As we near the end of our 2014 Year-End fundraising, we’d like to give a big thanks to all of our supporters for an exciting and successful end of the year. We raised just over $142,000, allowing us to continue supporting a campaign in the Zambezi Basin, challenging the World Bank’s renewal of funding for mega dam projects, and maintaining the State of the World’s Rivers interactive map.
Out of a total of 384 donors, half were first-time donors, with 32 gifts of $1,000 or above! Each gift, no matter the amount, is received with a great deal of appreciation and thankfulness for the generosity of our donors.
One of our most memorable gifts this year was a piece of art created in honor of the world’s rivers and their people. Quiltmaker and International Rivers supporter Molly de Vries collected pieces of hand-dyed indigo fabric from artisans around the world. Molly, along with several other Bay Area artisans, then hand-stitched the pieces together into a gorgeous piece of functional art. The quilt was recently sold for $1,000 with all proceeds going to International Rivers.
Perhaps one of our biggest achievements in our Year End Appeal was the December 2nd, #GivingTuesday campaign – we received over 200 donations in 24 hours (a new record!), helping us win the matching $10,000 grant from the George and Miriam Martin Foundation.
We also made tremendous gains from our 2013 – 2014 Year End Appeal: We nearly doubled both the number of donors and donations, and we raised $30,000 more this year than last. This is a great sign that healthy rivers and their communities are gaining attention on the global stage.
International Rivers’ board, staff, and supporters around the world are deeply appreciative of the waves of support we received this past year. Thank you for helping keep our rivers flowing!