SOCIETY STORIES

SeaKeepers Most Generous Supporters Recognized with New Program

Underscoring the extraordinary accomplishments of the SeaKeepers Society in its first 10 years and the critical nature of the increasing crisis of the seas, the Society’s current and past two chairmen have announced a Chairmen’s Challenge to fellow Founders and Admiral’s Club members. The Challenge, issued by Board Chairman Don Tomlin, and past chairmen Mark Grosvenor and Lee Anderson, is a pledge of an additional $250,000 investment in SeaKeepers’ expansion.

Their combined challenge also highlights a change in the organization’s membership levels. In the future, all members will be listed by the number of “stars” according to their donation levels. Total membership currently stands 97 leaders from 14 countries.

“We are at a critical time for SeaKeepers and for the future of our oceans,” said Tomlin. “We have met our goals for the first ten years of our organization and we are very, very excited about our ability to make an even more important impact in protecting and restoring the seas in the coming decade.  Our unprecedented level of installations of our SeaKeeper 1000 ocean monitoring systems stands at 22 today!”

The newest membership initiative expands the existing Admiral’s Club, recognizing the generous support of its members and providing recognition for multiple levels of contribution. The new Chairmen’s Challenge is a powerful invitation to current members to increase their level of support for the SeaKeepers technology.

“We believe strongly that our initial donations have been used effectively to increase man’s understanding of the changing sea,” Grosvenor said. “Developing and deploying our unique, moving monitoring system has given scientists and resource managers a powerful, inexpensive and flexible tool. Our system is providing huge volumes of important oceanographic data and has already improved weather forecasting around the world. Increasing the Society’s cash flow allows us to continue to do this critical work and also to make even more powerful impacts in the areas of ocean and climate data as well as education and sustainability of the sea.”  With more than 50 systems installed and this unprecedented 22 in progress, the SeaKeepers Society is creating important data that will help scientists better interpret the current health of our seas and define solutions for the future. 

By upgrading and adding more stars to their Admiral’s Club ranking, members rededicate themselves to SeaKeepers and demonstrate to others their strong commitment to oceans and sustainable marine resources.

The Admiral’s Club began with a level of commitment of $250,000. The new levels of recognition in the club for the following commitments are:

SeaKeepers is proud to announce that Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and a noted philanthropist is its first Four-Star Admiral, and Vice Chairman Alfred H. Balm is its first Three-Star Admiral. “Our Founders took a big gamble that their money and their yachts could make a difference in protecting our seas,” Anderson said. “I am very proud of what we have accomplished and like my fellow chairmen, optimistic that with the number of members we now have, we can have even stronger and broader impact in the coming years.”

Admirals’ Club members acknowledge the importance of the SeaKeepers mission to sustaining our oceans, to playing a part in the health of the global population and to international economic security.  The SeaKeepers’ monitoring system is the most cost-effective data collection system on the world’s oceans and a continuing source of pride to the Society’s top contributors, who include some of the most innovative and entrepreneurial business leaders in the world.

These innovative and relevant initiatives require startup funding and steady support. Important programs such as the SeaKiosk education initiative and the Society’s planned scientific conference on the sustainability of the sea would not be possible without the generous financial backing of Admiral’s Club members. Please visit www.seakeepers.org for more detailed information about these exciting new initiatives.