Because Mission Research is grounded in this business of helping nonprofits, and we are committed to green principles and sustainability as a company, I think a lot about the principles of living green being extended to the nonprofit community (beyond environmental and sustainability nonprofits (which of course are green by nature). I take the position that they certainly should.
Can they afford it? Certainly, for many things, and many nonprofits can actively engage their supporters to help them move toward greater green responsibility, just as they can actively engage volunteers to help guide them. Working for the greater good can be more holistic and pervasive across the spectrum of your activities and consumptions.
There is a real social value here, both for those who support us and those we serve. For those who support us, we can demonstrate that we take seriously the notion that we steward and value them and their environment, caring about things they care about. It's the same for those we serve. We care about the world they live in, the things that are vital to them, and we are pledged to "do no harm".
Almost any nonprofit can do the simple things, like reducing energy usage, insulating, and recycling. Others can think bigger, like replacing their home visit cars with hybrids (or fuel-efficient cars of any kind), retro-fitting buildings with heat exchangers, and making all sponsored events green (even zero waste). Other, more experienced and studied folks have many more ideas than these. The opportunity to be more green grows more each day as does the urgency to do so.
Nonprofits should jump in to take the lead. You can be a beacon of hope, a green beacon!
--Russ Burke [had a bit of a Typepad login problem, so posted by Charlie...]
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