Annual Report 2009-2010

Annual Report 2009-2010

COUNTDOWN TO TWENTY

As the Founder and President of the African Rainforest
Conservancy (ARC), I am extremely proud of what the
organization has achieved in its nearly two decades, and
excited about our developing vision for the future – including
expanding our activities and geographical reach during the
next decade and beyond.
This first annual report is a milestone for ARC – evidence of
our commitment to growth and to better communicate to our
stakeholders the importance of the Eastern Arc and coastal
forests of Tanzania. Working alongside our field partner the
Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG), we are currently
supporting 146 villages that are working tirelessly to conserve
more than 250,000 acres of sacred forest.
forests, and has been for the past nearly twenty years. We
see opportunity where others confront despair; we see a
future of thriving forests, abundant species, and empowered
communities.
ARC arrives at this moment of opportunity, ready to rise to
the challenge. And we are counting on you to be with us every
step of the way.
Salaama,
Carter Coleman, President

Conservation International has named the Eastern Arc as

a “Biodiversity Hotspot,” due to the exceptionally high
concentrations of species found in them and nowhere else on
this planet – this includes 114 endemic vertebrate species and
1,500 unique tree and plant species. Despite their importance,
these forests are under intense pressure from clearance for
agricultural land, illegal logging, and fire. More than 70 percent
of the Eastern Arc have been cleared. Deforestation rates in
the coastal forests are even higher and some coastal forests
have been cleared completely.

With a focus on grassroots projects that promote forest

conservation and community development – tree planting,
fuel-efficient cook stoves, Participatory Forest Management
(PFM), environmental education, and alternative income
generation – ARC is at the forefront of conserving these sacred

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Annual Report 2009-2010
IN THE FIELD

CONSERVATION BY THE NUMBERS

10 Million trees planted (1.3 million trees in 2009 & 2010 alone)
275,000 people served
250,000 acres of Eastern Arc rainforest conserved
4,000 households have switched to fuel-efficient cook stoves
200 schools participated in environmental education programs
146 villages supported
11 new Village Forest Reserves covering 25,000 acres of forest
were established in 2009 & 2010

MAKING REDD WORK

ARC’s field partner TFCG, in partnership with the local
conservation group MJUMITA, has been selected to
implement a five-year pilot project to demonstrate how
communities can contribute to and benefit from efforts to
address climate change. Specifically the project is piloting a
community-oriented approach to Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and Forest Degradation, also known as REDD.
The project, launched in September 2009, aims to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from and forest degradation in
Tanzania by developing a Community Carbon Enterprise.
Preventing deforestation could reduce global CO2 emissions
by nearly 16 percent. The Enterprise will aggregate voluntary
emission reductions from its members and market them
according to internationally recognized standards. Revenue
generated from the carbon market will be paid to the
communities, thus creating financial incentives for local
people to leave forests standing.

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Annual Report 2009-2010
IN THE FIELD

FOCUS ON: INCOME GENERATION

ARC supports income generation activities that help move
communities away from livelihoods that undermine the
surrounding forest, such as charcoal production, logging, and
evolving agriculture. One activity that has proven successful
for hundreds of local farmers is honey production. An example
can be seen in the village of Kwamtili in the East Usambaras
Mountains where 130 beehives allow a community group to
produce honey, selling at 3,000 TZS (approximately $2 USD)
per liter in the local market. In order to increase the value of
their honey production, TFCG has recently completed the
construction of a honey processing center. Through modern
processing techniques and packaging, farmers will be able to
get a better price for their honey.

FOCUS ON: NEW VILLAGE FOREST RESERVES

Supporting people to manage the forests that they live next to
lies at the heart of what TFCG does. In Tanzania, national policy
and law allows communities to establish their own “Village
Forest Reserves.” Over the last two years, TFCG has assisted
11 communities with the steps that are required in order to
meet all the legal requirements for establishing Village Forest
Reserves. As a result, 25,000 more acres of forest are now
legally protected and are being sustainably managed by the
communities that own them, bringing it up to a total of 47
Village Forest Reserves that TFCG has helped established.

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Annual Report 2009-2010
ARTISTS FOR AFRICA

On May 3rd 2010 over 150 guests came together in New York
City at Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Center, to celebrate ARC’s
19th annual Artists for Africa benefit. The evening honored
NASA’s top climate scientist, Dr. James Hansen, and raised
funds through live and silent auctions of African artwork
donated by two dozen contributing artists. Proceeds from the
evening benefited ARC’s grassroots conservation projects in
the Eastern Arc rainforests – a landscape that plays a key role
in mitigating global climate change.

