Give the gift of community water stewardship - now and in the future
Our 2025 Fundraising Goal Progress
$50,000
34%Join Us for CSI’s 2025 Annual Membership Drive
At Community Science Institute, our impact is powered by the generosity and commitment of people like you.
Your support fuels our mission to inspire and empower communities to safeguard water resources through science, education, and collaboration. Your membership makes a lasting impact. In 2025, your support will help us sustain and grow our efforts in environmental monitoring, science education, and community engagement. This year, you can choose how to give:
- Support the campaign that inspires you most, or
- Give by selecting a contribution level that fits your budget.
You can make a one-time donation or set up a recurring monthly gift. Together, we’re building a future where communities are informed, engaged, and empowered to protect the water resources we all depend on.
Support one of CSI's Campaigns:
Cayuga Lake Harmful
Algal Bloom Monitoring
Launched in 2018, the Cayuga Lake Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Monitoring Program is a collaborative effort among local and state agencies, non-profits, and community members to collect actionable data on cyanobacterial blooms, protect public health, and share timely information. Results are published in near real-time on CSI’s HABs database to support safe water recreation decisions. “HABs Harriers” monitor assigned shoreline zones and submit weekly reports, while select volunteers in 2025 will collect samples from priority locations. “HABs Carriers” help transport these samples to the CSI lab within 48 hours to ensure timely analysis.
Journey of Water,
CSI’s Youth Education Series
The Journey of Water (JoW) is CSI’s 12-part summer education series for youth and families, exploring how drinking and surface water flow through the Cayuga Lake Watershed. Through hands-on activities, participants learn about the water cycle, wetlands, wastewater treatment, biomonitoring, and water quality. JoW builds place-based water science knowledge using CSI’s expertise and partnerships with local and state organizations.
Volunteer Water
Quality Monitoring
Profiling nutrient loading and monitoring pathogenic bacteria in streams and Cayuga Lake. Through these monitoring efforts, we identify potential dangers to swimmers, boaters, and aquatic ecosystems. You can now “Adopt-a-Stream” in Seneca, Cayuga, or Tompkins County by contributing to these campaigns! Click here to view the Streams & Lakes Database.
Biological
Monitoring
Biological monitoring (or biomonitoring) is a fun, affordable, and effective way to assess stream health by studying aquatic life. Benthic macroinvertebrates—stream-dwelling insects and other small organisms—are commonly used because they’re widespread and easy to collect. Organizations like NYSDEC have developed protocols to translate these communities into water quality ratings. Biomonitoring offers a reliable, low-cost snapshot of stream health and is ideal for citizen science.
Become a Member of CSI at one of the levels below:
All members receive a subscription to our Water Bulletin Newsletter and our Annual Report as well as an invitation to our Annual Volunteer Symposium, and receive a 15% discount on one certified water test performed at CSI’s lab during their membership year!
Donations can be made online or by mailing your contribution to the Community Science Institute at the address listed below. CSI is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is fully tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Community Science Institute
95 Brown Rd./ STE 1044
Ithaca, NY 14850
Make a One-time Donation
Give the lasting gift of community water stewardship and protection. Your gift today will ensure that we can further our mission to partner with communities to protect water. Your gift will support our existing programs – such as the Cayuga Lake Harmful Algal Bloom (HABs) Monitoring Program – and will fund new initiatives to shed light on the Finger Lakes’ most pressing water quality issues.
“This is my community and water is life. If I want to live well in my community, I need to know that the water is being guarded.”
– Roberta Healey, Red Flag Volunteer monitoring Fly Meadow Creek
Purchase Community Science Institute Attire!
Help spread the word about our organization by wearing a CSI T-shirt or sweatshirt! Shirts and sweatshirts come in multiple sizes and colors.
Our custom apparel was designed by a former CSI Staff member, Aleah Young.
Recent Posts
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New ways to volunteer at CSI in 2025!
Community Science Institute has long been known for our environmental monitoring partnership
7 March, 2025