National Committee for the New River Capital Campaign

Connecting donors emotionally to an urgent need

Rapid Need
The New River is the oldest river in North America and the second oldest in the world. Designated as an American Heritage River by President Bill Clinton in 1998, the New meanders north through North Carolina and Virginia before meeting the Gauley to form the Kanawha River in West Virginia.

The National Committee for the New River (NCNR) was organized in 1974 to stop the construction of two dams on the New River that would have displaced thousands of individuals and scores of communities. It was successful, and it has since stopped ill-conceived projects and protected over 5,500 acres of land important to the health of the river.

NCNR initiated a 5-year, $18 million plan to increase membership and create an endowment that would secure its future. As with every campaign, it was critical to connect prospective donors emotionally to the river and to make clear the urgent need to protect this critical water shed as second homes and development encroached.

The ‘Rapid Run’ campaign identity would evolve to become NCNR’s organizational identity which has been used successfully for many years.