Benjamin Greenlea

This is the Final Meeting where the Charter Review Commission Will Be Voting to Put Rural Boundary Protections on the 2024 November Ballot! We need your voice! *Developers will be showing up in DROVES* 🌳 Orange County Charter Review Commission Meeting: Speak Up For Rural Boundary Protections + Additional Conservation Protections🌳 📅 Date: Monday, May 20th 🕕 Time: 6:00 PM 📍 Location: Orange County Administrative Building, 201 South Rosalind Ave, Orlando, Florida 32801 On the agenda we have a lot to fight for: 1. Incorporate the affordable housing trust fund in the charter (2nd/final reading) 2. Create rural boundaries in unincorporated Orange County for which a majority plus one vote of the county commission would be needed to increase density or intensity of rural area land use (1st reading) 3. Require a majority plus one vote of the county commission to change the use or sell land dedicated to parks or conservation (1st reading) 4. Require the county to adopt methodology and processes to evaluate long term fiscal sustainability of urban service area expansions and rural service area development (1st reading) As concerned citizens, we've proposed a rural boundary initiative—similar to Seminole County's model—to be included in our county charter. This boundary, meticulously reviewed and endorsed by the CRC subcommittee, aims to combat rampant development that threatens our rural landscapes. 📢 Call to Action: Email Support: Send your comments to Charter2024@occompt.com.

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🙏 A huge thank you to our amazing panelists from Community Boost, CCS Fundraising, Social Impact Solutions, and Pursuant - An Allegiance Group Company for sharing their insights at our "Data Driven Impact: Harnessing Analytics for Nonprofit Success" webinar! Your expertise has been invaluable in helping nonprofits leverage data for greater impact. Missed the webinar? No worries! You can watch the recording here: https://hubs.ly/Q02GZzn70 #NonprofitSuccess #DataDrivenImpact #TheGivingBlock #Analytics

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The inaugural GET Cities Seed Founder Cohort was an intervention focused on supporting women, trans, and nonbinary seed founders to help these marginalized entrepreneurs navigate one of the most crucial and challenging phases for startups: the seed phase. Two years later, we’ve gained an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of 19 unique women seed founders and how to better support their businesses. We’ve compiled these insights, as well as their takeaways from the cohort model, into a new report. #GETCitiesChicago, Tech Equity Working Group (#TEWG), and our partners hope this report will help guide those in the tech industry looking to practically and effectively support historically excluded founders, moving the needle on economic equity and creating a more inclusive and dynamic tech industry, where every entrepreneur has access to the support and resources they need to succeed. Check out the report here: https://lnkd.in/d-g4E9b4

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Since 2022, we've partnered with GET Cities as part of the Tech Equity Working Group (#TEWG) to drive positive change by challenging systemic inequities in Chicago’s tech entrepreneurship ecosystem. This was done through the #GET Seed Founder Cohort, an intervention focused on supporting women, trans, and nonbinary seed founders to help these marginalized entrepreneurs navigate one of the most crucial and challenging phases for startups: the seed phase. We’ve now gained an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of 19 unique women seed founders and how to better support their businesses. #GETCitiesChicago has compiled these insights into this amazing report designed to help guide businesses in the tech industry looking to move the needle on economic equity and create a more inclusive and dynamic tech ecosystem. 💫 Read the full report below!

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🌎 Client Spotlight, Earth Day Edition 🌎 Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS) is driving climate action and green career skill development for young people in the communities most burdened by pollution across the state of California. Here's how: 🌞 Investing in students: CAPS provides paid training and internships for student leaders to champion climate action projects in their schools. 🏫 Multi-faceted projects: Students lead diverse projects addressing environmental challenges specific to their schools and communities, from building decarbonization to sustainable transportation & zero waste initiatives. 💡 Building sustainable futures: Students foster healthier and safer schools & communities while gaining the skills and experience needed to launch careers in sustainability. 📈 Impact: The results speak for themselves. In just one school district, students reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 28%, unlocked $850K in savings, & secured $20M in sustainability improvements in just two years. CAPS is replicating this work in 7 school districts across the state & seeking to expand further across CA & far beyond. 📣 Learn more about CAPS to support this mission here: https://lnkd.in/eS7CHVi5 📩 Sign up for CAPS' quarterly newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eMhQf3yW 👏 Join me in supporting this work here: https://lnkd.in/eSm6d-Fy

