River Voices is River Network’s monthly digital newsletter with fresh thinking on water issues, upcoming events and learning opportunities, and success stories from across the network of water advocates.
Federal Funding at River Rally (July 2024)
In this issue of River Voices, we shared a conference panel in which two advocates from California and Wisconsin described how they were able to successfully secure funding, and what needs to happen to make these unprecedented funds more accessible to community organizations.
Federal funding for critical climate projects, and helping our network to access this funding, is a key piece of River Network’s why. This issue is contains just one of many stories of organizations securing these funds for their waters and communities. Another story is the At the Water Table Episode, AMANDA ZEIDNER & JERRY CALDERON on Partnerships to Navigate Federal Funding, edited and produced by Carly Schmidt.
“I’m glad that there’s an effort [to disburse funding], but the urgency and the pressure is real. For a lot of frontline communities and smaller nonprofits, how are we going to disrupt the fact that the system is not built to be equitable? A lot of us are seeing this as an opportunity to shift the system and make sure that we don’t come to the end of this historic investment and see the disparity of who really benefited.”
– Kirsten Shead, Co-Executive Director of Milwaukee Water Commons
Building Capacity for Multi-Benefit Watershed Projects (March 2024)
An organization’s success requires a strong foundation: a clear mission, supportive board, skilled staff, and financial stability. But how can grant makers and large conservation nonprofits better support small organizations to build this capacity?
This issue of River Voices explored what small organizations need to maximize their impact or, in other words, build capacity. To demonstrate that this kind of scaling is possible, we told the story of a few organizations in Colorado who are responding to the call for multi-benefit water projects while simultaneously working with limited resources.
Building Floodplain Resilience (October 2024)
Welcome to the October 2024 edition of River Voices. In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastating floods, we’re highlighting new floodplain management resources in the State Policy Hub. Plus, in recognition of Source Water Protection Week, learn how holistic river management safeguards our drinking water.
Read October 2024 River Voices.
Putting Power into Advocates’ Hands (December 2024)
In the December 2024 issue of River Voices, we took a look at landmark water policy in the United States to round out the year. From the Clean Water Act to the 50th Anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act, we reflected on the people power provided through these policies, not to mention essential protections to clean water in our taps. Recent updates to the Lead and Copper Rule, in which the EPA strengthened protections against lead contamination in drinking water, were celebrated in this issue.