< back to main index Click here to download a PDF version of this article. Trying to Change the World The Complex Challenge of Funding Environmental Causes By Christine Weiser Appeared in the July 2006 issue of Fundraising Success Acid rain, global warming, pollution. the list of environmental problems we face can sometimes seem overwhelming. According to a recent article in the public opinion newsletter Public Agenda, these ''green'' issues are often presented as choices between protecting the environment or growing the economy. You can have a logging industry or save the spotted owl. You can reduce toxic gases or drive an Escalade. Public Agenda's polls find, however, that most Americans are looking for solutions that include and rather than just or. They tell pollsters they care about the environment, but are unsure how to respond and unready to accept the sacrifices that some environmentalists believe are necessary. This is the difficulty faced by many environment groups. How do they inspire donors to support their causes, when there are so many? How do they reach these concerned citizens and inspire them to act? And, most importantly - who are these potential donors? "Identifying environmentalists is the greatest challenge fundraisers face," says Mary O'Connor, vice president of development for The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit group dedicated to protecting America's landscapes and waterways. "Unlike schools, we do not have alumni; unlike hospitals, we do not have former patients. Environmentalists all come to the sector from different experiences - whether it's from traveling Alaska, to spending summers at the beach, to hiking in the mountains. Nature is so multi-facetted it is difficult to find one type of conservation project that speaks to all environmentalists." Jim Abernathy agrees. As executive director of the Environmental Support Center, a training and consulting firm that helps environmental organizations, he sees environmental groups struggle to identify their potential donor market. "Environmental donors are as varied and complex as the issues they support," he says. "Too often they are characterized as Democrats or liberals, which are short-sighted labels.  I think the unifying issues are healthy communities, concern for one's family, and the future of the planet." Take America's national parks, for example. "Our members and supporters represent the entire spectrum of political, geographic and socioeconomic life in America," says J. Kristian Pueschel, senior director of development for National Programs National Parks Conservation Association. "A good indication of this can be found in the truly bipartisan support the national parks and NPCA have in Congress." Overcoming the Challenges "Donors won't support organizations that don't explain the problem and solution simply and effectively," reports Catherine Fox, development director for the Save-the-Redwoods League. "Remember that most people who support one environmental or conservation group support many other similar organizations. Thus, clarity of mission and clear articulation of the need that their money can address are imperatives for successful fundraising." When dealing with complex environmental issues, such as protecting land and water or reducing toxic emissions, clear language in a fundraising campaign is vital. Environmental groups must make the connection between the problem and everyday lives. "Too often in the environmental movement we become bogged down in science jargon - biodiversity, ecosystems, habitat," says O'Connor. "These words can be exclusionary instead of inclusive. We prefer to talk about community, open space, connecting people to place. You have to find out why nature is interesting to people and connect conservation to that." Getting the message across clearly is something Jim Abernathy sees regularly from his environmental clients. He tells his clients that they need to take a lesson from the commercial and political worlds. These strategies include: Accept tools that have been refined for marketing product and candidates. Focus groups, for example, are excellent ways to understand how people interpret environmental messages. Bring in randomly selected people and lay out different ways to explain a concept. Find out what kinds of words and images work. Create an ad campaign. Just like selling products or politicians, environmental groups must define a clear message and explore the best ways to convey that message. Attend training programs. Learn how to create campaigns within your organization, rather than hire someone else to do the campaigns for your groups. Use direct mail effectively. Direct mail has declined, but it is still an important way to reach out to potential donors. Use this tool to convey your ad message. Don't just solicit members; keep them. Abernathy finds that an organization that depends on premiums for membership renewal will not do as well in the long run. They need to convey that the cause is critical and the organization's work on that cause is critical. Contact members regularly with updates like monthly newsletters, and do it in a way that is attractive and meaningful. Passion lies at the heart of so many great environmental causes, it's easy to get lost in the emotion. However, the success of these campaigns depends on getting the message across clearly. The health of our planet depends on it. "I'd like to see more environmental organizations reach beyond the self-identified community of supporters," says Catherine Fox of the Save-the-Redwoods League. "We need to inspire the millions of Americans who believe in healthy, beautiful places and wilderness preservation for now and into the future to join in the movement dedicated to these outcomes."