Project AWARE is an awesome movement of divers protecting the ocean one dive at a time and I'm proud to be part of this movement. This growing community of passionate divers and ocean advocates is taking action locally through Dive Against Debris, Project AWARE flagship citizen science program, to help find solutions to the global marine debris problem. Through strategic partnerships the Project AWARE team is making a difference at the highest level of government by sharing divers' unique perspective on marine debris. I can't wait to do my next Dive Against Debris to contribute data and help Project AWARE achieve their mission. Keep up the great work team Project AWARE!
I am a PADI Professional dive instructor, rating IDC Staff Instructor, and have been a member of PADI for 13 years.
I always took it for granted that Project AWARE was a good and helpful organization...
Until I quit taking it for granted. After receiving several 'concerned' assessments from people I know in government positions, I undertook my own research. What I found was, for someone who had supported past fundraising efforts, humiliating.
*****Update as of Jan.27, 2015*****
I have received copies of PA's USA tax returns, and discovered that PA accounting lists all compensation for staff and paid board members as "program expenses" rather than as administrative costs. Form 990 shows actual direct giving for programs to be $9,500 for the last year available, 2012. The other $440,000 listed as program expenses was salaries, wages, and benefits for 2 paid board members and 6 paid staff. They did not say what the $9500 went to, because their giving fell just below the threshold for required itemizing of recipients. *******
Project AWARE does next to nothing except churn out materials that can be purchased by volunteers to get other volunteers to do work, and give PA credit for the event (such as debris clean-ups). They give a few grants, but they will not and do not keep any accurate expense reports, nor will they provide such information if requested (see BBB wise giving alliance report, which found the same lack of financial accounting as I did.) Dive instructors are provided with educational materials, and teach PA courses, but these are for-profit course offerings, and they are not expenditures, they raise funds. In fact, most of their events seem to earn more for the organization than the organization spends.
The organization mostly reports on ocean issues and reprints or paraphrases others' research and activity and then states support for these causes. They consider it an "action" to do this, because they are thereby "educating" people and making them "aware."
A quick look at their published, online 2014 "year in review infographic" seems to be very impressive. They obviously spend a lot of time and money on graphics used for touting their "accomplishments." But a closer look reveals the truth that they have really done nothing but put out information that is already available elsewhere, and get people to "like" them on facebook. If you think this is hyperbole, read their own "infographic" carefully and see the words they use:
They MOBILIZED people to write letters. How?
They MOBILIZED 4000 divers (volunteers) to pick up trash. They provided ??
They INFLUENCED the listing of sharks in the meetings of other groups. How?
They INFLUENCED EU litter policy. This one they said how: as one member of an international network of ngos. But what role did PA take?
They ACTIVATED 1900 divers to...take a pledge to protect the ocean.
They ACTIVATED 30,000 people to 'take action locally.' They did not elaborate.
They CERTIFIED 182 Instructors (who paid for the cert) to train debris removal volunteers.
They CERTIFIED 482 shark conservation instructors (who paid for the cert) who taught a total of 731 students (who pay for the course) how to be aware of the shark issues. That's 1.5 students per instructor. These certs all raised funds for PA, and solicit further donations in addition to course fees. Expenses, again, are not published or kept at all, apparently.
THAT'S IT!!! That is what they did last year, by their own accounting. How much did they spend on all of this? In the US, they spent around $450,000 on programs and collected in about $650,000. However, there is no accounting on how much of the expenses went towards salaries and expenses for travel, etc, for PA staff and administration. What we do know is that the CEO in the USA was paid nearly $100,000 last year. (see again BBB wise giving report.)
So Project AWARE basically mobilizes, activates, and influences others to do work, by creating web pages and literature which mostly claim credit for the work others do and by rewriting information already available elsewhere. In turn, dive centers get to promote themselves and their courses by displaying their affiliation with PA and often by receiving awards from PA for fund-raising efforts and for organizing trash pick-ups - These are activities which should be done by dive shops anyway, and would be done if PA did not exist.
But I left out the last accomplishment, which PA proudly touts In their "Infographic":
They INSPIRED 163,000 facebook fans and 24,000 twitter followers.
They INSPIRED 25 teams of volunteers to raise $52,000 for Project AWARE.
They INSPIRED 269 dive centers to...donate to Project AWARE, in exchange for "100% Aware" status and awards.
