Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference.
Help Support Our Work
This link lets you donate online without entering your financial details, You can use both credit and debit cards.
Help Support Our Work by Mail
To donate by check, mail check (made out to RWPA
) to:
RWPA
PO Box 1243
Raymond, ME 04071
In Kind Support
For donations in kind (non-cash items) please email us at
info@raymondwaterways.org
Why the Raymond Waterways Protective Association?
A question we get is: Why would I donate to Raymond Waterways Protection Association when I contribute to my own lake association in Raymond?
The short answer is please consider donating to both, because:
- Raymond’s waterways—lakes, ponds, and brooks–are physically connected:
If invasives show up in Panther Pond it does no good to eradicate them if more will be coming down the Tenny from Crescent, and eventually into Sebago; or to fight phosphorous in the Raymond part of Sebago if more is coming from Thomas Pond. - Not every lake or pond has an association, so Raymond Waterways is important because it protects all waterways in Raymond.
- There is an economy of scale with the RWPA: The Courtesy Boat Inspection Program is an example of inter-lake cooperation run by Raymond Waterways that benefits all lakes. The RWPA, has some funding from individual lake associations, the Town, and the State DEP, who recognize the centrality of Raymond Waterways to run programs like the Courtesy Boat Inspector Program. RW hires, trains, monitors, and pays the Inspectors who serve on the different boat launches in town to look for invasive species coming into our waterways. One of our goals is to enlarge our cooperation with lake associations to decrease redundancies.
- Raymond Waterways needs your donations to continue and to enlarge our programs. Beyond the funding listed above, we need to raise tens of thousands of dollars to cover even a modest CBI program, which still leaves hours and days on lake boating launches not covered by our grants and donations. New challenges, including erosion, development, new and old invaders, and rising water temperatures, will require new programs.
- Your property values depend on clean lakes. In Raymond, the property values, not only of shoreline owners, but town land owners are based on the value of clean lakes. Without clean lakes, both shoreline and town property owners will see the value of their property decrease. Either services will decline or taxes will go up for everyone to cover the shortfall.