Keep on Keeping on.

by Nathan Jackson

Sustainable Seattle has been making waves with its Happiness Initiative, the fifth iteration set of indicators, and people are noticing our work. We have been pushing forward revamping our programs and projects to reflect the results of the Happiness Initiative and we have just completed a revamped communications strategy.

We are an organization made up of tireless idealists who give so much of themselves to see these programs and projects be as successful as they can be. We put our hearts, minds and souls into this work and the work has been noticed.

The last few months media giants such as: Seattle Times, Reuters, Seattle P.I., King Five and CSR Wire have all written and spoken about our work and we continue to have hundreds of people take the happiness survey every week. We've had numerous blogs, and locally independent coverage of our work around the initiative and we have even attracted the notice of many professional counselors, psychiatrists and other human service providers.

The thing about Sustainable Seattle is that we do this work while seeking sustainable funding. We are pushing the world of indicators in a new direction just as we have in the past when we were the first organization to create regional indicators that were replicated throughout the world. We do this for the love of the work and we realize that in order to continue this important work that has enlightened and heartened so many people we need to look to our own material well being.

We are taking a different approach to nonprofit funding than many other organizations. As a 501(c)3 organization we are very mindful of tax regulations and therefore we've taken an approach that combines varying revenue streams. Most nonprofits have a financial plan that starts with individual donations then grants then corporate sponsorships and then in a few cases fee for service. We are Sustainable Seattle and we are flipping that model on its head.

We are approaching our revenue gathering from a fee for service, corporate sponsorship, grants and then individual donations perspective. We have had success with our training classes and we are rolling out in response to the overwhelming demand for such services such as: Corporate Social Responsibility (Sustainability and CSR Reports Services), forums for dreaming and initializing a more sustainable future (Dream a Sound Future), ideas and practical actions to enhance our personal happiness (The Flow Campaign) and helping people make significant changes to their own property to lower their negative impact on our fragile Puget Sound watershed (Sustainable Rain).

Our approach is to make our financial futures more sustainable and within our own control. We want to be able to keep this work going while still being able to feed ourselves and our families. We look at our financial security as a serious challenge and opportunity to create a new model for other nonprofits who perhaps view the financial side of their work as somehow lesser or base. Without a secure future for ourselves this work that is in such demand cannot continue in perpetuity. Here's where you, dear reader, come in.

We are seeking individual donors, corporate sponsorships as well as grants in combination with our fee for service work. We have many ways for the individual to get involved from the very much appreciated donation to supporting our partners such as Ideal Network to joining our Facebook Cause called Support Sustainable Seattle. We are also looking for corporate sponsorships from organizations that are aligned with our mission and values and we are seeking grants that can help finance our work as we continue to lead change and fight the good fight.

We have many different events and projects coming up as well and we would love, love, love your participation as well. Check out what we have going on in the next few months here at our shared calendar with Sustainable Ballard and Sustainable West Seattle.

Progressive Self Destruction (Repost)

The following is an excerpt from my personal blog at endithinks.blogspot.com.

Progressive Self Destruction

A friend of mine over at Cognitive Policy Works is doing fantastic work around getting Progressives to have a unified strategic plan on how to bring about the change that is needed in our modern day politics. The problem that has been holding him and fellow Progressive organizations back has been a shocking amount of selfishness and close sightedness from fellow Progressives and an overwhelming sense of ownership of missions that deny other organizations that are closely related to find any purchase.

Progressives are good people who wish for social justice, equality and equal access to services and opportunities for all those who wish it. However, the organizations that claim this mission are often not practicing what they say is their beliefs. Numerous organizations still have an "us vs. them" attitude even towards fellow organizations whose missions align with their own. The ownership of missions almost always comes with a sense of exclusivity. The mission needs to be accomplished in this particular way by us and no other.

Read further at endithinks.blogspot.com

Annual Event a Tremendous Success

Sustainable Seattle had its annual event at Hidmo this part Thursday December 16, 2010 and it could not have gone better.

