Do You Feel the Power of Song? How To Write A Successful Fundraising Appeal To Potential Donors.

The University of Florida, CJC Online, Public Affairs Communication MMC5648.

• Do you remember sitting around the campfire as a child, listening to your grandfather sing?

• Does the sound of small voices, raised together in song, tug at your heartstrings?

• Do you recall how it felt to sing in your school’s chorus or community theater?

If so, then you have experienced the power of song.

Today, we are asking for your help to keep a beautiful dream alive: Clearwater’s Power of Song.

Your gift will empower Peekskill’s children to stand up and sing out as a force of positive change for our nation’s future. For over 50 years, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, champion of the Hudson River and the Clean Water Act, has provided innovative educational programs, environmental advocacy, and the renowned annual Clearwater Music Festival to inspire, educate, and activate millions of people.

Throughout history, music has been a catalyst for change, a medium for protest, and a way to deliver a message of hope. Clearwater’s founder, Pete Seeger, always understood this. The motto famously inscribed on his banjo—“This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender”—has proven correct. Seeger was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1972), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1996), won four Grammy Awards and was given the Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Award (1986), among many other honors over his 94 years.

In 2011, Seeger’s album Tomorrow’s Children (2010) won a Grammy for best musical album for children. He dedicated the album’s music to environmental awareness. Seeger’s undiminished spirit and hope are needed now, more than ever! And YOU can bring his message to Peekskill’s school children this spring.

Clearwater’s Power of Song school program is an interactive learning experience that exposes students to socially conscious music, empowering them to be active on social issues. We teach children to write songs that advocate for the solution to real-world problems: hunger, poverty, homelessness, abuse, and the environment.

The world is a stage and our children are watching. On January 20th, our nation witnessed the impact made by Amanda Gorman, the young poet who captivated our hearts on inauguration day. The power of her poetical recital is proof of the value instilled by arts programs. Your donation is vital to the work of bringing musical arts to Oakside Elementary School!

Times are tough, so we need friends like YOU. Friends whose support pays for Peekskill schools to host workshops that are vital to our children’s future – and yes, we offer “virtual programs” too!

Which virtual workshop will you gift to Oakside Elementary School this spring? $400 – 45 Minute Program Introduces songs that teach about historic events, scientific principles and how music can move people to action.

$600 – Full Day Workshop Introduces “Parodies with Purpose”. Throughout history, song parodies have taught, inspired, and motivated entire populations to action. School classes will create their own parodies with a focus on an environmental, social, or political issues, culminating with their Zoom performance. $1,000 – 3-Day Workshop Introduces songs as a catalyst for rallying support in social and environmental movements. Students will become acquainted with music dealing with societal issues, and research how they relate to social justice. Students will write and perform a variety of songs from a wide array of musical genres, which acts as a unifying agent between students, their environment, and the power of music. The goal is for students to be inspired by the social movements of the past and appreciate their ability to enact social change through the power of song, culminating with a virtual performance.

Make your gift to the Clearwater Foundation’s Power of Song program on behalf of Oakside Elementary School, today. Your generosity will help students thrive in their virtual classes this spring! Please donate either with the enclosed envelope or securely online at www.clearwater.org. Your support, no matter the size, will help sustain Pete Seeger’s gift to the world through the voices of Peekskill’s children. Signature Signature _____________________ -------------------------------- Interim Executive Director Chair, Spring Education Appeal Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc

PS. The Peekskill Rotary Club supports a wide range of deserving causes. We would love to count Clearwater’s Power of Song, among them!