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It's the holiday season, the end of the year, and perhaps you're contemplating whether to get Uncle Harry a new terrycloth bathrobe to replace the one he's been wearing out for the past eight years - or you're worrying over whether Cousin Roberta will bring one of her infamous homemade twelve-pound fruitcakes to the family get-together. Also, you have probably been noticing a lot of solicitations from various conservation groups hoping for that one last donation before the tax year runs out. Ah, 'tis the season right?
Well, I don't mean to be cynical really. It's been a tough year for non-profit organizations. With the economy being hard on all of us, it makes it even more difficult for conservation groups to find the funding to continue their operations. If you're conservation-minded like I am, you would to donate to all of them. After all, their causes are just and by their continuance the collective good in conservation would be served. Right?
The harsh reality is that most of us can't be that charitable, and so we must be selective. But what will be your criteria in choosing a worthy organization? This would be a personal call and I wouldn't want to second-guess anyone's good intentions. It could be the size of the organization, the cause or the animal or animals served, or perhaps the scientists or celebrities affiliated with it, or what their future hoped-for goals and objectives are - it's totally your call.
I'll just say that, for me, I have always relied on one standard: Accomplishments. What the organization has quantitatively done to move the cause forward, some tangible measure of success - that is what I rely on. After all of the petitions, Facebook pages, rallies, and bake-offs - what has the organization done to truly change the future of this planet?
It would seem that with that kind of criteria, only the largest, most well-established of non-profits would have a chance of garnering my donation. There probably is a large measure of truth in that assessment. Large organizations are better able to speak to the policy and decision makers of the world with greater credibility and I do watch closely with what is happening in those circles either nationally or internationally.
But there is also great work being accomplished at the regional or local level. So, again, it's not necessarily the size of the organization or the extent of their reach. It's what they have done that counts.
There can always be a question as to whether the money you contribute is being well spent. Some organizations submit themselves to the scrutiny of an independent evaluator. Charity Navigator provides a complex rating system to show how much of each dollar goes to the actual cause as opposed to operational or administrative costs. A four-star designation represents its highest rating.
I would hope that all of you will consider making a donation of some kind to a non-profit environmental or conservation organization this season. Hopefully, you will review their literature or their website to see what their accomplishments are - if they have any, they should be proudly and prominently visible. In the end, our goal as donors is not to just soothe our conscience but to ensure that real progress is being made. That makes us as responsible as the organizations we support.
Read more about charity ratings or evaluators at the Huddle blog.
The BLUE Ocean Film Festival and Conservation Summit, which took place last month in Monterey, California, was a resounding success. It brought together aquatic film industry types, respected ocean conservationists, and a fascinating and diverse slate of films about the ocean and many of the issues that threaten its survival. I was fortunate to attend and honored to have been asked to participate in it.
But it's not an event that pats itself on the back, rolls up the welcome mat, and looks forward to next year. When the dust has settled and all the attendees have gone home, the festival takes to the road with BLUE on Tour. Over a dozen venues on three continents, from academic institutions to public viewing facilities, have voiced their interest and are ready to present the traveling mini-festival. This form of educational outreach has always been a part of the non-profit BLUE Ocean Film Festival's mission and the festival's founders, Debbie and Charles Kinder, are dedicated to its realization. But it costs money and they have determined that it will take $20,000 to launch the BLUE on Tour for 2010.
To move things forward towards that goal, one of the festival sponsors, beBLUU filtered water bottles, has promised to donate three dollars of each sale to the festival through November 30th. But support from the public will also be needed if the festival is to reach its financial goal.
beBLUU has an interesting product - the next generation in portable water bottles. The beBLUU bottle is constructed of 100% recyclable, FDA-approved food and medical grade resin which contains none of the harmful chemicals that have been found in many of our plastic products. No BPA, DEHA, or DEHP. And the bottle includes a replaceable filter that cleans and purifies the water. So no matter the tap from whence it came, your water will be filtered clean, just like the pricey name brands we buy. And that can eliminate the single-use of thousands of plastic bottles - a major source of plastic pollution, right up there in importance with disposable plastic bags.
BLUE on Tour is a great way for people across the globe to see some of the very best in ocean wildlife and ocean conservation films. It can motivate people of all ages by using the power of the visual image to educate and enlighten. Let's hope the festival can reach the financial goals that will guarantee the start of the BLUE on Tour journey. beBLUU is lending a hand; you can too.
For information on the BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit, visit its website or contact Ashley Huffman at ashley@enviro-rel.com. And to learn more about beBLUU filtered water bottles, click here.
Read the beBLUU press release about their commitment to the BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Summit.
There are many conservation organizations vying for our attention and support. I subscribe to several to get the latest updates on what is happening in the world of conservation. Typically each organization has a particular strategy that best maximizes their available resources: some focus on legal action, others go after illegal trade in threatened species, while others focus on general public awareness.
Oceana is one of the larger and more prominent organizations involved in ocean conservation. They approach a wide range of issues and have international reach. They recently revised their web site and I think it's worth a look. While sprucing up a web site with the latest technology in look and feel is common today, what I found noteworthy with Oceana's new web site was some of the information it provides.
In particular, the web site explores various issues and lists what Oceana's involvement is, what they are doing regarding, say, overfishing, ocean acidification, or shark conservation. And then, most importantly, they list their victories. This is critical when you are considering whether an organization is worthy of your support, particularly your financial support: what are they doing and what have they DONE.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of well-intentioned groups out there with worthwhile agendas but, in the end, its what they accomplish that really matters. So it's good to see Oceana providing that kind of information.
The web site also contains information on a long list of various species that are endangered or threatened with extinction. And there is information on many of their ongoing scientific research projects and expeditions, which are of considerable interest to me (I'm always interested in what is going on out in the field and how these results are being communicated to the decision-makers and general public).
Oceana is among my top A-list of committed ocean conservation organizations. Check out their new web site at www.oceana.org.
I am preparing to leave for the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA, as I have done for nearly every Thursday for the past 8 years. As a volunteer Dive Team Leader, I have had the pleasure of helping the Aquarium with exhibit feeding, cleaning and, most importantly, conducting underwater presentations to the kids and adults alike.
If you have an aquarium nearby, check out what opportunities they may have available. As non-profits, they rely heavily on volunteers - so if you have some free time, it can be a very worthwhile and gratifying experience.
People are drawn to aquariums for a variety of reasons. They may be coming to make fish faces at the seals, recoil in fear and fascination at the sharks, or simply looking for a way to let the kids blow off some pent up energy. Whatever their motivation, it's a great opportunity to get across some important marine conservation info in a more relaxed atmosphere. Aquariums can serve as effective liaisons between the scientific community and the general public. So, if you have one nearby, give it your support.
It's the holiday season, the end of the year, and perhaps you're contemplating whether to get Uncle Harry a new terrycloth bathrobe to replace the one he's been wearing out for the past eight years - or you're worrying over whether Cousin Roberta will bring one of her infamous homemade twelve-pound fruitcakes to the family get-together. Also, you have probably been noticing a lot of solicitations from various conservation groups hoping for that one last donation before the tax year runs out. Ah, 'tis the season right?
There can always be a question as to whether the money you contribute is being well spent. Some organizations submit themselves to the scrutiny of an independent evaluator. Charity Navigator provides a complex rating system to show how much of each dollar goes to the actual cause as opposed to operational or administrative costs. A four-star designation represents its highest rating.
