Support Discover Cayuga Lake
Support & Donations
Support for Discover Cayuga Lake
Donations, Volunteering,
& Fundraising
January 5, 2026
Dear Friends,
We are SO HAPPY to share that we met and exceeded our 2025 fundraising goal, raising a total of $140,304! THANK YOI!!
Since 2018, the Teal has been the heart and soul of DCL – bringing in 60% of our annual revenue through tourism and providing a wonderful platform for Floating Classroom educational cruises, youth crew training, community access cruises, and much more. This year, we will be retiring the Teal, launching a new flagship, and possibly even a second, electric boat!
Along with replenishing our “fleet”, we anticipate an important new partnership with Paddle-n-More. Together, we will be offering new and exciting paddling and summer camp opportunities to complement our school and tour-boat based programs.
We are stretching our wings this year to make sure we will be a part of the Cayuga Lake, and Finger Lakes, community for many years to come. There is much to accomplish, we have a lot to look forward to, and we are still in fundraising high-gear!
We’ve set our 2026 fundraising campaign goal at $130,000. Now, more than ever, we need your support!
~Our 2026 Fundraising Campaigns~
“A New Boat for Everyone!” references a term given to the Teal by one of our interns, reflecting our philosophy that our boat should provide an opportunity for everyone in our community to be on the lake. No barriers. This fund is designated to ensure that DCL will always be able to provide such a boat. We’ve set up campaign to allow you to contribute directly to help us meet our $70,000 goal for boat financing in 2026.
“Love Your Lake” supports our popular cruises which offer free, or low cost, lake access to our local communities – Community Sunset Cruises, Family Eco-Cruises, Volunteer Monitoring cruises, Community Paddles, and so much more. Contributions to this fund go into our Cayuga Lake Community Access & Education Fund. The campaign goal for 2026 is $60,000.
OUR TOTAL FUNDRAISING GOAL FOR 2026 = $130,000
I hope you can support our work this year. We cannot survive without successfully replacing the Teal. And of course, cultivating the relationships between our region’s two most important resources – people and water – remains as important as ever. Please help spread the word!
Bill Foster,
Executive Director, DCL
Discover Cayuga Lake
look WHAT WE’VE acCOMPLISHED!
Great ways to support DCL!
Help us provide year-round programming and “A Boat for Everyone”!
Tax Deductibility
Discover Cayuga Lake is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Businesses and individuals ready to support DCL’s mission at a higher level, can sponsor interns, community cruise series, elements of our boats, and more. Please email us for opportunities in 2026.
Donate by Credit Card
Donations at any level can be made to our Campaigns, as per above.
Donate By Check
Make checks payable to “Discover Cayuga Lake, Inc.”
Mail to:
Discover Cayuga Lake, Inc.
110 N. Tioga St, Suite 303
Ithaca, NY 14850
MAKE A MONTHLY RECURRING CONTRIBUTION
When you make a donation HERE you’ll be given the option to make a monthly donation.
Other ways to donate
Purchase a Gift Card or a Season Pass!
DISCOVER THE CAYUGA LAKE REGION
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OTHER WATERSHED RELATED CAUSES TO SUPPORT
Bill Foster, DCL Director’s Personal Recommendation:
Sustainable Tompkins Finger Lakes Climate Fund
– You can join DCL’s Carbon Race Team when you make your carbon offset. www.fingerlakesclimatefund.org
Tom Vawter, Board member & Wells College Prof. Emeritus:
Community Science Institute (CSI)
Laura Falk, Experience! The Finger Lakes & Board Member:
Finger Lakes Land Trust
Lynn Leopold, Founding Board Member:
Cayuga Lake Watershed Network
Steve Kress, DCL Board Member & Puffin Project President:
Friends of Stewart Park
Astrid Jirka, Director of Tourism Initiatives:
The History Center of Tompkins County
Felicia Ansty, Crew Member:
Tompkins County Dog Park (TC Dog)!
www.lightlink.com/tcdog
Jacoba Taylor, Crew Member:
Gayogoho’no Rematriation!
www.Gayogohono.org
Vito Brancato, Crew Member:
The Racker Center
www.racker.org
Shelley Blackler, DCL Volunteer
The Kitchen Theater
www.kitchentheatre.org
We’d Love to hear from you!
Connect
with Us
For Cruises & Charters:
booking@discovercayugalake.org
For Educational Programs:
education@discovercayugalake.org
HOME DOCK:
1000 Allan H. Treman Marina Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
OUR OFFICE:
110 N. Tioga St., Suite 303
Center for History & Culture
Ithaca, NY 14850