This post was written by Terry McLaughlin, 2012 Outdoor Experiences Lead Instructor, 2014 & 2015 Interim Information Center & Bookstore Manager, and 2015–2017 Membership Assistant.
Like many of you, I’ve been a member of the Mono Lake Committee for years. The importance of the work the Committee does and the efficiency and effectiveness of how they use my donations have kept me on board through tough times as well as times of abundance.
But the paperwork associated with membership quickly became a hassle for me. I could never keep track of when my membership came due, had I sent my check last month, when does my membership expire? I started to realize that when I got that paper mail I was getting annoyed.
Then I discovered the monthly giving program: Guardians of the Lake. I have my donation taken directly out of my bank account every month on the same day. (You can also use a credit card.) It makes it easy to budget for, and donations can be as small as $10 per month. I find that when I give a bit every month, I can afford to give more.
I enjoy the ease of monthly giving and supporting a cause I love. Fewer mailings showing up in my mailbox is a welcome side benefit. I still get the alerts when the Committee needs extra help, phone calls, public comment, and the like. But the routine reminders are a thing of the past for me.
Sally Gaines writes a nice, newsy monthly note to each Guardian of the Lake. You can receive those via email or snail mail, as you prefer. It’s always wonderful to hear from Sally.
I highly recommend becoming a Guardian of the Lake! Benefits include:
- No annual reminders of membership
- Tax deductible, as allowed by law
- Monthly donations as low as $10 can be accommodated
- Your membership is always current
- A monthly note from Sally Gaines
- Guardians of the Lake lapel pin
