Dearest CAFNEC Supporters,
If I said this pandemic hasn’t pushed us into crisis mode, I would be lying. CAFNEC needs your help.
As the first half of this strange year has rocketed past, the urgent need to support, nurture and grow action for our environment has not waned nor disappeared, it has grown.
While the past few months have put big constraints on our capacity to lobby governments, protest and be heard, so too has our ability to fundraise to power important environmental work been impacted.
These are unprecedented times. I look back to the appeal I wrote this time last year as we were emerging from an absolute shocker of a Federal Election and the Climate Crisis loomed greater than ever. It’s hard to believe things have gotten worse. Now we face these same challenges coupled with a global pandemic, an economic crisis to boot, and make or break financial decisions as an organisation.
CAFNEC’s major fundraiser, the Far North Wilderness Bike Tour has a big question mark over it for 2020. Currently State borders are still closed and we don’t know if we will be able to go ahead. With the Qld Premier stating these restrictions could be in place until September, we may have to cancel. The Bike Tour is a critical fundraiser for us and the impact of its cancellation would be nothing short of devastating.
That’s why this End of Financial Year Appeal we’re asking those who can dig deep to do so. Despite it feeling so hard to ask for help when many are experiencing similar financial strains, the reality is we need all the help we can get.
There is good news though. This crisis comes at a time when CAFNEC is stronger than ever; together we have been doing the hard work to build this organisation to the current position we are in now. We have a strong team, an active community of volunteers and are building our movement every day.
Thanks to your support, your volunteer hours, your donations, your knowledge and contributions the past year has been one of our best yet.
We’ve started our Organising Training Program which will see local leaders trained in the latest campaign and organising skills. We’ve had a bumper year for our projects: Waterway Warriors, MangroveWatch, Drain Stencil Project and Boomerang Bags, fostering more community connection through events like Green Drinks and campaigned on important ongoing issues like Climate Change and Flying Foxes.
We’ve taken the time to upgrade our website and online processes to put us in good stead to campaign into the next decade amongst so much more. We have a strategic plan for the next 5 years which is nothing short of bold, and, most importantly we have you – an unbelievably engaged community who are ready to do whatever it takes for our precious environment.
As we approach our 40th anniversary next year (yes, that’s right can you believe it?!) we want to maintain and grow this strength, not lose it. More to the point we can’t afford to lose it, not when the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been for our environment. That’s why we need you.
We need your help to weather this storm, continue our work and maintain our strength through this crisis. If you can, please consider making a tax deductible donation by June 30.
All donations over $2 are tax deductible which means if you’ve got your finances in order for tax time you may be able to give a bigger chunk than you think. However as always every bit counts, small or large.
Many of the bigger non-profit organisations send out appeals at this time of the year with big budgets and flashier contents; instead, if you can, we ask you to donate to a local group like CAFNEC and invest in action in our community.
Together we are a strong voice for nature, and if we have funding to continue, we can make sure that the environment does not get forgotten at this moment in history.
It is up to us to champion for the changes we want – and that our environment needs.
By us, I mean CAFNEC and by CAFNEC, I mean you.
After all, CAFNEC is only made possible by people like you that have supported the environment centre through thick and thin for nearly 40 years.
Work with us, and stand with us. Our climate, our region, our future depend on it.
Thank you,
Bess Murphy
Community Engagement Coordinator
on behalf of the rest of the CAFNEC team.
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