A quick look below at the very complimentary reviews of Project AWARE shows that 100% of these supporters are, in fact, PA affiliated dive shops and instructors who stand to profit from PA-related courses and who use their PA affiliation in their marketing. I do not believe that they are intentionally being biased and unaware of the reality. I believe they are decent people who just have no idea how PA is using them to legitimatize a very questionable organization. Anybody who seeks information on how PA is run and what oversight there is, especially in foreign countries, will find there is no such info on oversight and expenses.
This is all based on their own published information. What I have seen in fact in the field is horrifying. One example: On Koh Tao, in Thailand, Project AWARE is highly active in fund raising and course offerings, as well as several debris clean-ups every year. One shop, I will not name for fear of reprisal (this fear is very real on Koh Tao!), has walls full of PA awards for ocean awareness education. This same shop, and virtually all the shops on Koh Tao, meanwhile drain their waste water from laundry and showers directly into the ocean, and pile toxic construction/demolition debris in huge piles hidden on the hillside. There is no sanitation system for human waste that anybody could judge as sufficient, and much is drained into open cess pools and into the sea. The corals ringing Koh Tao have been damaged and are quite likely unsavable due to poisoning from pollution and monumental overuse by dive shops that routinely take literally 100s of divers a day - beginning divers, who are poorly trained in rushed 3-day courses - to small, fragile reefs. It is unbearable to see for anybody who is truly aware. Project AWARE seems to actually be contributing to this wholesale destruction of Koh Tao by helping to give an impression that the dive industry there is conserving, not destroying, the ocean environment.
Many will take offense at what I have written. Nothing I have said is not verifiable and mostly was taken straight from PA's own literature. As for Koh Tao, it must be seen to be believed. It is inconceivable until you have witnessed it firsthand.
BTW any attempt to report such abuses to PA or PADI is met with total and complete dismissal. Never mind that the "pledge" they 'inspire' people to take says, clearly, that any such polluting or damaging activities should be reported. That is, unless it is PA and PADI dive activities.
This organization is opaque, their accomplishments highly speculative and abstract, and their expense reporting is non-existent. I do not support them, and believe dive shops would be much better off severing affiliation and doing their own volunteer clean-up campaigns. dive shops who do actually care about the ocean and who maintain ethical and responsible practices should look at Koh Tao and other areas like it, and consider whether or not they want to be associated with that level of arrogance and duplicity on the part of PA and those local dive shops who are completely irresponsible.
As a volunteer and donor - I have personally had the opportunity to help on several projects co-ordinated by Project Aware such as Underwater Clean-ups (Earth Day in particular), and through the dive centre Sunshine Divers on Koh Tao - Thailand. We conduct Monthly Clean Up dives and Beach Clean-ups where we then submit the the quantity and type of Marine Debri on the Project Aware - My Oceans Page - all data is kept to see how much debri has been removed from our Oceans. We have also created awareness through the Project Aware Specialty program "Shark Conservation Awareness" and through this have raised money by our Swim for Sharks" on Koh Tao which is then donated to Project Aware in our efforts to protect the Sharks and create further awareness.
Project Aware has been a huge support to Koh Tao where they helped fund the island organization Save Koh Tao, so that more garbage bins were located on the island to prevent waste going into the ocean.
Through the 100% AWARE donation by divers on completion of their PADI Certification, it has enabled us to teach divers more about protecting the reef through their interactions underwater - expressing how important it is to have good buoyancy techniques to avoid damaging the corals and aquatic marine life and also on what type of debri should be removed from the ocean during clean ups.
Project Aware has provided the foundation for both divers and non-divers to learn more on how to conserve our environment. A huge thank you to Project Aware for their dedication and complete support to both individuals and dive centers - worldwide.
Project AWARE does a good job of raising awareness of the issue of ocean debris and the pressure on certain species, like sharks, involving divers and reaching out to the general public.
I have been carrying out underwater and beach cleanups and submitting my data to Project AWARE for the past 10 years, and have always received immediate feedback..
I have arranged several events with Project AWARE. Their support for all of the events I have arranged has been fantastic. They provide excellent resources to enable people to go ahead and arrange for fundraising, reef clean ups and educating people about conserving our oceans. I am also very impressed with their proactive approach to getting world policies and approaches to issues such as shark finning changed.
Great Work and support in Ocean Protection and Conservation. We will keep giving support for this great cause and project to keep our oceans healthy. Thank you project AWARE.