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
EWZZWO[/P`O\]eWQh’<WQY0`O\Rb’:WaO1O\RSZO’1g`WZ1V`Wab]
O\R;O`WSEWZYW\a]\’1V`Wa2SW’2O\3ZR]\’>OWUS2S^]\bS’
8O[Sa4S``O`W’6cUS`4]]bS’5S`OZR4]`abS`5`SU]`g5]]RS
’AcaO\\O<]SZ8]ZZg’/ZWa]\8]\Sa’1V`Wa8]`RO\’0SdS`Zg
8]cPS`b’1O`Z];O`W’/`bVc`;SgS`a]\8]\\WS;WZSa’0SbV
=¸2]\\SZZ’;W`SZZO@WQQWO`RW’/ZSXO\R`]BOeWZ’A^S\QS`Bc\WQY
’>SbS`Bc\\Sg’BW[EWZZWa
Joe Zammit Lucia

SPONSORS
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DOZZSg7\\A^O’@][S`];WZZS`3O`bV!’A]\WOO\R>OcZ
B8]\Sa’ASZ]caAOTO`W1][^O\g

SUPPORTING SPONSORS
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:SeWa2SaWU\’3_cOZ3fQVO\US’3`\]:OahZ]’:caV’<]`Wa]Z
4S``O`W ’ >c`S 2O`Y ’ 1O`]Zg\ @]c[SUcS`S ’ AW`S\S ’ A]ZS
<Obc`OZ;W\S`OZEObS`’AbO`PcQYa’AcabOW\OPZS<G1’ES[PS
White & Warren

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Annual Report 2009-2010
PARTNERSHIPS

Forum for member nonprofits working in Africa. Aid for Africa raises funds Features the ARC logo on selected bottles of Earth 3.0 Spanish red wines,
on behalf of ARC through the Combined Federal Campaign. ARC’s CFC # sponsors the red wine at the annual Artists for Africa benefit, and donates
is 46974. a portion of profits to support conservation of the Eastern Arc.
www. aidforafrica.org www.earth-wines.com

Donates 10% of proceeds from its eco-friendly Tree of Life bangle to ARC.
www.alexandani.com Partners with ARC to conserve the Ruvu South Forest Reserve.
www.tusk.org

Connects donors with community-based projects that need support.

www.globalgiving.org

Connects donors with global philanthropic opportunities and shows them ARC partners with the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group in Tanzania
the impact of their donations. and the African Rainforest Trust in the United KIngdom to carry out its
www.jolkona.org mission of conserving the Eastern ARC rainforest.

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Annual Report 2009-2010
LEADERSHIP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS STAFF

Carter Coleman, President Kate McLetchie, Executive Director
David Yamner, Treasurer
Beth O’Donnell, Secretary In November 2009, ARC welcomed Kate McLetchie as its
Michele Clarke new executive director. With nearly ten years experience
Jay Cone in environmental conservation, international development,
George Grayson fundraising, and nonprofit operations, Kate joined the ARC
Lindy Reilly team from Morocco, where she had served for two years as
Sheila Rooney Country Director of the High Atlas Foundation and previously
Peter Wirth as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Kate spearheads ARC’s fundraising
and communications initiatives and runs the day-to-day
ADVISORY BOARD operations of the organization. She holds a MS in marine and
Edward Burns atmospheric science from Stony Brook University (2005), and
Ann Dexter-Jones a BA in biology from Wheaton College, MA (2001).
Matt Dillon
Lisa Fox
James Gandolfini
Lauren Hutton
Carolyn Meier
Dr. Michael Oppenheimer
Carolyn Roumeguere
Christy Turlington
Rachel Weisz
Dr. Joe Zammit-Lucia

JUNIOR BOARD
Jane Johnson
Aimee MacCormac
Flint Reilly
Keenan Reilly
Sam Wathen

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Annual Report 2009-2010
FINANCIALS AS OF 12/31/2009

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION STATMENT OF ACTIVITIES

ASSETS SUPPORT AND REVENUE

Cash and Cash Equivalents $92,221 Annual Benefit $166,829

Contributions Receivable $952 Individual Contributions $70,499
Prepaid Expenses $1,293 Grants $70,000
Loans and Exchanges $5,300 Corporate Contributions $5,201
Other Income $94
TOTAL ASSETS $99,766
TOTAL SUPPORT AND REVENUE $312,623

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

EXPENSES
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses $3,500
Program Services $169,824
Unrestricted Net Assets $96,266 Management and General $68,522
Fundraising $26,002
TOTAL LIABLITIES AND NET ASSETS $99,766
TOTAL EXPENSES $264,348

Change in Net Assets $48,275

Net Assets Beginning of Year $47,991

NET ASSETS END OF YEAR $96,266

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 AFRICAN RAINFOREST CONSERVANCY
560 BROADWAY, SUITE 202
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10012
(212) 431-5508
WWW.AFRICANRAINFOREST.ORG

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