Raises $347,000 to surpass emergency fundraising goal
A month ago, Clearwater was on the brink of financial insolvency, with employees being furloughed and the future of the storied environmental organization in doubt.
But on Tuesday (June 4), the Beacon-based nonprofit announced it had surpassed its emergency fundraising goal of $250,000 by $97,000 and counting.
“The response proves that we’re critically important to our community and to the Hudson Valley,” said David Toman, the group’s executive director. “Now we need to steward this goodwill and take it forward into the future.”
While financial difficulties are not new for the 55-year organization, the most recent shortfall was unprecedented. When Toman spoke to The Current last month, he attributed the deficit to factors such as the pandemic, years of decreased bookings for educational field trips aboard the historic sloop after the 2007 financial crisis, and several costly rainouts and cancellations of the Great Hudson River Revival fundraising concert.
The problems were compounded by Clearwater falling behind over four years on annual voluntary third-party audits, which led to the group briefly losing its nonprofit status and becoming ineligible for grants.
Although many in Clearwater felt that the group was turning things around because of increased bookings for the sloop, a new strategic plan and executive director was needed. Toman, who was chief financial officer for the Mohonk Preserve, was hired two years ago for his financial acumen and brought the group’s financial reporting back up to speed. The gap in grant funding meant it could no longer afford to pay staff or chart a course forward without immediate outside help.
Toman said that gifts, small and large, poured in, including a $25,000 matching grant. Alerted by news stories, two foundations made first-time, $25,000 gifts and promised to continue support. “We struck a chord with a lot of people who want to make sure that Clearwater is here for the long haul,” he said.
With the staff back on the payroll, Toman is assembling specialists to plan. The priority will be finding ways to diversify the revenue stream, particularly during the slow periods of late summer (when schools and camps are out of session and not booking sails) and the winter (when the sloop is docked in Kingston for annual repairs).
What won’t change is the focus on environmental education and bringing the public out on the river to help them imagine a cleaner and more accessible Hudson. “We know there are environmental leaders in government and nonprofit organizations who are protecting the river right now who got their start from Clearwater,” Toman said. “This is only the beginning.”
