The document outlines strategies for nonprofits to save money and enhance their environmental practices, emphasizing the benefits of creating a green team and plan. It provides actionable steps such as eliminating bottled water, reducing print materials, and being energy conscious, along with examples of success stories from certified green organizations. Additionally, it highlights resources and training opportunities to further support organizations in their greening efforts.

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.

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)

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/ )

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.

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.