Vista, Calif
Non-profit organization leverages the Internet to generate revenue and provide a channel to market for African artists and craftsmen.
The African Conservancy, San Diego’s only membership organization dedicated to the preservation of African wildlife and traditional cultures, today announced it has opened an online marketplace and art gallery to support socioeconomic development, wildlife protection and education programs in Africa.
“As a non-profit organization, it’s essential for us to identify cost-effective ways to generate additional revenue,” said Corinne Waldenmayer, president and executive director of the African Conservancy. “The marketplace and gallery enable us to expand our global reach while educating the general public about art, customs and traditional culture in Africa.”
The marketplace (http://www.africanconservancy.org/member/marketplace.html) offers travel clothing, books, CDs and videos and branded African Conservancy merchandise. The organization earns commission from goods sold through affiliate programs, and all profits are channeled back into projects taking place on the ground in Africa.
The online art gallery (http://www.africanconservancy.org/member/gallery.html) provides a source of revenue for individual and cooperative artists and craftsmen working in Africa. Items displayed in the gallery include African sculpture, paintings, drawings, decorative art and prints. In addition, the gallery serves as an educational forum for those interested in learning about African art and culture. Quarterly exhibits focus on diverse topics, such as the recent “Power Figures from Central Africa.”
“Providing artists with a channel to market and a more stable source of income allows the African Conservancy to further its mission of increasing awareness and preserving traditional art and culture for future generations to experience,” said Waldenmayer.
About the African Conservancy:
The African Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve African wildlife and traditional cultures through environmental and cultural conservation programs in both Africa and the United States. The African Conservancy provides educational opportunities, travel programs and art acquisition services to its members. The organization is headquartered in Vista, Calif., with a base of operations in Lusaka, Zambia. Its administrative offices are 100 percent volunteer-run, and its paid project staff is composed primarily of African locals. For more information about the African Conservancy, please visit its Web site at www.africanconservancy.org.
Editors note: photos and graphics available upon request.