The event was the brainchild of Sustainable Seattle, POAGP(Pursuit of a Green Planet), Sustainable Central District and the many contributors and donors. It was an evening of fun, food and games and the ambiance at Hidmo was as per usual wonderful, homey and welcoming. (By the way the food at Hidmo is fantastic and I highly recommend the vegetarian plates.)

We had a large number of preregistered folks who signed up for the evening and more than expected showed up on the night of the event. The evening went swimmingly with the seven different "acts" flowing from one to another like tributaries to a great river. There was laughter, conversation, alcohol and connection and it was very good.

The night also featured performances from local music artists that included Young N Brave, a group of hip hop artists with a message of hope who happen to be on BET on December 22 on the networks landmark show "106 and Park."

We also were honored to have another local star Yirim Seck give us a performance that reminded me of a young Mos Def.

I can't explain how happy I am that this event went so well. We have been in rebirth for this last year and like the phoenix I see bright things for the organization moving forward. I'm not the only one as these comments from other members of Sustainable Seattle can attest.

Andrew comments:

As far as I could tell, everybody was having a good time and enjoyed themselves throughout the night. That was the clearest measure of success, but it wouldn’t have been possible without such great performers and attendees. It was a pleasure speaking with and getting to know many of them. Yirim Seck and Young-N-Brave’s conclusion to the evening was nothing short of awesome. Both artists were that much more impressive live than on record.

Tysan comments:

The annual event was a great way to recognize all the work that so many people have put into sustainability this past year. A crowd of our supporters and new friends gathered over music, laughter and drink to see performances and recognize amazing individuals and businesses who have made it part of their practice to be able to sustain not only themselves, but the planet. The mind-boggling number of contributors to our silent auction and the wealth of talents that the Sustainable Seattle family has got to be shown off, and I was so happy to be able to be a part of this organization for 2010. Collaboration with the Take Back Your Time and the ideas moving forward for the Seattle Area Happiness Initiative make me excited to begin work in 2011!

Tim comments:

There are so many parties to thank for the success of this years annual event I don't know where to begin. I will start by thanking those who were able to attend the event. The number of attendees was impressive and the hard work of many has paid off in grand ways! This event was a fantastic demonstration of the support Sustainable Seattle has again begun to receive throughout the Seattle community and I am confident this will continue to grow in future months.

The awards program and ceremony was deemed a huge success by all parties involved and would like to acknowledge and thank all of the nominees for their work towards improving the sustainability of the Puget Sound region. With all but one award recipient present we received great feedback and thanks from all award nominees and winners. I would again like to thank the judges for their brilliance and expertise, without them the program would not have been possible.

With so much momentum moving into the New Year I am excited for what the future hold at Sustainable Seattle and can truly say what an exciting time it is to be involved with the organization.

Congratulations and thank you to all! Sustainable Seattle ROCKS!

Contributors and Sponsors

Without the support and contribution of the following people this event would have not been as successful as it was. Many, many thanks for all your aid and assistance!

Food/Drink:

Macrina Bakery, PCC Natural Markets, Grand Central Bakery, Gelatiamo, Columbia City Bakery, 23rd & Jackson Starbucks, Honest Tea

Silent Auction Contributors:

Ballard Bee Company

Honey

Seattle Tilth

Maritime NW Garden Guide (book)

