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This letter to the editor was submitted to The Paper by Barbara West of El Dorado, NM.
WildEarth Guardians is an institution in the American West. Their website indicates their priorities include a multitude of concerns surrounding the environment and wildlife. However, to earn the moniker “institution” one requires long-standing advocacy efforts and some semblance of notoriety.
At what point is that advocacy driven by trial lawyers and not necessarily by a sense of environmental stewardship? My attention was brought to an Albuquerque Journal article which drove me to read their internal audits, and when broken down clearly shows that WildEarth Guardians spends more on legal fees than on any purported meaningful advocacy surrounding the environment and wildlife.
If WildEarth Guardians is a law firm fighting for those without a voice… fine. Just be upfront about it. In 2021 philanthropists and donors of all degrees have a myriad of options in a crowded cause. They deserve to have their financial decisions made with the most accurate information.
WildEarth Guardians, as is the case for all other non-profits, is not responsible for educating you and me on their financials. That’s our job. However, they are responsible for making that information easily and readily available. Do your research and learn who you’re donating to, what their causes really are, and what it means to your community. Donate. Participate. Just make it educated participation.