The fourth-annual Wisconsin Birdathon kicked off on April 15 and will continue through June 15. You can participate in the Birdathon on behalf of Madison Audubon Society; all funds that you raise will go to Madison Audubon Society and help with important bird conservation initiatives throughout Wisconsin!

Need ideas to help fund your Birdathon?

When talking with potential donors, be sure to tell them exactly what their donations will do!

• Donations will go directly to bird conservation efforts in Wisconsin: protecting Kirtland's Warbler, monitoring hawks and owls, Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II, and making Wisconsin more bird-friendly with the Bird City program.
  
• Make sure they know that half of their donation comes back to Madison Audubon Society!
  
• Emphasize a cause that is near and dear to their hearts: Madison Audubon works to restore wildlife habitat in south-central Wisconsin. We bring school children outside on field trips, and educate the community about conservation issues.

When asking for donations, be creative!

• If you're emailing people, include lots of photos! Describe how you will be training for this event (stretching, weight lifting, and falling asleep to bird calls), and include your birdathon plan. How about a silly video taken from your smartphone that explains just how passionate you are about Wisconsin's birds?

Give specific examples of how Madison Audubon can use donations:

• $10 can buy lesson materials so students can learn more about local birds
  
• $25 will fund a bus ride for one student out to our sanctuaries.
  
• $50 could buy materials for an American kestrel nest box

If asking family, friends, and colleagues for donations is a bit intimidating, consider these options:

• Offer a trade: take their dog for a walk, wash their car, or invite them over for dinner in exchange for a gift to your Birdathon efforts
  
• Have a bake sale! Bake for the birds - include lots of seeds to be more authentic
  
• Throw a party with a small "admission fee" - to spice it up, make it a bird-themed party!

The possibilities for creative fundraising are endless - if you need ideas, feel free to contact our office at info@madisonaudubon.org

To find out more about the Great Wisconsin Birdathon or to register, visit wibirdathon.org - be sure to include Madison Audubon in your team name and read all of the organizational fundraisingdetails!