The Loma Prietan
March/April 2001
March Appeal to Sierra Club Members
Hi Folks,
To paraphrase a famous saying, I’ve met the cavalry, and they are us!
Of the annual dues Sierra Club Members pay to the Club, the National organization funnels barely $5 per member back to our Chapter. This year, that turns out to be well under half our annual budget. This means that Chapter operations, conservation campaign efforts, and vital member and activity services are all funded primarily by donors—you and me—who give directly to the Chapter.
And when it comes to working on our regional priority campaigns, we are up against forces with virtually unlimited financial resources. For example, Cisco outspent us three
to one in signature gathering for the Coyote Referendum. While we
have received some pro-bono legal assistance, we must still spend thousands of dollars on both the Coyote Valley and Bay Protection/Airport campaigns in order to stop those forces who would pave over and destroy rich open spaces or San Francisco Bay.
Developing and implementing community relations, media and grass-roots outreach campaigns for these battles will cost money. And while volunteer/activist involvement is important—even essential, time is not a substitute for money. And on top of these immediate battles, we are seeking to grow the organization into an even stronger force
in the Peninsula/South Bay region. Again, this demands sufficient dollar resources.
Our work includes building working coalitions with groups such as the Audubon Society and Save the Bay—organizations that are involved with us in the battles to preserve Coyote Valley and the Bay, respectively.
However, they are not the reserve army waiting over the hill to ride in at the last moment. They are, like us, modest; and they are engaged with us in these battles as I write.
The Chapter is restricted from directly soliciting our entire membership throughout most of the year, except during the month of March. During this “March Window,” we are coming to you to ask for your support. No matter how much or how often you have given to the national Club, your donation directly to your local Loma Prieta Chapter will have an important impact on land use, air quality, habitat and wildlife throughout the region and in your community for decades to come. Please join the fight and donate generously. Thanks.
Bill Michel, Chapter Chair