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We can't say enough how important democracy work is to climate progress. In a piece for Inside Philanthropy this week, foundation leaders Cathy Cha and Ralph Lewin remind us that "the strength of democracy — whether at the local, state or national level — has huge impacts on the ability of all funders and our nonprofit partners to deliver results on any issue and for any community." We see the impact of lack of representation across the South, from city councils and state regulatory agencies that greenlight polluting industry at the expense of residents' health, to a rash of state-level voter suppression and anti-protest laws that make it ever harder for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people to be heard. Supporting fair elections, accessible public processes, and engaged and energized voters needs to be all of our business. https://lnkd.in/g-vPep6r

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I'm wrapping up my draft of "Better Funding: Recommendations for State and federal agencies to drive energy and climate action through more effective investment in California local and tribal governments." You can access the link to the latest draft, and a summary table of ideas, via the linked article. The paper shares concerns, ideas, and practices for climate funding deployment mined from years of engagement with local, tribal, state, and federal governments and their partners. Ideas range from fairly basic ways to improve different stages of traditional competitive grantmaking, to more transformational solutions, including piloting a new funding deployment vehicle that aims to dramatically lower the burden on strained community capacity of accessing dollars for their climate needs. If you're organization wishes to sign-on, offer input, or participate in collaborative discussions on this topic with like-minded thought leaders, please contact me by May 31st at ahacker@prospersustainably.com.

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Come join us on Friday the 24th or Saturday the 25th for two awesome Climate events in Portland, Oregon! I am leading a Climate Fresk and Megan Yousef is leading a Digital Collage -- read on to join us! What: Join expert facilitators for a fun and interactive community event to learn about the climate crisis. There will be two simultaneous events, with the opportunity for all participants to connect at the end.  1) A Climate Fresk — assemble a visual map (or fresco) of climate facts as a team to explore causes and impacts of climate change.  2) For those that have been through a Fresk before, or that are further along in their climate journey, a Digital Collage event, exploring the impact and role of tech on climate change. When: Friday May 24 OR Saturday, May 25. The form below provides an option to choose which day and time works for each potential participant. A single day / time will be chosen by the end of this week. It's Memorial Day weekend, and I know that timing will work better or worse for some. Who: Attendance is open to anyone! The events will be facilitated by expert climate educators and facilitators Nikyta Palmiseri (Terra.do instructor) and Megan Yousef. Max attendance per event is 12-15 people.Where: in or near downtown Portland. The exact venue will be announced later this week. Why: a fun, collaborative, and impactful way to explore the climate crisis. Plus an opportunity to meet community members and to drive positive change in Portland. Cost: free to attend! Optionally, participants can make a small donation to support our professional facilitators' travel expenses and time. Form to register: https://lnkd.in/di-Fpsn7 https://lnkd.in/dtq5DDJv

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🌟"How Transparent Philanthropy Can Liberate Billions of Dollars — and Do More Good," a recent feature by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, demonstrates the importance of transparency in unleashing the true potential of philanthropy. FundMiner enhances transparency in fund management by providing tools that give stakeholders a clear picture of where and how funds are being utilized. Our platform supports the transparent reporting and monitoring of donations, facilitating deeper trust and responsibility between donors and organizations. Embracing this transparent approach, FundMiner helps organizations effectively communicate the impact of every dollar spent, ensuring that philanthropic efforts are not only visible but also measurably impactful. Read the article: https://rb.gy/7qnhv8

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🌱 Exciting News: I've joined the Board of Directors at Green Wood Coalition! I'm happy to announce that I've been elected to the Board of Directors of Green Wood Coalition. This new role has me deep in thought about the most effective ways a board member can support a non-profit organization. With a background in design and strategy, I'm particularly drawn to resources for non-profits that propose different thinking or framing. I recently came across a great guide from 'Propel Non-Profits' that outlines a proactive approach for nonprofit leaders to consider their underlaying business model and use this thinking to prepare for market challenges. It emphasizes the importance of: 📊 Understanding the current operating model; 🔍 Diagnosing any critical weaknesses; 🚀 Forecasting and planning a structure to address these weaknesses effectively in the short and midterm; 💪 Implementing the necessary, though sometimes difficult, changes. This guide is a valuable resource for any nonprofit looking to sustain its mission and effectively serve the community. I'm excited to bring my expertise in innovation and design to the board, and to help guide our organization through these vital steps. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eSjERBT8 #NonProfitLeadership #BusinessStrategy #Innovation #BoardOfDirectors #GreenWoodCoalition

