Planning a fundraising campaign for our 30th anniversary

by Ceal Craig

Thirty years ago when Refuge Naturalist John Steiner, Dr. Chris Kitting, and others organized the Society, they were focused on raising funds to save the Fremont Pumphouse and support the newly formed San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The Society accomplished those early goals and much more over the past years.

Funded by the City of San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff and Pollution Prevention Program, two Society employees were hired to staff the Environmental Education Center (EEC) in Alviso, and offer public programs and field trips for schoolchildren.

The Society has also provided funds to help kick start the Bair Island restoration project, to build the EEC boardwalk, and to support many other projects these past three decades.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary, the Society is launching an anniversary fundraising campaign with several objectives:
1. Support new and ongoing native habitat restoration projects
2. Obtain long-term funding for SFBWS employees at Fremont to keep Visitor Contact Station open on weekends
3. Support Refuge facility improvements; (i.e., support planning for a new Visitor Center and smaller more shovelready projects such as accessible boardwalks, San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society Quarterly Message fishing platforms, trail improvements, multi-lingual interpretive signs, restroom facilities, nature play area and other visitor amenities)
4. Develop new and enhanced environmental education and stewardship efforts;
5. Expand the SFBWS Nature Stores and provide staffing support for expanding the visitor contact station hours of operation.

We are seeking corporate and individual donations to fund these projects, and people who might be interested in helping with the campaign. Please share with us any company contacts to explore future funding opportunities. In the next Tideline issue, we will have a special insert to commemorate this special year and share our plans for the years ahead.

The 30th anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society is on July 30, 2017. Let us know what type of celebration you would like to see. We would like to connect with long-term members and new members to learn why you have supported the organization and what you would like to see the Society accomplish. We welcome feedback on the changed hours at the Visitor Contact Station (Fremont) and the Environmental Education Center (Alviso/San Jose), on the Nature Store, and on San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society’s goals and mission.

Please take a few moments to provide input at: http://www.sfbws.com/survey. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated and important to our success.

As always, I welcome your inputs involvement and inquiries. Send your thoughts to: ceal.craig [at] sfbws [dot] com.