March for Science Bellingham, WA

The March for Science is going to be the largest public demonstration in support of science, EVER. And we need your help!

The Bellingham March for Science is one of 300 satelite marches taking place on Earth Day, April 22, 2017. The march is an expression of support for scientific research and evidence-based policies. We're uniting as a diverse, non-partisan group to call for science that upholds the common good, and for political leaders and policymakers to enact evidence-based policies in the public interest.

What do we need the money for?
This is a one-day first amendment march to advocate for open, inclusive and accessible science. We have no financial backers so are relying on public support to pay for the expenses of holding the march.

Expenses include: traffic control (flaggers and road closures), portable bathrooms, equipment rental (stage, library lawn, tables, chairs, etc.), liability insurance, printing and materials distribution, and a few other odds and ends like truck rentals, sound systems, etc.

The Pickford Film Center has graciously agreed to be our fiscal sponsor. That means your donation is going to a non-profit organization. They will collect donations in our name and then pay our bills at the end of the event. That way we have transparency and can affirm your donation is going to the cause intended and not to anyone's bank account.

When do we need the money?
The sooner we reach our goal, the sooner we can pay the costs associated with the march. At the moment, the organizers are paying for up-front costs out of our own savings. Any cost we can put off until after the event and the fundraising campaign we are doing so. Worst case scenario, we need the $4,000 by April 22, so we can pay all our last-minute expenses the day of the event.

Why is this important?
Public science - including research funding and agency employees - is in a uniquely vulnerable position. New policies threaten to hurt scientists' abilities to do research and communicate their findings to the public that supports that research in the first place. We simply can't let science be censored.

And for us here in Bellingham, we will see the impacts of regulatory changes in our own community. Environmental efforts affecting the Puget Sound are dependent on federal funding that is at risk of being cut. Research funding that impacts the work our regional scientists do is on the chopping block. It's time to show our support for scientific integrity.