funding - supporters, sponsors, and partners
Why I look for sponsors?
This journey exists because I believe in it. I have seen the capabilities and successes of local and grassroot efforts around the world. I have also seen the need to showcase the important work these individuals and groups are doing on a global scale. This goes beyond what you watch on CNN, read about in National Geographic, or “Like” or “Heart” on social media.
Funding is not an accessory to what I’m doing—it’s the infrastructure that makes it possible. This post is about why I actively seek supporters, sponsors, and partners, what I bring to those relationships, and where I hope this work leads.
My background in social impact - successes, status quo, failures
Sponsors, backers, supporters, donors, and partners - Whatever you want to call it, however you want to categorize it, whatever your feelings about it. It is what makes change happen. I started my career in corporate financial advisory - a nomenclature of the “consulting” umbrella. I’ve worked on engagements involving the World Bank, Fortune 100’s, and private high net worth individuals. There was always a social impact group, triple bottom line, charity, or sustainability piece to the equation. These parts of the financial and operational were the aspects of business that connected my personal interest in building a better society, a way to connect organization with the community customers served, and progressing/innovating our place on this earth.
I transitioned my professional skillset toward this focus as I begin working with organizations such as WWF and Snipes Farm & Education Center. I even applied to jobs at global and national environmental non-profits. I succeeded in doing the work. Applying the same financial and operational knowledge adjusted to meet the needs of these organizations. I became better at understanding the “Think Global, Act Local” mantra. But I failed at the organizational structure in larger structures. I wanted the impact and action, not the office politics or the professional titles. I also didn’t fit the mold and look often associated with these organizations. So I went at it my way as an entrepreneur focused on results and not image.
Why do I chose to work with sponsors?
Working this way makes it possible for me to stay focused on the work. But this also means I need to reorganize and readjust my financial stability. I don’t have the cushion of a 401K or established retirement plan. I couldn’t expect community non-profits to pay for expensive hourly rates. I reorganized my metrics to focus on the process and not the goal. Helping others develop better systems for their success.
More importantly, I needed to build relationships with the right sponsors to turn a solo effort into a shared mission. When someone backs this journey, they are not just funding miles sailed—they are enabling access, learning, documentation, and connection across some of the most remote parts of the planet. Dollars from sponsors support direct action, my commitment and time, and what I found to be the most environmentally friendly way to continue reaching these remote parts of the world. It also helps me keep learning new skills, bringing in personal joy, and approaching challenges in different ways.
I don’t see sponsorship as compromise. I see it as collaboration.
Sponsors allow me to:
Extend the reach of this journey beyond personal storytelling
Share real observations from the ocean, not filtered narratives
Build continuity—so learning compounds instead of resetting each leg
In return, sponsors gain something rare: sustained, first-hand exposure to the open ocean through someone embedded in it, not visiting it briefly.
Responsibilities as a funded professional - reporting, updating, connecting, ambassador
Being funded comes with obligations. I take those seriously. Each dollar given is treated with respect. It’s hard-earned money from individuals. It’s mission critical for organizations. It’s trust in me to deliver at my best.
Part of that respect requires these tasks:
Reporting: Clear accounting of where resources go and what they enable.
Updating: Regular, honest communication—not just highlights, but realities.
Connecting: Introducing people, ideas, and opportunities across disciplines and geographies.
Ambassadorship: Representing supporters with integrity, professionalism, and care, whether at sea or ashore.
Support is not passive. It creates a duty to show up prepared, transparent, and accountable.
Breakdown of cost
The sailing half of this endeavor is the new part. It’s my way to reach remote places. I’m in the learning stage of sponsorship with myself and delivery of action as the product. I’ve stepped aside from advising clients for hourly rates or their grant writing. I am now asking you, the supporter, to directly contribute to the effort of social impact as an extension of a shared vision and mission.
To give an idea of a cost breakdown in using Clipper Race as a platform to learn, impact, and influence (using a metric all consultants know - rate/hr):
Fee per Leg: ~$10,000 USD
Number of average days per leg: 20 day or equivalent 480 Hours (i.e. 24*20)
Equivalent support dollar per hour: $10,000/480 = $20.83/hr
This $20.83/hr supports the following:
Fees - paying professional skipper & first mate, maintenance team, maintenance equipment, port management, food, and rest,
Insurance,
Training & personal safety equipment.
In return, sponsors gain something rare: sustained, first-hand exposure to the open ocean through someone embedded in it, not visiting it briefly.
and where I want to take this
This $20.83/hr supports the following:
To provide a clean and safe environment for all.
To encourage outdoor engagement, especially the next generation.
I want to finish this race. When I finish the race, I will continue developing my impact work. I will continue doing it through reaching remote destinations to affect the impact. I also will continue developing my seamanship skills. This includes certifications, technical skills, maintenance skills, and leadership skills.
This journey is not an endpoint. It is a platform.
Long-term, I want to help push attention and inquiry toward:
Open-ocean research that doesn’t stop at accessible waters
The remotest of remote regions, where data is sparse but stakes are high
Cross-sector collaboration between sailors, scientists, educators, and funders
Attract others to join in making impact
The ocean connects everything. Understanding it better—especially where it is least understood—is work that deserves patience, partnership, and sustained commitment.
If you are supporting this journey, you are already part of that effort.