As PADI PRO and Project AWARE's volunteer/donor we join forces and work together throughout environmental awareness issues. Project AWARE is deeply commited to environment's protection and conservation as well as education.
My first experience with the Project AWARE Foundation happened in April 2001, when I took my first PADI scuba diving certification course in the Philippines. Learning to scuba dive opened up a whole new, beautiful world to me, one with which I immediately fell in love. My dive instructor told me about Project AWARE and I made a donation, not yet fully understanding the importance of what I had just done. Then I began to learn from Project AWARE about the ocean's plight and the impact we humans have on it. This was deeply influential, and it was arguably this experience which set me on a path to pursue a career in ocean conservation. Fast forward 13 years, and I now have a law degree focusing on international environmental and animal law and 7 years as an ocean conservationist under my belt. Knowing what I do now about the dire need for ocean conservation and having a deeper understanding of the different players involved in global efforts to protect it, I am more impressed by the important work done by Project AWARE than ever before. I still have my original PADI dive card with the Project AWARE logo in the lower right-hand corner--I keep it as a reminder that there is much work to be done for our ocean, and also that there are good people out there who are doing it. If you are looking to support an organization that will maximize the results achieved thanks to your dollar (and/or your time spent volunteering), I strongly recommend supporting Project AWARE.
Hi everyone
My name is Mahmoud Elaskary ,I PADI course Director I like share my experience with you I always love the sea like every one of you , but when you love someone you should give him more care ,it’s not only for you it for the next generations , about myself as diving educator I always teach the kids how to have positive interaction with the sea before and after dive and I got a lot of hands and tips for Project AWAER team I ask all of you to support to keep our ocean save as much as you can .
The ocean world simply cannot do without Project Aware. Through their education and awareness programmes they constantly remind us how important the oceans are not only for divers but for the entire human kind and they push us to make responsible decision every day. Through lobbying and clean-up sctivities they have have achieved some amazing results in the conservation of marine species and preservation of the oceans' health. As a professional diver and as a citizen of the world I can only say: thank you Project Aware!
Who can talk better about ocean life than whose life is dedicated to sharing their knowledge and working in a chain of awareness all over the world. The deep involvement of the project AWARE teams begins with those whose life is dedicated to diving and sharing their passion. The protection of sharks has started to reach consciences as essential for our future environment. The message is not pessimism but action and enthousiasm ... please do anything you can to support Project AWARE.
There is no other organization that do as much for bringing our oceans to the fore than Project Aware. I've been following them for over twenty years and they have worked tirelessly in bringing important news and facts to the diving world.
The massacre of the sharks disturbs me for years and I finally had the opportunity to react thanks to the Finathon of Project Aware. Then we organized a dive against debris and managed to make a lot of people sensitive in the preservation of the environment. This year, we reorganize one, and we already know in advance that there will be a lot more of volunteers to help us. Project aware really motivates people to contribute to the safeguard of lakes and oceans. It is a great organization!
Project AWARE is an important international ambassador for our ocean World, making a huge impact through lobbying and campaigning at an international level. As a scuba diving instructor and dive school owner, Project AWARE also provided an important tool to help raise awareness of ocean conservation at a grass roots level amongst all of our scuba divers; and the many organised campaigns and activities drive effective engagement meaning divers can really make an impact on a cause close to their heart. Project AWARE has helped me to explain these critical issues and our personal impact in a simple and coherent manner, and to provide opportunities to get involved and make a difference.
Being a PADI Master Instructor, I spend a lot of time underwater diving for fun or teaching scuba diving. Doing this I can witness the incredible amount of thrash that is underwater and the impact it as on marine life. Project AWARE Foundation helps us to fight against not only marine pollution through the Dive against debris program, but it also has programs for marine conservation like promoting the ban against shark fining, protection of coral reefs, etc. As the ocean are the life support system on Earth, supporting Project AWARE Foundation is not just helping save the ocean. It, at the same time, helps saving humanity!
A couple of years ago, Project Aware pushed oceanic sustainability to the forefront of my brain. Through their positive approach to their cause, I feel certain this will continue Have a great ripple effect on the public. Thank you to Dominique Albert for the introduction!