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Vulnerable post ahead: This last weekend, I had the honor to be on a small panel of young people expressing concerns and hopes regarding the climate crisis and the changes in Idaho. I originally jumped at the opportunity when it presented itself back in March. I like to think of myself as an intelligent person, with things to say worth hearing. I also don't mind public speaking, and enjoy making groups of people laugh, think, or even on a few occasions - cry. But, as the time got nearer I became more and more worried. I have never had a great perception of myself visually, and due to some health problems this past year, I have gained even more weight than I had already felt uncomfortable with. The week leading up to this, I had nightmares of being booed or laughed at. Of people coming up to me afterwards and offering weight loss tips or cards for personal trainers. I was extremely nervous. However, none of that happened. People seemed to hear what I had to say, and genuinely seemed pleased with how the panel went. Now here's why I tell this story: Sometimes, I worry that we all and women in particular, curb our own abilities and growth due to low self-esteem or confidence in our appearance. Our appearance! I know that I have previously turned down opportunities because I was afraid of being perceived in a negative way. This is ridiculous! The way that we look does not determine our thoughts, skills, or talents - abilities that we should share with the world. It's scary. And in a world where cameras are everywhere, and strangers online often have things to say - it's even more so. This experience taught me one important lesson though: Do it anyway. You are smart. You are talented. The world deserves to hear what you have to say. Be brave and do it anyway.

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Non-profits need bank money, too. When it comes to setting up your non-profit organization for funding, you'll encounter challenges similar to those faced by businesses. Here's how these hurdles can impact your journey: 1. **Limited Access to Capital:** Like businesses, non-profits often struggle with limited access to capital. Without adequate funding, it's challenging to launch programs, expand services, or invest in infrastructure. Overcoming this hurdle requires creativity in seeking out grants, donations, and other sources of funding. 2. **Financial Planning and Management:** Effective financial planning and management are critical for businesses and non-profits. Without a solid financial strategy, it's difficult to demonstrate fiscal responsibility to potential donors or lenders. Non-profits must navigate budget constraints and ensure funds are allocated efficiently to maximize impact. 3. **Market Competition:** Non-profits compete for funding in a crowded landscape, like businesses compete for customers in the marketplace. Demonstrating your organization's unique value proposition and impact is essential for attracting donors and standing out among competitors. Overcoming these challenges requires resilience, strategic thinking, and a proactive approach to fundraising and financial management. By addressing these hurdles head-on and leveraging available resources and support networks, non-profits can position themselves for success in securing funding and advancing their mission. Register for our Business Money Workshop to Learn More! #businessmoneyworkshop #tdjequityfunding

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If you're a nonprofit building (or revamping) a digital fundraising strategy, here's 3 key metrics you NEED to be keeping a close eye on 👇 It can be a challenge to know exactly what to be tracking when launching (or re-launching) a fundraising channel. Thankfully, our friends over at NextAfter did a great job outlining what the 3 core digital-first fundraising metrics that nonprofits should be tracking from day 1 in their latest benchmarks report. Here's the metrics to watch 🕵‍♂️ 🖥 Website Traffic: This measures how many people are actually showing up on your website. 📋 Conversion Rate: This tells you how many of your site visitors end up donating. 🎁 Average Gift Size: This is the average size of an online donation. Here's the baseline benchmarks from NextAfter that your nonprofit can start measuring against today: ➡ Website Traffic: 125k organic traffic/month ➡Conversion Rate: .61% ➡Average Gift Size: $70.23 And finally, here's a quick formula to calculate your online revenue: >> Website Traffic x CVR Rate x Avg Gift Size = Online Revenue <<   Using the baseline numbers above, it would equate to $5,355,037/month coming in from online revenue. If you find your nonprofit isn't close to that number, don't worry. The big thing here is that your laying a solid foundation for measuring the impact that digital fundraising will have on your mission - and there's only one way to go from here (hint: that's up!) See the data from NextAfter's Benchmark report here --> https://lnkd.in/eK_knJJ5

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How much do nonprofits raise from their email lists? New benchmarks just out (from agency M+R) suggest that on average 1 email send raises $0.076 The average nonprofit sends 59 emails to their subscribers per year. So simple maths for an email list of 10k subscribers is $44,840 revenue generated per year. Over 3 years this is $134,520. This means if nonprofits can acquire new email subscribers for less than $1.34 that’s a 10X ROI (not including all the other non-direct benefits) Summary - Email still rocks.

