Save The Bay, Inc.

For the past 50 years, Save The Bay has been at the forefront of the cleanup of Narragansett Bay, engaging a diverse community of people and organizations in protecting and improving this valuable ecological resource. As we end the 2020 Strategic Plan, we remain committed to our reinforced advocacy for the Bay, expansion of Bay education, increased communications efforts, investments in human and physical resources, and ensuring our long-term financial sustainability.
Yet, the events of 2020 – a pandemic changing how we work and engage the public; discussions around diversity and equity at the organization and in the communities we serve; and policy challenges at the state and national level – have shown our staff and Board that we must take a look at our future and assess how we proceed for our second half-century.
We are proud of the many achievements in our first 50 years, but concerned about the challenges that threaten this extraordinary progress. We know that our strength as the leading advocate for the Bay is derived from the broad community of people whom we represent and who support us through their engagement, activism, volunteerism, and financial support. As we look to the future, we must sharpen our focus on tangible actions that will address looming environmental challenges and - at the same time - strengthen our advocacy efforts by embracing diverse perspectives from historically disadvantaged communities and broadening our base of support.
As we begin our new strategic planning process we are focused on three strategic imperatives to guide our work for the next 5-10 years:
a) Delineating clear and measurable advocacy goals related to the challenges of rapid climate change, legacy and emerging pollutants, and loss of unfragmented forest cover in the Bay watershed;
b) Enriching our environmental education program offerings; and
c) Enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets of how we conduct ourselves.

Advocate for waters that are swimmable, fishable, healthy and accessible. Committed to:
* Water quality; Habitat & wildlife; Government oversight & public policy.
* Expand and enrich Bay education and outreach.
* Develop and implement strategic communications campaigns in support of Save The Bay's programmatic and organizational goals.
* Ensure the human resources and physical infrastructure to fulfill mission.
* Continue to build upon a multi-sourced financial model for present and future sustainability.
* Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by leveraging the ongoing DEI training and work of staff, engaging the broadest community of stakeholders, and expanding the communities in which we actively engage volunteers and members to help create a vision for the future that will drive our work and fulfill our vision for a swimmable, fishable, healthy and accessible Bay for future generations.

Save The Bay's dedicated staff of 30 operates in two primary areas: policy/advocacy and education/outreach. We provide 24-hour advocacy for Narragansett Bay at the local, state and federal levels. We are first responders to environmental emergencies and long-term advocates for environmentally-conscious Bay-safe laws and regulations. The Explore The Bay education program serves students from pre-k to grade 12, professional development programs for teachers, and public education programs, building build strong, ongoing bonds with teachers, school districts and organizations in the watershed.

We are guided by a Board of Directors who lend vision to our mission. We have an Executive Committee, six standing committees, two sub-committees, and two Ad Hoc committees. Committee members provide guidance, governance, and expertise on a monthly basis. Save The Bay relies on the support of over 4,000 volunteers each year in order to support our mission, vision, goals, and programs.

Since 1970, Save The Bay:
*Championed the adoption of laws to prevent oil spills, protect wetlands, eliminate cesspools, restore coastal habitats, and improve dredging policy;
*Defended the Bay from ill-conceived environmentally damaging projects.
*Advocated major public investments in the construction and upgrade of wastewater treatment facilities;
*Mobilized thousands of volunteers to clean up the shoreline, advocate for legislation, and respond to catastrophic oil spills and storms;
*Held state and federal environmental agencies accountable for laws that protect Narragansett Bay;
*Restored river systems and fish spawning runs;
*Campaigned for increased water quality monitoring;
*Monitored the impacts of sea level rise;
*Designed and implemented salt marsh adaptation strategies and projects;
*Educated over 100,000 students and inspired the next generation of Bay stewards.