Giving Back to the Birds

Hey, I really believe in what the folks over at Audubon are doing to support birds and wildlife, so the Craig Newmark Philanthropic Fund (CNPF) recently gave $10K to Audubon California and $25K to The National Audubon Society. I recently received a note from Audubon letting me know that the CNPF donation allowed them to secure an additional $17,500 through the Robert W. Wilson Challenge for a total investment of $52,500.

Not only did the CNPF support 'em financially, but I personally worked with Audubon's team on a social media partnership, which helped to raise Audubon’s profile, expand their network, and generate support. I did a summer takeover with them on Instagram where they got 6,900 likes. If you're on Instagram, you should follow Audubon Society for some impressive bird photos.

I've promoted Audubon California’s Bird of the Year, through which 10K+ voters delivered the victory to Allen’s Hummingbird in 2014, as well as #FirstBirdFriday, #stupidbirdhumor, and #worstbirdpic. They used the CNPF grant and the match funds it generated to help connect people with nature through social media and online resources. This is a top priority, as they're working to grow and engage their network – now one million people – to protect birds and the natural resources that support us all. Over the course of the past 10 months, and just in general, giving back to Audubon has helped them make some real progress -

• They transformed their online presence with a really good looking (and effective) new website, reaching an audience of nearly 12 million.
• They launched their online membership community, AudubonWorks, with tools and networking platforms for more than 1,500 chapter leaders and active volunteers.
• They've got 65 Chapters in all 50 states.
• This summer, when Audubon learned that Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) proposed to gut one of the most important laws protecting birds – the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) – they alerted our network. The network sent nearly 60,000 messages supporting the MBTA. It was a success: the Representative’s amendment was withdrawn.

If you're able, please support Audubon, whether financially or socially. They're doing lots to help connect people and wildlife - it's the real deal.