Get Involved
The Out of Eden Walk is not supported by advertising or corporate sponsorships. Instead, our global laboratory of digital storytelling—now in year eleven of a multi-year narrative journey—is powered only by the generosity of the public and by our philanthropic partnerships. We also accept volunteer internships.
Individual donations are essential to help Out of Eden Walk survive as a tax-exempt, non-profit organization (501)(c)(3). Thanks to reader enthusiasm, our project is able to maintain its editorial independence while continuing its mission to create a lasting island of literary journalism in a sea of shallow news media. Your assistance is vital in promoting global storytelling that links cultures and people across borders, and exposes today’s students to the value of longer, more meaningful international reporting. Please join the walk.
—Jonathan M, student in Flint, Michigan.
Out of Eden Walk subscribes to standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News:
Out of Eden Walk retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services, or opinions.
We accept gifts, grants, and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our activities, but our news judgments and stories are made independently and not on the basis of donor support.
Our organization may consider donations to support the coverage of particular topics, but our organization maintains editorial control of the coverage. We will cede no right of review or influence of editorial content, nor of unauthorized distribution of editorial content.
Out of Eden Walk will make public all donors who give a total of $1,000 or more per year. We will accept anonymous donations for general support only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with INN’s Membership Standards.
Crowdfunding
Out of Eden Walk holds annual crowd-funding campaigns to help keep the walk inching forward across the world. Our most recent campaign ended on December 31, 2022.
You can support Out of Eden Walk any time of year, but stay tuned on social media and by signing up for our newsletter to know when our crowdfunding campaigns are live for special reward opportunities.
Out of Eden Volunteer Positions: Grow Your Toolkit
Interested in joining the Out of Eden Walk non-profit team? To develop your skills and help support this historic storytelling project with fundraising and editorial research tasks, please sign up to receive notice when a volunteer position becomes available. We’ll notify you with position details and how to submit your resume and cover letter.
Thanking Our Donors
Out of Eden Walk’s Digital Donor Wall
During every annual crowdfunding campaign, we offer readers the chance to become a “Walking Partner.” With your participation at any level, your name will be added to our Digital Donor Wall, a permanent “thank you” that will be one of the archival legacies of this historic walk.
Out of Eden Walk’s Digital Donor Map
During every annual crowdfunding campaign, we offer readers the chance to become a “Mile Sponsor” by funding one mile of the walking route. Claim your mile. Your name will be added to our Digital Donor Map, which visualizes both your chunk of the trail—whether in Turkey or Tajikistan—as well as emphasizing the project’s collective effort. Click a name on the list and the map will zoom to that mile and flash it in yellow.
