This working group prioritizes learning and action to advance the following issues:

• Energy-efficiency
• Green jobs
• Green design and neighborhood development
• Urban sustainability planning

What Does Green Really Mean?

Sustainability. Green jobs. Energy efficiency. Green design. Resource conservation. LEED. What do these terms really mean? And what can funders do to make sure that “green” is more than a trendy buzzword–that green strategies actually reduce the carbon footprints and energy costs of buildings, enhance the health and vitality of neighborhoods, and improve the lives of people?

Background & Activities

The Green Building and Green Neighborhoods (GBGN) funder working group was created in 2005 by funders interested in better understanding the promise that green strategies hold for improving outcomes for people and place. Its first efforts focused on the intersection of green design practices and location/placement decisions (for example, does a green building fulfill its promise if it is located in isolation, without convenient access to transportation?). The working group meets annually each fall and hosts Learning Network conference calls throughout the year to help funders learn more about green strategies and innovative practices. It also manages a funder listserv on topical green issues.

Strategic Collaboration

The working group is currently focused on learning more about green issues, identifying leverage points, and facilitating strategic collaborations in three specific arenas:

• Energy-efficiency retrofits in the building sector and their connection to green jobs;
• Green design and location issues (such as the LEED-ND rating system); and
• Urban sustainability planning and implementation.

The GBGN funder advisory committee is co-chaired by Jim Mann from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation and Diane Ives from The Kendeda Fund.