We are more than half way toward earning the full $20,000 challenge!

The Mississippi River at Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, circa 1999.

Photo: Whitney Clark

All of us at Friends of the Mississippi River are humbled and incredibly motivated by the rising support of our community. You helped us earn the first $20,000 challenge gift earlier this year, and now, a month after announcing the second $20,000 challenge we are more than halfway toward earning the full amount!

New memberships, increases over last years member contribution, gift memberships and additional year-end contributions all count toward earning the challenge. If you are able to consider a contribution before Dec. 31 to help us earn this challenge, there is a lot more that we can do for your river, your watershed, and your community. You can make your gift right now.

Specifically, in the coming year, these extra funds will help us to:

• Build our capacity to engage more constituents – particularly the next generation of river stewards – and raise the volume of the rivers voice.
• Work with key partners to ensure that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency completes the first-in-the-nation river phosphorus and nitrogen standards by 2015.
• Move forward two key land protection and restoration projects in the region for native habitat and healthy biodiversity, improved water quality, greenway connections, and recreational opportunities for regional residents.
• Continue to leverage the State of the River Report and other programs to raise awareness of what the river needs from us and foster consensus and measurable action steps toward a healthier river, watershed and community.

Please join us in supporting this vital work and help us leverage additional community support that will enable us to be more strategic and more effective in the coming year.

Your tax deductible gift to Friends of the Mississippi River by Dec. 31 will result in your gift being doubled and will further strengthen our ability to act as the voice for the river in the Twin Cities region and beyond. You can make your gift right now at fmr.org/support/donate.

Friends of the Mississippi River provides an opportunity for you to make a difference locally, where you can see the impact of your involvement and your investment. But what we do here and now in Minnesota will also benefit communities downstream and generations yet to come.

Thank you for your support!