A Massive Thank You from All Our Team!
Asociación Ondine could not achieve much were it not for our amazing individual and family members, funders and Corporate Partners. As the year is coming to an end, we’d like to take the opportunity to thank you all for enabling our work through your continuous support!
We’d also like to thank everyone who came to our Thank you event at The Boathouse, Palma on Thursday 8th November. The event was organised to acknowledge the hard work of our Corporate Partners who have helped to raise money for marine conservation this year. As well as expressing our gratitude it was also the perfect opportunity to share the inspiring project work Asociación Ondine currently have in progress, and to show our sponsors just how much we are achieving in the fight against plastic pollution and the improvement of the state of our oceans. If you were unable to make it for the event, you will soon be able to read all about it in our upcoming annual report which will be published early 2019.
During the evening, Asociación Ondine’s Head of Fundraising and Corporate Relations Holly Dawson gave a speech to reiterate that every euro of the money raised this year by the island’s business community had been spent on implementing project work for the sake of a single-use-plastic free future and for the future of our seas.
Holly went onto explain that whilst a one off or annual financial contribution from our corporate sponsors would always be a hugely welcome show of support, setting up systems where by raising money becomes part and parcel of everyday business practice, is what allows Ondine to plan our projects and programmes with a long term vision. Without this it is very hard for us to develop and progress.
Examples were given of members of the business community already taking the lead in this area:
E3: In addition to their annual corporate donation, for every euro spent by e3 customers on two new products launched this year, e3 donate a percentage to Asociación Ondine.
Gaia Natural Products: 100% of the retail price of the Ondine shampoo bar goes to Ondine.
Stick No Bills: Donate a percentage of the sale of four of their Iberia poster series to Ondine.
Arriki’s Waves – for every wave commissioned, local artist Rikki donates a percentage to Ondine.
The Boathouse – In addition to their annual corporate donation to Ondine, they also add 10c to every bill with an opt out for any customers not wishing to participate. Out of 3,330 bills issued so far since launch, only one customer has requested to opt out proving just how well it is being received across their clientele. The owner Mark has a vision to roll this out across all restaurants in Mallorca, so please help us spread the word about this amazing initiative!
The event was about celebrating these examples of best practice and others, and businesses in the room were encouraged to consider how they may build similar fundraising opportunities into their everyday business practice. Feedback was extremely positive and already we have received some fantastic ideas for new initiatives we are excited to develop.
The evening was also about acknowledging how Ondine have spent their fundraised income this year with some impressive outcomes: since launching in 2016 more than 3,500 students on the island have signed up to our Dos Manos schools programme, over 2,500 volunteers have participated in our public beach cleans and 44 businesses across 51 locations have taken part in the 2018 pilot phase of our Plastic Free Balearics initiative working to reduce single use plastic in participating businesses island wide.
The evening demonstrated that step by step we are heading in the right direction towards achieving our end goal – a clean and healthy Balearic sea. Ondine’s Founder and President, Brad Robertson, reiterated that if we want to achieve change, we must first change ourselves. We still have a long way to go, and a lot of challenges ahead, but we believe if we continue to work together with the honesty, integrity and genuine passion that we have all shared for this cause right from the beginning, then we can do it!
A huge thank you to all our Corporate Sponsors who attended the event, and a special thanks to the Boathouse for providing us with the venue and hospitality, and North Sails for sponsoring the refreshments for the night.
Asociación Ondine
Brad Robinson – President
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