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Are Going Green and Running a Nonprofit Mutually Exclusive?
By Tamara Berry
Nonprofits are always looking at their bottom line. Whether it’s cutting expenses, increasing donor contributions, or securing foundation grants, the dollars and cents of running a successful nonprofit organization often form a complex maze of wants and needs that it seems impossible to escape.
In today’s business community, however, the buzzword on everyone’s lips is “green.” Organizations of all sizes are becoming more ecologically responsible – often to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why the ostensibly high cost of going green scares a good many nonprofits away.
There are many noteworthy nonprofits working directly with environmental issues and decreasing the carbon footprint of people all over the world, but changes made at a much smaller, more individualized level should never be overlooked. As a community leader and an organization seeking to make a positive impact in this world, it’s your responsibility to install responsible measures that serve as a model for other companies. And hey, you might even get some media attention and draw in some eco-savvy donors, as well.
Starting Small
Instead of going out and rewiring your entire building or getting rid of that old, donated van for a fleet of Tesla Roadsters, you can implement small changes that will soon add up to make a big difference.
- Offer your newsletter in email format. Add a subscription button on your website and reserve a space in your printed newsletter to appeal to current subscribers to make the move to online. This not only reduces paper and printing waste, but it can save you quite a bit of money, as well.
- Use direct e-mail whenever possible. Direct mail donor lists are commonplace among the nonprofit set. While we don’t want you to go in and cut your list or make a switch entirely over to email at the cost of losing your important donor dollars, you should still consider when using email over direct mail might be okay (think updates, donors who support your green business model, or donors you haven’t heard from in several years).
- Make small office changes. These are the types of tips that work for any office. Replace your light bulbs with the compact fluorescent bulbs. Reuse paper when printing out materials for in-office use. Implement a recycling program for paper, plastic, aluminum cans, and glass.
- Put your green goals into your mission. Although you may be a long way off from installing solar panels on your rooftop, putting your eco-friendly outlook into your mission statement can ensure that the idea is always on the forefront of everyone’s mind. It also means that you can use your environmental concern when writing grants (heck, you can even write grants specifically for green upgrades), a move that get you a little more attention and a little bigger edge.
Topics: Internal Issues |
Brilliant site, notable topics and as always, very distinguished writing.
@Billie - Thanks. We’re hoping to make this a really valuable resource. One that’s well-written, of course.