Enjoy this blog post from the SSC archives:
Why is environmental responsibility important to an organization’s bottom line? What are key impacts? What does your organization’s carbon footprint look like? Where should you begin? These questions and more are addressed in an excellent resource that is easy-to-use and only a download away. If you work for a non-profit or if you have non-profit clients, this is something that you will want to take a look at.
“Greening Your Non-Profit from the Inside Out: A NeighborWorks® Guide for Community Development Organizations” essentially serves as a handbook that was designed to provide community development organizations with an easy-to-use resource for taking the first steps towards “going green”.
Using the results of the sustainability action plans from 2008, NeighborWorks developed a manual and online course entitled “Greening Your Nonprofit Business” in 2009. The manual, produced in conjunction with Strategic Sustainability Consulting, is available free online to all network organizations and to the broader community development field to help them take steps toward environmental sustainability. The manual has been downloaded 24,000+ times since its publication in 2009, making it one of the most popular downloads on www.nw.org. Once you start to skim you’ll quickly realize why it’s a top download and how it is still relevant today.
It begins with a general introduction to the topic of environmental sustainability and prepares you for the following chapters that dive into specific green action items to get you started. Divided into eleven “green” topics ranging from energy efficiency to customer communication, each section provides a wealth of information. Statistics, case studies, recommendations, and other resources will help you to understand the environmental impacts of each topic and how to go about minimizing that impact in a simple, cost-effective way. Because there is no “one size fits all” solution to going green, the manual includes website links to some of the best organizations working on the issue—where you can find a solution tailored to fit your circumstances. This information is organized so that you can quickly find the information you need.
In case you didn’t already know, we partner and work with NeighborWorks on a lot of different projects and have found their dual mission to be a perfect match for what we have to offer as well. NeighborWorks America is the country’s leader in affordable housing and community development, working to create opportunities for lower-income people to live in affordable homes in safe, sustainable neighborhoods that are healthy places for families to grow. NeighborWorks commits to being a leader with its network in employing and promoting equitable, green and sustainable practices for the long-term benefit of the environment so that people can live and work in healthy, ecologically friendly, and affordable places. Learn more here and download the manual today!
Find out how you can become a better sustainability leader in one of our latest blogs.