Greenpeace's bold fundraising strategies echo its aggressive, cutting-edge approach to protecting Mother Nature's greatest gifts.

By Abny Santicola

“People love or hate Greenpeace,” Sherrington says. “[There’s] no point inviting people in with a soft message, only for them to leave if they don’t like the full picture when they realize it.”

Taking risks
While monthly giving represents the bulk of the organization’s contributed funds, it also runs a traditional direct-mail program and has a large file of regular donors and one-time givers. Direct-mail packages include petition actions and asks, and they present current conflicts unabashedly on the outer envelopes, with headlines such as “Japanese Whalers Are At It Again! Take Action NOW to Stop the Slaughter.”