12 Ways to Give $$$ to OVEC to Keep Up the Fight

People donate to OVEC for many reasons. Some give because they live day-in and day-out with the horrors of mountaintop removal. Others give because they are very involved community leaders or activists – besides giving their time and energy, they also donate their money.

Some, who may not be actively involved in OVEC’s work, do so because they share OVEC’s values; they care about quality of life issues like clean air, clean water, intact mountains, forests, and communities, as well as participatory democracy. They may not live with the impacts of mountaintop removal, but they see the big picture and know that their gifts make a real difference to the world at large.

Last year, 20 percent of OVEC’s budget came from individual donations. This year, we would like to increase that to 30 percent (We also receive grants from 17 charitable foundations and church groups).

Just as a diverse forest has greater resilience and stability, so it is with non-profit organizations like OVEC. Loyal individual donors help increase our general support funding – the day-to-day operating funds that keep the office doors open, the computers and phone lines humming, the award-winning website current, and many other vital functions, like grassroots organizing.

Local financial support plays a key role in OVEC victories.

People whose drinking water apparently has been polluted by underground injection of toxic coal sludge were able to travel weekly to Charleston to talk with legislators about their lack of clean, potable water. The result was a legislative victory, in spite of the "power" and money of Big Coal – a mandate for a multi-agency study of the impacts of underground coal sludge injection.

Organized citizens won the day! All of OVEC’s

donors share in this major accomplishment.

To all our members and donors, we offer a big THANK YOU for your recent support!

If you aren’t a member of OVEC yet, we hope you’ll join hundreds of others who are. We need your support more now than ever.

Below are 12 different ways you can contribute to OVEC – most of them tax deductible!

1. Become a member! (pay your annual dues). The form is on page 27 of this newsletter.

2. Tell others about OVEC. Help recruit new members! (who pay annual dues.

3. Become a regular donor (over and above membership dues). Make an annual pledge.

4. Do your gift shopping with us! Check out our on-line store, www.cafepress.com/ohvec, or call the office at (304) 522-0246.

5. Host a house party to raise funds for a specific project or event. OVEC staff can help with this.

6. Organize a fundraising event, like the Treehuggers’ Ball, spaghetti dinner, art show, or silent auction.

7. Donate online through Paypal at the OVEC website, www.ohvec.org/join/index.html#donate, or Network for Good.

8. Find out if the company you work for will match your gift to OVEC.

9. Commit to raising $1,000 for OVEC (we have ideas to help you!).

10. Donate stock or real property to OVEC.

11. Donate to honor or memorialize a loved one.

12. Leave a living legacy gift, that is, make planned giving a part of your will.