Cedar Grove

Two yards compost & 10 bags potting soil

Zipcar

$150 gift certificate

David George Gordon

The Secret World of Slugs and Snails/one hour consulting time

EMP/SFM

4 Passes/SAM membership

Burke Museum

Entrance passes

Eldan Goldenburg

Signed copy of Four Fish

$50 certificates towards STARs workshop, Desk space

Hannah Ahmed

Quilceda Creek red and Amavi Semillon white wine

Brian Allen

Urban Beekeeping lessons

O'Brien & Company

2 hrs sustainability and green building consulting time

Tysan Dutta

Forest Moss soaps, dinner at Herb Farm, WEB Assessment

Al Runte

signed copies of National Parks: The American Experience

STG

4 passes to David Garrett at Paramount Theatre

Frogbox

Moving package: 2 bedroom bundle for 3 weeks

John de Graaf

Afluenza DVDs and books

Aisha Kaba

French lessons, Salsa lessons

Samadhi Yoga

2 months unlimited yoga

Glamspoon

Handmade recycled cashmere & wool patch scarf & arm warmers

Hazel Salon & Organics

Care package

Twig Landscape Design

2hr gardening/landscape design consultation

Catalyst Designs Alena Fisse-Karr

Hand crafted jewelry

Artwork:

Photographs by Eldan Goldenburg

Two art series by Laura Musikanski

Peas! by Elizabeth Sheets

Sarah Jane Lapp New York Party & '04 GOP convention cartoon

Sustainable Seattle and Seattle Good Business Network Team Up

Our partnership with Dibspace and Seattle Good Business Network has enabled us to open the official Sustainable Seattle marketplace on Dibspace.

The Marketplace is called "Sustainability Cubed" and membership is open to businesses, non profits, and individuals who wish to exchange resources, training and ideas but cannot or choose to not use cash. It is a project that at its heart wants to open up the doors between non profits working towards similiar missions.

One of the unfortunate truths about non profits is the scarcity of resources, which leads to competition between organizations that are all doing the good work. With this marketplace I hope to see some of that competition erode and become collaboration.

Stay tuned for updates on the marketplace and this fascinating experiment based around a community currency.

Also, if you haven't checked it out you should look into Dominic's Blog about living a year on only dibits.

Dibbit Life.

Living Harambe Press Release

May 13, 2010

Sustainable Seattle and Walking with Africans presents: Living Harambe Building a Bright Future Together

Sustainable Seattle

Phone: +1.206.622.3522
Email: laura@sustainableseattle.org, marie@sustainableseattle.org, chimmy@walkingwithafricans.org

Seattle--Sustainable Seattle and Walking with Africans is pleased to announce a joint fundraiser venture called Living Harambe: Building a Bright Future Together. The fundraiser takes place at Hidmo, a local community restaurant and cultural center, and the event will feature world music, food, and opportunities to connect in this vibrant, culturally important locale. The event takes place on Thursday May 20th from 6:30 p.m. until well past sunset.

Local musicians will fill the evening with music from all over the world as we enjoy the ambiance of Hidmo throughout the night. El Cajon Project and a local graduate student named Kedmo will take us on a musical trip as one enjoys the Eritrean, East African cuisine. There will be a Raffle for various prizes and a chance to get to meet the people behind Sustainable Seattle and Walking with Africans.

Hidmo means home and there is no other way to describe the feeling one gets at this local hub of excitement and community. Harambe is a Swahili word that means "pulling together" and that is exactly what Sustainable Seattle and Walking with Africans is doing in this collaboration of like minded not for profit organizations.

As per usual there is a suggested donation, but do not let price be a barrier. We encourage people to pay what they feel is appropriate as we would rather have people there with us, then stay at home on this exciting night of togetherness. The work that is being done from these two organizations is changing lives and growing power. We cannot continue our work without support so please consider sharing in whatever fashion you can.

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Sustainable Seattle

Founded in 1991, Sustainable Seattle (S2) is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in the Central Puget Sound, nationally and internationally. S2 creates cutting edge products, processes and leadership that propel people and communities forward in reaching sustainability. S2 strives to create healthy communities, economies, and ecosystems by serving as an incubator for emerging people, projects, and ideas, as a convener of diverse citizens and practitioners, and as a catalyst for turning indicators into action

Sustainable Seattle’s mission is to advance an integrated vision of urban sustainability by measuring progress, building driving coalitions and undertaking key initiatives. We accomplish this mission by working with diverse individuals, communities, businesses and government agencies to build awareness, assess progress, and take action on collective sustainability goals.

