Gratitudes: Nantucket Whaler and WDC
I don’t usually write blogs. It’s not that overseeing fundraising and marketing for our North American office isn’t exciting – it’s very exciting – it’s just that it doesn’t pertain directly to whales and dolphins, so I don’t usually share what’s going on. As we preparing to sign on at least three new corporate supporters, I realized just how fabulous this last year had been for us with our corporate partners, and that I should be sharing it with you!
Case in point is our partnership with Nantucket Whaler, an apparel company focused on authentically styled and functional clothing, founded in 2013 on Nantucket and purchased by US Polo Association Global Licensing in 2017. I remember the initial phone call well, and how we connected on so many different things: their commitment to the quality and authenticity of not only their brand, but to our brand and the information we’d be providing them; the commitment and company’s track record of philanthropy; and the enthusiasm of Jim, VP of Global Business Development, about working with us.
Their donations over the last two years have been put to good use. They have 1) helped support our Science and Outreach Internship, and close to a dozen young women and men interested in marine conservation, 2) funded part of the Naturalist Workshop for whale watch naturalists from at least 20 different whale watching companies, which is held every spring in Provincetown in conjunction with the Center for Coastal Studies; and 3) allowed our staff to present at and attend workshops and conferences, such as the upcoming North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium in Portland, Maine later this month.
I also had the opportunity to travel to their headquarters in Florida to meet their team and present to the staff an overview about WDC and the work they are supporting. While there, I also was participated in a website development meeting, sharing feedback about the site and the incorporation of WDC’s information. I felt as if WDC was an integral part of Nantucket Whaler, and left feeling very grateful for such a partnership.
As this is November – a month for extra gratitude reflections – I’ll continue to give you the inside scoop on these generous and committed corporate partners. Partners like Nantucket Whaler who, along with our individual donors and foundation grants, make it possible for us to do all of the cool things we do to protect whales, dolphins and our shared ocean!
