Our Crowdfunding Groups
Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's crowdfunding campaign such a huge success! We surged past our goal with 24 hours left to go, and you just kept giving! By the end, we raised $32,601 - 108% of our $30,000 goal, with over 170 donors.
In these challenging times, know that our team feels your support and we're inspired to redouble our efforts - adapting to the times, reaching more students and refining our programs to better reflect the rich and diverse history of the area.
To all who donated and shared our campaign - you have shown that Camp Cooper truly is a community-backed 'gem' in Tucson, a 'holy grail' in the words of TUSD Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo. With your support, our future is brighter than ever, and students around Tucson and southern Arizona will continue build connections to our beloved Sonoran Desert home.
Sincerely,
Colin Waite
Director, Cooper Center for Environmental Learning
PS. When it's safe to do so - you will be invited to celebrate another successful year at Camp Cooper, and be recognized for your support. Stay tuned! If you're not signed up for our newsletter - you can sign up here.
Thank you to all that have helped us get this far!
We're more than 90% of the way to our goal with over $27,000 raised. We still need to raise $3,000 in the next 36 hours to get to $30k.
Can you help us spread the word?
In these final hours, we are asking our supporters to share our campaign with friends and family. Don't forget to share with them the reasons you #SupportCooperCenter and direct them to donate at www.campcooper.org. Or, select a social channel below and share this message with your community - this just takes a few seconds!
Thank you for your support - we wouldn't be here without you!
- Colin Waite & The Cooper Center Staff
One Week Remains to Clear Our $30,000 Goal
Our Happy Hour event last Friday propelled us into the home stretch in our efforts to raise $30,000 in September. Thank you to all who attended and donated! With $20,000 currently raised, we still have to raise $10,000 to reach our goal in just one week! We are so grateful for your continued support of the Cooper Center. We would not be this far without your gift. Thank you!
Happy Hour Raises $10,000 in Just One Hour
On September 18th, 2020, The Cooper Center hosted its first Live Stream Happy Hour event as part of their annual Crowdfunding Campaign, in an effort to showcase the work of Cooper Center, celebrate the vibrant and talented Tucson community, and to help raise $30,000 in the month of September.
Foundations Show Their Support For Cooper
In addition to the financial support Camp Cooper receives from generous individuals like you, we have also been lucky to catch the attention of several local charitable foundations. They would like to share a few words about why they value the work that we do. Thank you to The Marshall Foundation, Southwestern Foundation For Education and Historical Preservation, the Brown Family Foundation and Angel Charities of Tucson for their words of support.
At this time in our campaign last year, we had raised over $10,000. At the writing of this update, we have raised $7,344, or just shy of 25% of the way to our 2020 goal.
We're not stressing. Want to know why?
For one, we are confident you will come through for us as you always have. The need for Camp Cooper's unique educational offerings have never been greater. Second, we are hard at work creating an unforgettable Happy Hour Live Stream.
What exactly is a Happy Hour Live Stream?
Think of it as part house concert, part Cooper Center open house. If you need us to explain "Happy Hour," well, we really need to talk. And "Live Stream" because this event will stream, live, over the internet, straight to you via our website, Facebook or YouTube. Choose whatever method works best for you, we'll send out all the links before the event.
This free event, which will clock in right around 1 hour total, promises to be one of the best parts of your week, and your chance to enjoy an hour of entertainment and fun in support of the Cooper Center and Camp Cooper.
BREAKING NEWS ON OUR LIVE EVENT:
50% off beer, original artwork raffle and more!
Thanks to your support, we have been able to continue our important work during these challenging times. This summer, for the first time ever, we offered a virtual summer camp, connecting children with the wonders of our Sonoran Desert. This program was enthusiastically received by more than 400 families, and it would not have been possible without the investment of people in our community like you.
As closures related to the pandemic continue, our team has quickly adapted to provide engaging and interactive online experiences for students from across Southern Arizona. With your help, when the virus subsides, Cooper will be ready to return to the in-person experiences that have inspired generations of Tucsonans since 1964.
Our goal is to raise $30,000 during the month of September to ensure that we can continue our educational programs during the pandemic and to return to in-person experiences in the future. Thanks to your gift and the contributions of others, we are 11% of the way to our goal after the first week.
We have a long way to go, but with you on our side, we are confident that we will surpass $30k in 30 days. Please share our campaign and the reasons that you support Cooper Center with your friends and family. Cooper Center’s successes in fundraising have always been in large part to our grassroots approach, and this is not possible without you.
Finally, I want to personally invite you to our free virtual Camp Cooper Happy Hour event, Friday, September 18th at 5:30pm. You can register for this event at campcooper.eventbrite.com.
Our special guests include:
A performance by platinum-album jazz songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway, named Performer of the Year and Best Jazz Vocalist by Broadwayworld, writer on seven Barbra Streisand albums, Tony Award nominee for her performance in the Broadway musical Swing! and writer and performer of the theme song to the TV series The Nanny;
PD Ronstadt, son of the late Michael J. Ronstadt and nephew of the legendary Linda Ronstadt — a fifth generation Ronstadt exploring the musical heritage of his family while also presenting new and original material, drawing inspiration from all the elements of his upbringing;
Globally syndicated Pulitzer Prize finalist David Fitzsimmons, editorial cartoonist for Arizona Daily Star;
Gabriel Trujillo, superintendent of Tucson Unified School District, in conversation with Bruce Johnson, dean of the College of Education at the University of Arizona.
Again, you may sign up for the free online Happy Hour event here, and as a special thank you, Crooked Tooth Brewery has agreed to offer event registrants half-off beer to enjoy before, after or at the event!
Thank you again for your generous help this week, and please contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Colin “Jackrabbit” Waite
Director
Fund a Camp Cooper Online educational experience for one student.
Allows a child to spend the night at Cooper and covers costs for educational staff!
Camp Cooper has been serving students for 56 years. Help us keep providing students a unique educational experience for many years to come.
Named for Cooper's amazing 3-day program for 4th and 5th graders, you will be fully supporting 2 students' Camp Cooper experience!
Show your strong dedication to the mission, values, and vision of the Cooper Center! For giving at this level, you will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of Camp Cooper with Cooper Center Director Colin Waite during the program of your choice, as well as donor recognition and a special invitation to our annual donor and teacher celebration event.