Walking with Africans

WAF strongly believes that the poor have the capacity and will to transform their own lives. Our mission is to empower the rural poor to tap into their entrepreneurship and establish small business enterprises in order to raise living standards and cultivate a culture of saving and financial independence.

We will offer support through focused mentoring, training and financial backing.

Our core objectives:

• Reduce rural poverty by providing seed loans, especially to women and the most vulnerable groups in the community.
• Create income-generating opportunities by establishing an initial pool of resources for a microcredit and savings program.
• Help to diversify income-generating activities.
• Build trust and integrity by reinforcing personal accountability, transparency and a shared sense of ownership.

What if we give it away?

I recently read a fascinating article about the Secret Society for Creative Philanthropy. You should read the whole article yourself, but in short it's a foundation in San Francisco that gives grantees $100, on the condition that they use it to do nice things for strangers. It made me wonder about a few things:

It can be surprisingly hard to give away money.
I suppose I shouldn't have been shocked by this--after all, the film based on this premise has been made at least 4 times (1921, 1935, 1945 & 1985)--but the reasons behind it are rather sad. It's all about trust and the complete lack of it between strangers in a city. Perhaps the people turning down free umbrellas in the rain really didn't want one, but I can't think of any other explanation bar suspicion for the people turning down dollar bills that were just being handed to them. It's understandable how this happens, when we live in a society where hardly anything is ever given without hope of something in return, and where almost everyone who approaches strangers in the street does want something, whether its signatures for a petition or money for their next meal. It becomes easier to just ignore everybody and retreat into a little bubble. No-one is a bad person because they do this, but as a whole the community of the city loses something when we get so stuck in mistrust. I always appreciate attempts to break this down a little, like the free hugs people or the Creative Philanthropy group.

Could we replicate this in Seattle?
$100 at a time is not a prohibitive budget - are there people in Seattle who might want to put a counterpart of this society together? If you think this is a great idea, why not try it yourself? And if someone gave you $100 to do nice things for strangers with, what would you do? I'd love to see some creative ideas in the comments.

What can Sustainable Seattle give away?
Unfortunately we have no spare money whatsoever. In fact we're entirely volunteer run while we try to secure stable funding, so one thing that the individuals who make up our organization have been giving away is our time and skills: 1500 hours so far this year. But as an organization, we do have some resources - we have a reputation, a website, a mailing list and a network of contacts. The great thing about resources like this is that we can give of them without diminishing them in any way, so we can keep doing it (a very simple kind of sustainability) and here are some of the ways we do that:

• Featuring other groups' work on this blog (please contact us if you'd like to be featured!)
• Adding other groups' listings to our advertising materials; for instance the STARs program mailshot that's going out tomorrow will include links to some interesting classes at Southside Commons.
• Referring people to the right place; for instance a prospective volunteer came to our office today, and when he described his interests it became clear that Northwest SEED are a much better fit, so we sent him their way (conveniently, up a few stories in the same building).

And finally, what can you give away?
Very few people have spare money these days, but if you think about everything you do have--time, contacts, skills, ideas--I bet every single person who reads this post has something they can give away, at almost no cost to yourself but great benefit to someone else. Take up the challenge, and let us know what you gave away in the comments.

Journalism that Matters, part two

Notes from the Journalism that Matters Conference breakout hosted by The Daily of University of Washington.

Eeeek. It was so hard to pick a session. The sessions were created by attendees who had a desire to host sessions, so totally on-topic…..and so desirable! Sustainable Seattle attended the session focusing on respect in communications. We attended with Ashoka/Youth Venture (an organization that creates continuous chain of empathy for youth 12-20, empathy in action, and a change maker campus program, and changemakers.com where there is a local and global) and WA Farm worker Housing Trust (a nonprofit that does policy and advocacy to ensure farm workers have a safe place by working with all the stakeholders to find common ground, a strategy that is working with state legislature!).

