Campaign Alert: The WCAS Web Platform Project Fund Needs Your Help!

Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society multimedia stories, news, and reports are shared far and wide across the web. We need your help right now to sustain web operations and continue chapter public outreach for birds and habitat conservation education.

Campaign Alert: The WCAS Web Platform Project Fund Needs Your Help!

In the spring of 2015, the Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society (WCAS) Board of Directors realized that in order to continue to fulfill our mission (www.wcaudubon.org/vision.html) the chapter needed to seek new volunteers and members in order to grow. While the chapter was still viable, there were signs of a gradual loss of activity due to people retiring and attrition. Recruiting volunteers for new or even day-to-day functions was difficult. Programs, such as the monthly meetings, bird walks and field trips, the Christmas Bird Count and other activities were often headed by the same individuals. The Rocky River Important Bird Area (IBA) project had come to a successful completion, but taking on another conservation project was not viable.

In the meantime, the Board made a decision that better communication with the general public and our members was needed. A consultant was hired to help our Chapter update our website and do a better job of public outreach and education on social media. This project could not be supported with organizational operating funds. To keep the chapter running and not endanger existing programs, President Emeritus Tom Romito applied for grants and made an appeal for funds to finance the start of this project. He was amazingly successful! These funds have brought us to where we are today.

Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society now has an incredible platform which includes a beautiful website with fantastic pictures and lots of pertinent information, archival documentation, many forms of social media activity, a large (and growing) number of followers and participants and an online ‘store’ where memberships can be purchased and donations made and many items are available for free. We have truly expanded our audience and are fulfilling our mission.

But we are not where we need to be. The Board knew going in that this was a 3-year undertaking, and that even then, we would need to do continuous maintenance. We have a year to go on the original program but our grant money has run out and we are in need of immediate funding. We are trying to get additional grants and would appreciate any tips on possible sources that you can suggest. But, we need contributions now to keep going. If we drop the ball, even if only temporarily, we will lose much of the audience we have so carefully built.

This project needs your support. Not somewhere down the road but NOW. Please help.
Here’s how –

• Monetary contributions
• Suggestions for alternate sources of support
• Volunteer your time and talents

In order to help this project grow, we've started a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $12,000 by June 30th (so the next phase of the project to engage new members and volunteers can be launched). All funds will go exclusively for the web technologies and skilled labor we need for ongoing support and new Chapter initiatives for one year. We are hoping that these fundraising efforts will be just the beginning of a longer-term effort to raise public funds for bird and habitat conservation awareness.
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Please consider donating to the "WCAS Web Platform Project Fund". Payments should be made to the "Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society" in the name of the Fund. Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization - for more information go to https://www.wcaudubon.org/legal.html 

Mail checks to:​
Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society
℅ Nancy Howell, Treasurer
19340 Fowles Road
​Cleveland, OH 44130

Use the button below to make a donation to the WCAS Web Platform Fund:

Questions? Ideas? Email us at info@wcaudubon.org
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​Thank You!
​ 
Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society Board Members 
- Kurt Miske 
- Mary Anne Romito 
- Nancy Howell 
- Suzanne Aldrich
- Tim Colborn 
- Tom Romito

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'All Kinds of Signs' Prints Premium Posters for WCAS Web Platform Fund Donations

Thanks to All Kinds of Signs, a Business Sponsor of Western Cuyahoga Audubon conservation activities, donations to the Spring 2018 WCAS Web Platform Fund Fundraiser will be accompanied by Premium Posters of your choice.

Poster images are by leading area bird and nature photographers who captured nature's springtime events at conserved properties in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Some posters include thoughtful quotes by respected conservationists.

Each poster is 20” x 17” and professionally printed on quality photo paper ready to be matted and framed for your home or office.

The schedule of donations to posters is: $20.00 - 1 poster, $35.00 - 2 posters, $50.00 – 3 posters, $60.00 – 4 posters, $70.00 – 5 posters, $80.00 – 6 posters, $90.00 – 7 posters, $100.00 – all 8 posters.

For donations of $100 or more All Kinds of Signs will deliver anywhere in Cuyahoga County for free. Otherwise, posters can be picked up at the WCAS monthly meetings (Sept-May) or at All Kinds of Signs, 28045 Ranney Parkway, Suite F, Westlake, Ohio 44145. Ph: 440-835-6700 Web: https://allkindsofsigns.net/

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Choose from 8 beautiful Premium Posters by area naturalist photographers below:

​To receive your Premium Poster, make a donation to the WCAS Web Platform Fund using the PayPal button below: