$ Love Spells^ 💎 (310) 882-6330 in West Virginia, WV | Psychic Reading Best B...
Non-Profit Energy Alliance: Sustainability Webinar
1. Strategies for Saving Money by Greening
your NonProfit
Eric R. Coffman and Doug Weisburger
Montgomery County, Department of Environmental
Protection
2. “Greening” for Non Profits
• Enhances the “triple bottom line” by generating
“cash” savings that can be dedicated toward core
mission while protecting the
environment, enhancing community well
being, and image.
• Provides talking points for funders to emphasize
fiscal and social/environmental responsibility.
• Helps retain and attract motivated and talented
employees and volunteers.
• “Greening” can be easy - not every organization
can put solar panels on their building - but every
organization can do something.
3. Creating a “Green Team” and “Green
Plan”
• Every effort needs a starting point and for most
organizations this is a green team and plan.
• “Many Hands Make Light Work”, employees are often
willing to work together and donate time to help organize
green activities.
• To create the plan, consider asking staff to fill out a simple
survey to get their ideas and buy-in.
• Green plans do not need to be exhaustive (or exhausting!);
sometimes it is best to start simple.
• Identify areas of greatest impact and which you can control.
• Identify the actions you plan to take, who is
responsible, how you will measure progress.
4.
5. Getting Started – Purchase Clean
Energy
For most of you congratulations!
6. Getting Started – Get off the Bottle:
• Eliminate bottled water at events by providing
tap water,
• Provide tap water it is safe and uses much less
energy than bottled water,
• Use water filters (e.g., Brita) where
appropriate
“Eliminating 500 bottles of water can save $250
or more”
7. Getting Started – Let the Printer
Sleep
• Examine publications? Are they really needed?
• Consider digital alternatives.
• Set printer default to double sides.
• Where you must publish, examine paper for
recycled content and consider soy based inks.
“A Non-Profit organization saved $50,000 by
reducing size of event program books.”
8. Getting Started – Be Energy
Conscious
• Turn-out lights when not needed
• Set-back thermostats in the winter, set them forward in
the summer
• Turn-off or eliminate excess office equipment
• Talk to employees about comfort and alternatives to
expensive space heaters. Ensure maintenance staff are
included in conversations.
“A large office building saved $100,000 by shifting to
daylight cleaning, allowing them to keep their lights off
for a longer period”
9. Getting Started – Pay it Forward
• Encourage employees, volunteers, recipients
of services and partners to green their lives.
• Encourage spreading of simple green
messages through organization
newsletters, communications, and annual
events.
• Direct people to community resources for
information, incentives, and educational
resources (www.mygreenmontgomery.org)
10.
11. Get Recognized!
• Include your green achievements in annual
reports and messages to program
participants, employees and volunteers.
• Tell your story publically through community
“green” portals (www.mygreemontgomery.org)
• Consider seeking formal recognition from
programs such as the Montgomery County Green
Business Certification (http://mcgreenbiz.org/ )
12.
13. Program Overview
• Based on day to day operations, policies and behavior.
• Partnership with the County’s Chamber of Commerce and
Montgomery College (training).
• Two year anniversary; 35 Certified Green Businesses. Including six
Non Profits and a diversity of businesses.
• Voluntary; $100 for small and $250 for large
• On site verification using 3rd party consultant
• Application has 260 actions in seven different categories, including
“other” option. Most actions are cost-neutral; many save money.
• To get certified, businesses must implement between 70 and 120
actions depending upon their size and type.
14. Green Business Profile – Congregation
Beth El
Congregation Beth El became the first certified green religious
organization , doing so with flying colors and great fun. Just a
handful of the over 100 actions they are taking include:
• sponsored “dumpster dives” to analyze the content and volume of their
waste and devise strategies for reduction.
• Composting kitchen waste,
• Training staff and volunteers on the use of reusable kitchenware,
• Extensive signage and outreach on energy efficiency.
• Hosted an environmental speaker series,
• Hosts community supported agriculture through weekly deliveries of local in
season fruits and vegetables.
• Runs a “Reduce Fuel to Shul” contest to promote walking, biking, and
carpools in exchange for eco-friendly prizes.
15.
16. Resources and Training Opportunities
• Resource guide
including links to
key resources.
• Newsletter with
examples of other
organization’s
actions.
• Crash “web”
courses on
greening your
organizations.
• In person trainings
for groups of 20 to
30
17. Questions and Answers
Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
Eric R. Coffman,
eric.coffman@montgomerycountymd.gov
Doug Weisburger
doug.weisburger@montgomerycountymd.gov
P.S. please let us know if this short webinar was helpful and if
there are other “green topics” you are interested in.