Our session host, Kristin Millis, posed the notion if journalists listen and respect the public, readers, and those we write stories about, news and media entities would be more trusted and would stay in business.

• · All stories are newsworthy: What ever anyone has to say, has value to them, so that individual should be treated with respect. If you can’t provide them coverage, offer them resources.
• · There is always a story: There is always truth in a story: Stop, listen, ask, find out more, take the time to find out more. Take the time to listen.

With a journalist at the table with three nonprofit representatives, we adapted these lessons to our efforts: Nonprofits tell stories too- we need to ensure the stories we tell are accurate to our community, and we can do this by listening, and by telling the stories that fulfill our goals and provide information for better decisions (by nourishing people and encouraging action) and that provide a context – the good, the norm and the bad – not just the bad. Nonprofits also are conduits for changing behavior. Collaborating with others in getting the message out is a great way to get the message out, and is cost effective- in many ways! Collaborating in communicating also allow the nonprofit and all to get a better idea of the story.

Journalism is funded by advertisers. So- we asked about the proof in the pudding: As the UW Daily focused on respect, it took leaps and bounds in national advertising and has done well comparatively in the economic times, with drops about half as much as others. Local advertising composition changed, with overall growth in local advertising. New room costs dropped because staff became more effective at their jobs.

Tips for non-profits -How to sell a story: Come into a newsroom and talk to someone. Don’t make an appointment and show up in the mornings or early afternoons. Try to find a reporter and build rapport. When you send a press release, don’t make it look like a press release- use real working, from the heart. Give the journalist something to write about. Tell the journalist what the nutgraph is (what is the heart of it? What is the story about? What is the most important thing) Give the journalist a list people and their contact information and why that person is a good person to talk to. Send photos that connect the journalist to the story. Give the other side of the story- even a hint – of who and what that story is. Who have you talked to? Let us know who.

What Non Profits can do

The non profit sector is filled with dedicated people trying to make a difference in their communities, and their world. It is a group of people who have a true passion and calling that they want to see to fruition. Unfortunately, many non profits lose sight of the reality of this world and run out of funding, people or resources. What can non profits do better? They can give better service.

Non profits are in their business to make some sort of positive change, but they often forget that many others do not have that same inner fire that drives organizations throughout the different challenges they face. Volunteers and donors need to be shown that their time and money is making a palatable difference or they will soon be closing up their pocketbooks or be too busy to show up.

The main way that a non profit can ensure long term health is to show what it is doing in the same manner that for profit organizations do. They need to be transparent, visible and easily accessible. The public needs to see a clear line between the non profits goals and accomplishments and the public's participation. One way to do this is through social media such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs.

Non profits should not stop at social media. They should have face time with the public as well. Why is it that every festival, concert, or street show has corporate sponsorships? For profit organizations know that if you want to be profitable over the long run you must be ubiquitous. Non profits need to increase their public face with representatives at those festivals, concerts, and street shows. They also need to be in areas and activities that are not directly involved with their cause. Non profits need to reach out to a broader audience of support.

Another major step in non profit success is branding and trustworthiness. Oftentimes I am struck by the sheer amount of organizations in the Seattle area that are doing good work, but I only heard of them because I stumbled upon them in a very advanced web search. Organizations that are hard to find and hard to learn about do not have sustainability. People need to think of the cause and think of the brand. Some non profits have reached the status of instant recognition over years of effort. The Salvation Army or United Way are two examples of this, but who has heard of the dozens of partners that do the actual work of these two giants of philanthropy?

Branding is not simply a catch phrase or and advertising pitch; it is a unified and consistent message, iconography and simplicity. A non profit in order to compete and be sustainable has to establish itself in the minds of its potential volunteers and donors. The simpler the better.

Lastly, trustworthiness is brought about by consistency in message, objectives and transparency in the results and the means of execution. People will not give their time or money to an organization that is disorganized, spread in too many directions, or elusive about their financial situation whether in income or debits.