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I'm doing the most minimal of funder / foundation research. I'm looking at funders that have racial equity and democracy funding portfolios. The number of foundations that don't accept unsolicited proposals is mind blowing. Of the 17 foundations I looked at so far today, seven do not accept incoming requests for funding. Can we talk about how inequitable this is? [Update: I looked at 34 foundations. Fourteen do not accept unsolicited proposals. That's around 41%. If we assume this applies to Foundations writ large, this is ... not great]. Foundation staff know a lot in their specific area, but there's no way they can know every single organization nationally, let alone internationally. Also, this begs the question of how relationships impact funding strategies and implementation. This all seems a bit suspect, and imbalanced to follow white supremacist giving practices. [Yes, I get that staff capacity plays into this system. But, that is not a good enough reason to have such a system. Esp. if you claim you use a racial equity lens for your grant making]. #responsiblephilanthropy #racialequity

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JOB ALERT: Climate Defiance is hiring an Organizing Director to help end fossil fuel extraction on federal lands and waters. This remote position with a salary of $56,160 annually plus benefits is a pivotal role that entails managing, recruiting, and retaining a cohort of paid staff, volunteers, and campus fellows. The Organizing Director will also lead and coordinate direct actions that publicly challenge corporate executives and elected officials regarding their climate stance. Climate Defiance directly confronts climate deniers and politicians complicit in the climate catastrophe using bold, in-your-face, non-violent direct action that garners millions of views on social media, brings new people into the climate movement, and makes headlines in major outlets like Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and the Guardian. In just their first year, they played a pivotal role in moving the Biden Administration to halt fracking plans. If you share their vision of a future planet that sustains life and is racially and economically just, apply to join their mission here: https://lnkd.in/g9eaw_AQ Please share with anyone who may be interested! Read about their work in Rolling Stone: https://lnkd.in/gt_bcqZp #Jobs #ClimateJobs #ClimateCrisis #EndFossilFuels

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Applications are open until June 28 at 6 pm ET for the Antares REACH Boost Camp Growth Accelerator and $20K in grant funding! Apply now for one of 150 spots in this 12-week digital growth accelerator where you’ll get access to expert-led sessions, education, mentorship, a peer support network, and so much more. Plus, if you are accepted into the program, you’ll also have the opportunity to be considered to receive a grant package of up to $20,000! To be eligible, a small business owner must be: -An entrepreneur who is the leading executive (i.e. Founder and/or President, CEO, CFO, COO, or any such other similar title) of a business that meets the below business criteria; and -Eighteen (18) years of age or older (19 in AL and NE). To be eligible, a business must be: -A for-profit business with an established product or service that generated over $50,000 in revenue in 2023; -Majority (51%+) owned by an individual(s) who is from a historically underrepresented group, including by income, background, sexual orientation or identity, disability, as well as veterans and veteran family members; and -Located and registered in one of the fifty United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico https://lnkd.in/gVEmvrKY #peoriaaz #grant #bootcamp #accelerator #funding #mentor #growth @helloalice

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I'm proud and excited that DEPLOY/US is featured by the influential Founders Pledge as a high-impact funding opportunity to transform US climate action. ✨ DEPLOY/US builds the impact of orgs and leaders working right-of-center on #climatechange, as a foundation for #bipartisan policymaking. (And we're the only organization in the US with that mission.) Here are the five headlines for why Founders Pledge recommends DEPLOY/US: ⏩ US climate policy is incredibly important for global decarbonization. ⏩ The success or failure of US climate policy is strongly affected by partisan dynamics. ⏩ There is reason to expect this lever can be affected. (If you feel skeptical of this, read this section of their recommendation brief, linked below. It might surprise you!) ⏩ Funding for this work is very low. (Less than 1% of US climate philanthropy goes to groups mobilizing right-of-center climate work.) ⏩ Comparatively a high-leverage intervention for decarbonization. Read Founders Pledge's full research brief for their reasoning for why funders should invest in right-of-center climate action: https://lnkd.in/edqmAxNY

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Stray thoughts that flowed through my ears and then whirled in my head as we discussed weaving more #networks of networks committed to supporting a just, sustainable, democratically/locally-owned and operated regional food system grounded in #trust: 🔆 organizing around #food really does create capacity for other conversations to happen (literally as in breaking bread together but also food truly does connect to everything else!);  🔆 there is a massive gap around information #flows in/and around networks in our region (meaning we need more crucial information moving in care-fully curated ways, and we need more people understanding networks and their roles in them!); 🔆 we have look to create more space, and more diverse space, in "the middle" (for example, between state government and local communities); that will be how #change happens ... 🔆 for example, we might use the existing model in Vermont of stipending temporary work to move massive resources through state systems (connects to the idea of rotational #sharedleadership) ... 🔆 we need to help build up "community soil" so we can get more resources to the roots in a way that does not deluge them; 🔆 to this end, ⬆ we might build on existing #communityorganizing infrastructure to disburse information and funding ... 🔆 ... and The New England Grassroots Fund is a model in our region for “regranting” and peer review processes that others could adopt in local #communities; 🔆 AND we have to help "backbone organizations" of different kinds understand how to build #trust/#relationship and then what to do with them (or THAT you can do things with them! - this would truly be a “game changer"

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