temple Black, and Courtney Cox. Many children also contribute wishes to the tree. See a sampling of wishes here. With so many people coming together to create the tree, it is easy to see why it is often called "the people's tree".
We invite you to be part of this unique symbol of global unity! Please send us your wish, and we'll turn it into an origami crane and put it on the RWF World Tree of Hope.
The tree will be on display at Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, San Francisco from December 1, 2025 to January 9, 2025 where it is seen by thousands of visitors from around the world.
The official tree lighting Admission is FREE. Please RSVP on Facebook.Not on Facebook? RSVP Here!
1 minute-time lapse video of the tree being decorated
Abigail's wishes
Wyatt's wish - age 8