Simplification, consistency, and transparency are the key ingredients to a successful non profit. The good news is that Americans are giving more to charity year after year. The problem is that the charities in which they give are becoming more focused. People use to give small amounts to numerous charities and now they are giving larger amounts to a chosen few. If a non profit wants to be successful, they have to be part of that chosen few.

Who's Who: Sustainable Connections

The mission of Bellingham-based Sustainable Connections is to be the local forum where businesses come together to transform and model an economy built on sustainable practices.

They work with local, independently owned businesses that have the autonomy to make any transformational change in their business that they can imagine… reexamining where we buy goods and services, how we consume energy, grow and distribute our food, build homes, and even, how we define success in business. Sustainable Connections is supporting a community of innovators in green building, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, supporting independent businesses in town centers, and mentoring a new breed of entrepreneurs that have designed their business with a sustainable vision.

Posted by Matt Ross.

Who's Who: Properity Partnership

The Prosperity Partnership's economic strategy is based on the following fundamental principles:

1. People living here have good jobs and earn good incomes.
A healthy, educated, vigorous and engaged citizenry is vital to a successful economy. We all share the goal of building an economy that provides good jobs with good wages. We all want the opportunities to learn skills, bring them into the marketplace and be rewarded for our efforts.

2. Jobs are created by businesses.
Good jobs and incomes come from competitive and prosperous enterprises. We want our region to be a great place for people to start businesses that will have the potential to grow and prosper. This means a place where policies and regulations are clear and effective, and are constantly adjusted to create a good business climate.

3. Embracing our region's diversity is good for business.
The new economic reality means that we must marshal all of our resources to compete successfully in a global economy. That means historically under-developed economic sectors-small and minority-owned businesses in particular-must be fully integrated into our region's economy.

4. The region has vibrant cities and thriving communities.
Over the past decade, the region has successfully focused employment growth into dense, walkable, urban centers. This approach has enabled employees to commute to work through a variety of modes, and has guided the region's transportation investments. As the region's economy grows, it will provide additional opportunities to further enliven our cities and communities.

5. The region has a healthy and beautiful environment and a good quality of life.
Our high quality of life and healthy environment make the region a great place to live and raise a family, which is crucial to a healthy and vibrant economy. We need diverse housing choices, effective transportation systems, good schools, as well as public parks and places for our enjoyment. A healthy environment, with clean air and water, is at the core of the Puget Sound lifestyle. We also need strong communities that offer residents opportunities for recreation and leisure, promote the arts, celebrate our heritage, and preserve our cultural resources.

6. Regional collaboration on a shared economic agenda ensures our region's long term, sustainable economic prosperity.
In this increasingly interconnected global economy, we must recognize that the 4 counties and 82 cities of our metropolitan region are a single economic unit. Working together as a region is our best chance to guarantee shared economic prosperity for us all.

Posted by Matt Ross.

Who's Who: Northwest Environmental Business Council

Since its formation as a regional organization in 1996, NEBC has become the recognized voice of the industry - advocating for science-based regulation, supportive policies and tax structures, the dissemination of knowledge, and the adoption of best practices.

Going beyond its roots in environmental protection and remediation, NEBC product and service members also work in waste and recycling, water supply, wastewater treatment, energy, land use and construction, "green" chemistry and manufacturing, greenhouse gas management, and related fields. This collection of sectors is now coming under the umbrella of "sustainability" or "clean technologies," but NEBC members were there from the start.

Members cover an ever-widening spectrum, including engineers, consultants, contractors, scientists, lawyers, product and technology providers, insurers, project financers, business support professionals, plus a host of other disciplines and firms supportive of NEBC's goals. NEBC's structure as a cross-discipline, cross-sector organization fosters transfer of knowledge and learning, builds synergies among members, and expands business opportunities.

Posted by Matt Ross.