[SustainableTompkins] looking for projects to fund

Wed Nov 14 10:10:08 PST 2007

Hello Ira and Margaret and all,

Just wanted to let you know that Sustainable Tompkins is filing its 501c3  
application to become a fiscal umbrella for sustainability work in our  
community.  This process can take awhile to conclude, but our goal is  to continue to 
expand the communication, partnership, and  fiscal infrastructures for the 
local movement.  

We have several projects underway, and I'll get in touch with you soon,  Ira.

take care,
Gay

In a message dated 11/14/2007 10:38:27 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
mmccasla at twcny.rr.com writes:

>Hello--
>
>   I'm on the board of directors  of a foundation whose mission is to
>foster ecologically sustainable  human interaction with the  natural
>environment.
>
>   I live in Ithaca and  would love to come up with worthy and specific
>project funding  proposals from local 501(c)(3)'s.
>
>   Any leads?  Please contact me.
>
>Thank  you!
>
>--Ira
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Hi Ira,

I have several ideas  which various groups in the area may be 
interested in doing if they had  funding (I am an environmental 
educator with experience in curriculum  design and in science and 
environmental education for the general  public).

1.) portable activity packs for classroom  teachers on various 
aspects of "what we can do to slow global warming"  (with background 
info so teacher's feel "up to speed" on the  topics).  A positive, 
can-do, science-based curriculum so kids feel  they--with the rest of 
us also doing our parts--can minimize global  warming. Possible local 
partner: Teachers for a Sustainable  Future.*

2.)  similar material  on  "sustainability wedges" for the 
Climate Change Action Group*  for  educating the general public on 
changes we can make in various sectors  (electric power, housing, 
transport, agriculture, etc) to slow global  warming AND on the 
changes we should be asking government and industry to  make.

3.)  a wiki-based interactive (but moderated  and edited) 
website on worst/bad/not-so-good/ better/ best options for  
environmentally-related decisions we make as householders (eg,  
conservation that doesn't involve buying something), as consumers 
(tho  avoiding purchases whenever possible), as citizens, as business 
people,  etc.  I would love to partner with a group such as Yes! 
Magazine/The  Great Turning on this project.  I have NOT yet 
approached them; am  still doing background reading on their 
organization (David Korten at  el).

This last idea I feel the most invested in personally.   However with 
any of them, I am happy to see these and/or related ideas  done by 
anyone, as long as they get done, even if I am only involved in  the 
development phase.  I have been a professional grant writer as  well 
as curriculum designer, so this is "what I do."  I recently came  out 
of retirement to work on climate change issues because my background  
seems more useful than ever. So far, all my work has been voluntary. 
I  personally will need part-time funding in the near future.

*  Neither of these groups are 501-c-3s.  However the TSF could 
probably  receive funding through one or more local school districts. 
The Center for  Environmental Sustainability (which I helped 
incorporate a few years back,  but am no longer officially affiliated 
with) might be willing to act as an  "umbrella" for one or more of 
these projects. They DO have 501-c-3 status.  Museum of the Earth 
might be another option for partnering on one or more  of these 
projects (I have had very early talks with them).

At area  eco group "summits," we have discussed that finding an 
appropriate 501-c-3  through  which to receive funding is one of the 
biggest   challenges we face.  So seed money for such a project 
umbrella  organization might be an important first step.  I don't know 
who you  work with, but the Park Foundation in the past has helped 
non-tax exempt  groups with seed funding, so perhaps there could be 
some kind of two-step  project.

However incorporating and then getting IRS status is  time-consuming. 
So looking for existing 501-c-3s--as you are doing--is  important. I 
understand (from a discussion we had at a coordinating  meeting at the 
Museum of the Earth last summer) that the IRS is making it  harder 
than previously to get 501-c-3 status (at least for these sorts of  
community education groups).

I'll bet you're getting inundated with  response from many of the 
folks I'm referring to.  How  exciting!

Margaret  McCasland

351-1892

----------------------------------------------------
Gay  Nicholson, Ph.D. 

607-533-7312 (home office)
607-279-6618  (cell)

1 Maple Avenue
Lansing, NY  14882
gaynicholson at aol.com

Sustainable Tompkins 
Program  Coordinator 
w_ww.sustainabletompkins.org_ (http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/) 

Southern Tier Energy$mart Communities
Regional  Coordinator
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
615 Willow  Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850
agn1 at cornell.edu

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