I was introduced to Project Aware through my long standing love of diving and the marine world ; over the last year I have looked into the organisation more and more and have come to realise the depth and intensity of the work they undertake and the impact of their efforts and campaigns from CITES through to supporting and encouraging other well known marine conservation entities. There is a real genuineness to all of their team and they are driven by passion and a sincerity of belief in their cause ; they have a huge responsibility and task at hand as a conservation voice to the worlds largest collection of divers and dive professionals as well as the general public; they are achieving great things and I have no doubt they will continue to do so.
Empowering people to make a difference to their chosen cause or charity is an incredibly difficult feat, however Project AWARE make it easy for a normal member of the public to not only support the conservation of the oceans but to get involved and feel a sense of pride in their efforts. Organising charity events for Project AWARE is never a chore, with a multitude of tools provided for you to help structure your event safely and efficiently. The educational materials provided to enable Instructors to teach and share their knowledge effectively is second to none.
The charity is managed and supported by a team of dedicated, creative and talented individuals who share their passion for conserving what is essential perceived as our 'playground' yet is the heart and soul of the planet.
The best thing about Project AWARE is the immense gratification that each and everyone receives through feedback, social media and from actually seeing the difference that can be made by a few individuals coming together to aid a shared cause. Feeling part of something so great keeps us all pushing forward and carries us through the times when you feel that our efforts are futile! Well done Project AWARE!
With Project AWARE we have a chance at saving the oceans. They are able to leverage diving instructors around the world to help educate the public into acting and conserving the environment. The tools and education that they provide are excellent.
Project AWARE is a fantastic organization. The team inspires passion and action, and they provide excellent tools & activities to help dive centres and instructors raise awareness and support for marine conservation. Always positive, always focused, this group is making a big difference in battle to save our oceans. There are few organizations with such a global reach, who manage to drive change without alienating anyone. I am proud to work with the team at Project AWARE!
Project AWARE does everything right! They are smart, efficient and creative. The health of our oceans may be the single most important issue facing mankind (really!). Project AWARE is addressing the issue with a pragmatic, realistic, hands-on approach.
Kelly, MPA, MPH
Project AWARE foundation supports divers all over the world and therefore their impact is big globally and regionally. Even a small beach clean-up already helps to change a lot. I am sure that thanks to Project AWARE's presence so many divers around the world are eco-conscious divers.
Project AWARE supports divers and scuba diving instructors like me around the world with the tools and resources to join in campaigns and activities that contribute to advancing the health of the ocean for future generations. As a PADI Professional I’m proud to support Project AWARE and its movement of divers who protect the ocean one dive at a time. Due to the great advice and support from Project AWARE I have been able to reach hundreds, if not thousands of people and explain the plight of the underwater environment. These people now feel engaged and are actually doing something about it. Without Project AWARE focusing it's efforts not just at the grass roots level, but also at a much large international stage, action is now taking place and differences are being made.
Project AWARE Foundation is the only non-profit organization tackling ocean protection from beneath the surface in more than 180 countries.
I’m proud to be part of this movement of divers and proud to be part of the many successes this great non-profit has achieved including securing trade protections for the most vulnerable sharks and rays at CITES 2013 and closing loopholes in the EU shark finning ban - this was an amazing achievement and we hope for many more like this in the future!!
Su-Li
As an employee with PADI since 1995 it has been my privilege to work with the Project AWARE teams on many projects, and to see them complete countless others also. The stand-out is always their deep commitment, knowledge and enthusiasm - not only toward the direct conservation aims themselves, but also toward ensuring that real value is returned for donations. Engaging with recreational divers is an ideal way to ensure the message has the maximum possible outreach and effect, and the great efforts demonstrated by Jorge6 and others show their success in creating that engagement.
Project AWARE supports divers and scuba diving instructors like me around the world with the tools and resources to join in campaigns and activities that contribute to advancing the health of the ocean for future generations. As a PADI Professional I’m proud to support Project AWARE and its movement of divers who protect the ocean one dive at a time.
Pierluigi Gagliardi
The Project AWARE team brings together dedicated people from around the world who share a passion for ocean protection. I support this great non-profit and share their vision for a clean, healthy ocean so it is there for future generations to enjoy.
Project AWARE is our international non-profit of choice. We donate $ 10 per dive certification we issue because their projects and philosophy are just right. We highly recommend project aware to anyone interested in a worldwide, accountable non profit focused on ocean resource management and conservation. For more information on what we do with project AWARE besides donations please visit http://tiptopdiving.com/padi-scuba-courses-galapagos/padi-specialty-course/project-aware-specialty-courses/