2008 Mini Grant Recipients

2008 Recipients

Colorado Wildlife Federation CWF seeks to obtain legislative protection of critical wildlife habitat on public lands by inspiring a stronger and sustained voice in the community.  Oil and gas companies plan to increase the number of wells in Colorado over 100% in the next decade.  Securing protective, federal legislation is key to conserving public land habitat and a united push from the public is key to securing that legislation.  CWF will create a report and a series of maps with the goal of sparking action from the sportsmen and women, wildlife conservationists, and recreation enthusiasts who hold great influence on the local and federal level.  CWF's plan will save important wildlife habitat as well as increase their membership and involvement, and prompt Coloradians to speak out to protect their wild communities and traditions.

Environmental Advocates of New York  has a strong membership presence online (via website, email, etc.) but also a substantial portion of their members are offline and receive communications from Environmental Advocates by newsletters, postcards, etc.  Communication with offline members is slowed by their current membership organization methods, and Environmental Advocates wants to improve these methods, thus improving the efficiency of communication with their members.  Increasing the use of the DonorPerfect database will allow greater ease of organization and communication, which provides Environmental Advocates members with well-timed and important information that will promote a formidable and more active member base.

Mississippi Wildlife Federation  MWF has been actively involved in the Adopt-a-Stream (AAS) program for over ten years and recently got funding to administer the AAS program in Mississippi.  Adults were the primary participants in the past, but MWF sees an opportunity to engage and educate a younger crowd on the importance of water quality and stewardship.  Water quality is a serious concern for many counties in Mississippi, and MWF knows that it will be up to youth, not adults, to carry on and maintain healthy management of Mississippi's resources.  MWF's plan involves education and action opportunities for local boy and girl scout troops as well as Envirothon teams.  Kids learn about the importance of water quality and get hands-on experience with World Water Monitoring kits, laying the foundation for informed and involved stewards for the future.

South Dakota Wildlife Federation   SDWF sees greater potential for their activist outreach by utilizing Orchid Suites software.  They currently have an email-based activist list of roughly 500 individuals who receive daily updates and action opportunities while South Dakota's state legislature is in session.  SDWF wants to more effectively communicate with their activist base by tracking grassroots participation using Orchid Suites tools.  They will get information on who is participating, how often and on what issues, and if the message was forwarded to a friend.  This information will allow SDWF to tailor their communication to match the activists' interests, evaluate the level of response, and identify the most likely individuals to provide support and participation in future campaigns.  All of this will intensify their grassroots involvement and focus stronger action for conservation efforts.

Tennessee Wildlife Federation   Before TWF started a Camouflage Coalition in their state, there was no organization to unite the sportsmen and women and interested conservationists under the common goal to protect Tennessee's natural heritage.  Currently, there are few members in the newly created Camo Coalition, and TWF wants to expand the outreach and recruitment of the organization.  Funding and staff dedication will allow the Camo Coalition to expand its membership base and increase TWF's communication efficiency with the Coalition.  Action alerts via email and hard copy newsletters will keep the Coalition members updated with current issues and action opportunities, and the Coalition in turn will keep TWF aware of local issues affecting fish and wildlife.  Enhancing the Camo Coalition strengthens the TWF and their mission to conserve the state's wildlife and natural resources.

Virginia Conservation Network   In an age of accelerating technology, it is essential to an organization to stay up-to-date if they are to effectively reach the public.  Renovating their website and electronic newsletter will allow VCN to recruit more participants and members and successfully reach more of their target audience: college students and young adults.  VCN wants to bring the "armchair environmentalists" to the front lines and enhance their activist efforts.  A vibrant online presence increases communication efficiency and feeds a larger, more responsive membership base.