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This pin and all program supplies are available from our partner site MakingFriends®.com.
Suggested Prerequisite
Completing the Clean Water Advocate Patch Program® is a suggested prerequisite for earning your Clean Water Delegate Pin. Your advocate experience will help provide you with the knowledge needed to become a delegate for clean water. You can also opt to complete the Clean Water Advocate requirements during the time you earn this Delegate pin.
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Requirement 1: Choose It!
Points to Consider When Choosing a Clean Water Service Project:
- The Clean Water Act; Helpful link: Summary of the Clean Water Act
- Ground Water; Helpful link:
Ground Water and Drinking Water - Watersheds: Helpful link: Healthy Watersheds Protection
- Lead in Drinking Water; Helpful Link: Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water
- Waste Water; Helpful link: Municipal Water
- Soil erosion and water quality; Helpful link:
Soil Erosion and Water
- Local Dams; Helpful link: Removing Dams FAQ
- Warmer Climate; Helpful link: Climate Impacts on Water Resources
- Global Water Quality; Helpful Link: 11 Facts About Water in the Developing World
- Oil Spills; Helpful Link: Oil Spills Prevention and Preparedness Regulations
Some Ideas:
- Get an unnecessary dam removed in your area.
- Organize a project to prevent soil erosion. Helpful link: Using Basic Erosion Prevention Techniques
- Organize a community effort to bring clean water to an impoverished area.
Helpful link: LifesStraw - Organize an outreach program to provide bottled water after a natural disaster.
- Get more frequent testing of wells and tap water.
- Create a Water Reduction Challenge in Your Area
Project considerations:
- What are your skills and talents?
- Do you need a mentor or adviser? Who will it be?
- Will there be legal or permit issues to resolve?
- How many others can you recruit to help?
- Will your volunteers need special skills or training?
- How many hours can you devote to the project?
- Will there be a project deadline?
- How much money will you be able to raise for the project?
- Can you get a sponsor to help with the costs?
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Requirement 2: Plan it!
Goal Setting
Setting goals will help give you a long-term vision and short-term motivation. It helps you to organize your thoughts and determine exactly what needs to be done.
- Decide exactly what you want to accomplish and give your project a name.
- Break it down into smaller steps.
- Set up a timeline.
Recruit Volunteers
Although smaller projects can be done alone, many projects will require a team. As the project delegate, one of your most important roles will be building a successful team. Helpful Link: 7 Super Steps to Recruit Volunteers.
- Find a mentor with experience in your project area.
- Enlist an Advocate to help you recruit volunteers. Consider using a volunteer release form especially if you are working with children. Helpful Link: Volunteer Release Form
- Decide which jobs you can do alone.
- Will you have teams?
- How many people will you need for each team?
Budgeting
Budgeting allows you to create a spending plan for your project. Sticking to your budget ensures that you will have enough money for the things you need to complete it. If you copied the table above you will see there is a section for budgeting.
Raise Money
There are many ways to raise money. If you are working with an organization such as Girl Scouts* check first to see what is allowed. Helpful Link: A Beginner’s Guide to Fundraising
- Consider GoFundMe, CrowdRise, DonorsChoose, or Kickstarter.
- Organize an event like a car wash, bake sale, or benefit dinner to raise awareness around your fundraiser.
- Host an event such as a walkathon, run, or bike rides.
- Ask local businesses and community members to donate items for a silent auction or a live auction.
- Sales of customized products like tee shirts, pens, and buttons will not only raise funds but generate awareness about your project.
- Invite the local media to your fundraiser or at least supply them with a photo and caption after the event.
Specific ideas for Clean Water Fundraising
Get clever with your ideas. Think of things related to your cause. It will help bring awareness and set up a “fun” atmosphere, while raising the money you need to complete your cause.
- Resell reusable water bottles with your message on them.
- Have a swim-a-thon.
- Host a sandcastle building contest.
- Get a local business to sponsor a “free” swim lesson, snorkel or dive class. Participants would make a suggested donation to the project. Businesses would benefit from booking additional lessons
- Fill baskets with donated beach gear and have a Chinese auction.
- Install benches at your river, beach or lake side and ask people to sponsor the bench or the slats. Have plaques made for the sponsors.
- Ask people to make small permanent sand sculptures for a silent auction.
- Create a water reduction challenge at your school.
- Host a water shot challenge party. Mix unexpected things into pitchers of water like salt, sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, vanilla extract without labeling them. Ask challenge participants to challenge each other to take a shot for a specific donation amount such as $1. Guess the correct ingredient and challenger has to pay the donation. Get it wrong and challengee pays.
- Give clean water recognition gifts for sponsorships. Set donation levels such as $20 for a water pin, $40 for a tee shirt, $60 for a beach towel.
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Requirement 3: Do It!
You should now be ready to put your plan into action. Join in during your project to supervise and provide assistance at all levels.
After completing the plan, remember to thank the community.
Ways to say Thank You:
- Personally thank individuals and businesses who helped. A handwritten letter is always nice. Helpful link: How to write a thank you letter.
- Thank the community as a whole with posters.
- Create a follow up press release and include the names of individuals and businesses who participated. Helpful link: How to write a press release
- Give certificates of appreciation.
- Thank the community as a whole on social media.
Congratulations on completing your clean earth action project! The Clean Water Delegate pin makes a great reward for completing your project. It also makes a great gift to program sponsors and mentors.
See all our current Delegate level pin programs:
Related Fun Patch Ideas:
Note: Many of the links provided to assist with completing our Patch Program®s are external and do not imply an endorsement or recommendation. At the time of publication, external content was vetted to the best of our ability. Your views and ideas may vary and we do not intend for you to substitute our opinions for yours. Research the topic thoroughly before beginning a project. As always, make sure children access the internet only under safe-surfing conditions.
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