Take Action > Become a Member > Membership Makes the Movement!

Membership Makes the Movement! This year, Riverkeeper is starting a multi-year campaign to increase our active membership from 5,300 to 10,000 members. The response to our call to action in the past months has been gratifying and served to fortify our commitment to the movement. Our Board of Directors is so impressed that we have planned a new focus and strategy for our membership campaign in the coming year and beyond. The campaign is crucial to our continued growth and building a diverse base of support to sustain us. Our membership launch highlights are:

1) To motivate new and increased membership giving, members of our board of directors have raised $50,000 to match membership giving.

2) New Riverkeeper Rewards – we’ve listened to what you’d enjoy most and have revamped our premiums – including complimentary tickets to Shadfest at the Defender membership level.

3) Give or Get credit – we will determine your annual membership level by both the amount of your personal giving PLUS the total of other membership gifts you are responsible for bringing to Riverkeeper.

We’re vamping up our membership campaign by identifying members, community organizers, schools, churches, kayaking groups- you name it- who benefit from Riverkeeper’s work whether they realize it or not, and then asking everyone to take action in the way that best suits them.

For example, you can:

- Become a Champion!

Use a special occasion like a birthday, anniversary, wedding, bar/bas mitzvah, or graduation to raise membership gifts for Riverkeeper.

Create an online fundraising page and share the link with your email contacts, Facebook or MySpace friends.

- Become an Ambassador, organizing community resources as a volunteer leader.

No matter how you choose to act, your effort will multiply your value to Riverkeeper many times over.

Nancy Ploeger, a renewing Friend member and Executive Director of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce recently attended our first annual meeting. Nancy wants to share her personal experience with you.

I support Riverkeeper and environmental and land conservation organizations because I believe I must take a personal part in protecting our water, land and air for the next generations –both humans and animals-living on this planet. There has been so much environmental destruction with the population growth over the last decades and misuse of our natural resources. I believe organizations like Riverkeeper are essential to maintaining and protecting our resources and the work being done by those individuals who are dedicated to the health of our rivers and waterways is critical. Education, awareness and legislative action play a key role in protecting the environment which is what Riverkeeper is focused on through their initiatives. I applaud the work they do and will continue to support their important work, encouraging friends and neighbors to do likewise.

You know that your membership gift empowers Riverkeeper to be the best at what we do – taking the fight for the Hudson River and New York City’s drinking water right to those who continue to harm our environment. We’re sure you’ll want to join our membership campaign with a personal gift that will be matched by the board of directors and then take it to the next level by bringing others to the movement.

The past year has taught us many valuable lessons in exercising prudent decision making and executing strategic planning for Riverkeeper’s current and long-term future. Riverkeeper has weathered the economic crisis, in no small part, because of the loyalty and dedication of members and supporters like you. We all share different experiences of personal hardship through this recession, but members continue to renew their annual membership and designate gifts to our important campaigns.

This past June, Riverkeepers’ from around the world heard from former President Bill Clinton who was the special guest speaker at the annual Waterkeeper Alliance conference. President Clinton shared how his vision of the environment helped shape environmental policy which, thankfully, is back in play with the current White House. More important, he praised the contributions of the “doers” including those in and out of the room that day. Very directly, President Clinton was recognizing you, our members and supporters, and thanking you for your leadership in the environmental movement. We couldn’t agree with him more and are indebted to you for your belief in our work.

Take action today by joining the movement, making a personal gift or sharing your time and talent. Contact Allison Chamberlain, Membership Manager, to join Riverkeeper’s Champions at (914)478-4501, ext. 232 or achamberlain@riverkeeper.org

Thank you for your ongoing and continued support. Membership Makes the Movement!

Sincerely,
Alex signature

Alex Matthiessen
Hudson Riverkeeper and President

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