Updates
Record-Breaking Support for Connecting Children with Nature!
We did it! With your help, we surpassed our fundraising goal and raised $81,565 during the month of September in support of Cooper Center's amazing educators! Thank you for being an integral part of this year's campaign. You've ensured that will be able to reach more children and youth with our field trip programs and classroom visits this year. You've helped us to take care of our staff with salaries and benefits that reward their hard work, experience, and passion.
As we move into our busy season for school programs, we'll continue to share updates with you about the direct impact your contribution is having. We're also planning a celebratory event for sometime in the spring, so stay tuned! In the meantime, please reach out if you'd like to learn more about our work or come to camp to see our team in action. You can also follow us on social media @coopercenteraz on Facebook and Instagram and at "Camp Cooper and Cooper Center for Environmental Learning" on LinkedIn.
On behalf our the Cooper Center staff, our Advisory Board, and the children, families, educators, and community members we serve, thank you!
From the Desert,
Colin Waite, Director
Last Call for Cooper Crowdfunding 2026!
We're SO CLOSE! One day to go and less than $10,000 from our goal. We need your help in order to fully fund our amazing educational staff and programs for the coming year.
Thanks so much to each of you who has contributed already this year! Every dollar helps us inspire kids with learning adventures amongst the wonders of our Sonoran Desert. Will you share our cause with three or more friends who might join you in supporting us?
If you haven't donated yet, will you invest in our work before the campaign ends on September 30th? Camp Cooper has always been a community-based outreach program, and your dedication to our efforts has been instrumental in our growth. We served over 3,000 kids through field trips on site and an additional 1,000+ through classroom visits last year. Will you help us continue to grow in the coming year?
Donations can be made at https://crowdfund.arizona.edu/project/50053 and all gifts are being matched and doubled by a generous supporter. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Thank you!
From the Desert,
Colin Waite
Director
Halfway There!
Dear Cooper Center Supporters,
Thanks so much for your generous donation to our 2026 Crowdfunding Campaign! With your help, we're just over halfway to our goal of raising $62,000 (or more) in support of our amazing educators and the programs that they provide. Your gift is helping us to keep costs low so that our programs remain accessible for the children and families who need them the most.
We'll be hosting our first field trips of the year next week! Our team is busily getting camp ready so that each child has a fun and memorable learning experience. Our calendar is filling quickly for field trips and classroom visits, and thanks to you, they'll be able to participate without a financial barrier.
As we move into the last two weeks of our crowdfunding campaign, we still need your help. If you know someone who might join you in supporting Cooper Center, please reach out to them, share why you give and why our work is important, and encourage them to make a donation.
If you have any questions or thoughts about this campaign or anything related to our work, please reach out to me.
On behalf of our entire Cooper Center team and the children we serve, THANK YOU!
From the Desert,
Colin Waite
Director
$10
Plant the Seed
Skip spending $10 on coffee one day and fund a field trip experience for a student instead! This is a great option to give back to your community without breaking the bank.
$35
Overnight Memories
Become an official Friend of Camp Cooper and provide a child the opportunity to spend the night at Cooper! You never forget a night's stay in the desert.
$62
62 Years & Counting
We have been serving students for 62 years! Help us continue to provide them with unique educational experiences for many years to come and become an official Friend of Camp Cooper.
$100
Fuel an Adventure
You will fully support two students' Camp Cooper field trip experiences and become an official Friend of Camp Cooper! Once students participate in our programs, they understand the cycles of life and that all things in nature are connected. They also learn how to love and protect their environment and are encouraged to teach others the same.
$500
Camp Cooper VIP
Show your strong dedication to our mission, values and vision! For giving at this level, you will receive a behind-the-scenes tour with Director Colin Waite during the program of your choice, as well as receive donor recognition and a special invitation to our annual donor and teacher celebration event.
$1,000
Crowdfunding Champion
Our annual crowdfunding campaign is a key element of funding our amazing educational staff and programs. For giving at this level, you will receive a behind-the-scenes tour with 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. Thank you for your dedication to our work!
$5,000
Field Trip Hero
A gift at this level funds a three-day, two-night Earthkeepers experience for an ENTIRE class of elementary school students, including staffing costs, student fees, materials, meals and school bus transportation. For giving at this level, you will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of Camp Cooper with Center Director Colin Waite during your sponsored Earthkeepers program, as well as donor recognition and a special invitation to our annual donor and teacher celebration event.
