President’s Column

Changes in Local Funding

Chet Ogan

Changes are coming our way from National Audubon starting this fall! This will affect the way we do business at the local chapter level. According to the plan, each part of NAS must be financially self-sufficient and the membership part is not. NAS attributes this to the fact that the cost of acquiring new members is so great. NAS has determined that they can no longer give the Chapters a share of the dues until NAS has recouped these recruitment costs. The result of this is that our chapter income from national will suffer a 75% decline by the end of 2002. So instead of getting $2800 from NAS, we will receive $700 based on our current membership of 560 persons.

Currently the amount we receive from NAS has given us about $500 more than the annual costs needed to publish the Sandpiper. Obviously this is going to change. One California chapter has reduced its newsletter publication to four major issues per year supplemented by one-page mailers.

In the near future, we shouldn't need to do this. Our publication mailing costs are kept down by using EcoNews as our mailer. But our information actually reaches many more people than just our Redwood Region Audubon members. Our web page can be found at http://www.northcoast.com/~rras/.

We are a nonprofit organization. Our current chapter expenses are about $4600. Additional chapter expenses are taken out of our accounts by board vote approval. In the future, we will need more money from our accounts to offset the money received from NAS. Our Sanctuary Fund has been set aside to purchase a piece of property. Recently our board decided to actively pursue selecting a piece of property. We would like to use our money to leverage a piece of available property that might be added to a local refuge. One of our criteria is that the property be important to birds and other wildlife. Other chapter activities include monthly programs, conservation committee, annual banquet, field trips, and the bird phone hotline. We would also like to add to this Sanctuary Fund. We will graciously accept any donations to help us support these activities. Remember us in November and December when you are giving donations to local charities. Help support our Fall Birdathon.

Redwood Region Audubon has between 500 and 600 members based on subscriptions to Audubon Magazine. About 80 members of our local chapter are active. In the past NAS has given us about $5.00 per member. This will be reduced to about $1.25 per member by 2002. If you receive EcoNews and would like to join Audubon please contact our membership chair, Sue Leskiw at 442-5444 or email her at soconnel@northcoast.com. If you would like to become active in Audubon call me at 442-9353 or at my office at 825-2952.