Join us on the 28th to continue this discussion, one that of vital importance for our future.

Building an Emerald City: A Guide to Building Green Policies and Programs by Lucia Athens

CLIMATE CHANGE

Building the Biocarbon Economy: How the Northwest Can Lead

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

The Collaborative on Health and the Environment - Washington Bulletin

July E-News Toxipedia Newsletter

GRANTMAKING

Philanthropy Northwest

NEWS

Sightline News

POLICY

Washington Conservation Voters Legislative Scorecard 2009 - 2010

Sustainable Path Foundation is a Group Philanthropy. Our Group Philanthropy Partners pool their skills and financial resources to make a powerful impact through collective giving. Our partners are an inclusive group of philanthropically inclined people who value and enjoy learning, working and making a difference together.  We flourish when people not only provide financial support but become involved in identifying and vetting opportunities, shaping programs, and advocating for sustainable solutions within the region.

By becoming a Group Philanthropy Partner you become a part of our learning community and have access to unique opportunities with the Foundation, including:

• Access to the Group Philanthropy Portal
• Reviewing portions of applications from final grant applicants
• Attending site visits
• Voting on top choices of grant docket
• Eligible to interview to be on Grants Committee (committee members are appointed in the fall)

All of these opportunities are exclusive to our Group Philanthropy Partners!  Becoming a Partner requires an annual donation of $250 or more. The grants we fund and programs we offer all depend on the generous donations of our Group Philanthropy Partners.

To join or to learn more about Sustainable Path Foundation, please contact our Operations and Program Manager:  nora@sustainablepath.org or call 206-443-8464.

Sustainable Path Foundation awarded grants to Antioch University’s Center for Creative Change in 2004, 2005, and 2006.  Core faculty member Dr. Kate Davies used the initial grant to collect and analyze statistics on several environmentally related and avoidable adult and childhood diseases is Washington State and went on to estimate the associated dollar costs.  These diseases and conditions included asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, lead exposure, birth defects, and neurobehavioral disorders.  Her findings first appeared in an article published in 2005 titled, "How Much Do Environmental Diseases and Disabilities Cost?"  Not including the costs of psychological effects, she concluded that these entities cost about $2,680 million in 2004 dollars, representing about 4.7 % of Washington State’s healthcare costs and 1 % of the state’s gross product.  As a pioneering effort to relate various environmental activities to their impacts on human health and their dollar costs, this publication has been cited many times.  Dr. Davies is currently completing a book with the working title, "People and Pollution: The Past, Present and Possibilities of the Environmental Health Movement", which appears to be the first book published on this topic.  This work has also been funded by Sustainable Path Foundation. 

The next Idea Club will continue the conversation from the June 9 Seminar – Our Food and Eating. Mary Embleton and Brit Yamamoto will speak on the 9th at Town Hall. Please join us then.

On the 28th, Idea Club will also examine our food and eating. We will discuss how we can make our meals sustainable, how current practices make green eating difficult and what we all can do.

Will "every little step help" or will we have to immediately make big changes in our lifestyle to help bring about the green economy?

Are some approaches to a green economy only possible at a micro level and not possible at a macro level?   What are the obstacles for scaling change?

Bring your questions to the discussion!

Advanced $10 / Door $15 / Student $5

SEEKING SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS:  A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL EXPERTS ABOUT

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN   (SEPTEMBER 14, 2010)

RECEPTION 5:30 - 6:30; PROGRAM 6:30 - 8:15; POST SEMINAR NETWORKING 8:15 - 9:00
All seminars will be held downstairs at Town Hall, 1119 8th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101-2738

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

A CONVERSATION ABOUT SUSTAINABLE DESIGN with Ash Awad, Vice President of Energy & Facility Services at McKinstry;  and Daniel Friedman, Dean of the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington

Design plays a pivotal role in the sustainability of our buildings, communities and products, as well as in the systems we use to handle transportation, energy and water. Can we change our perspective on the built environment from "projects that are created and finished" to a more sustainable one of "systems that perform over time"? What social factors should be considered when creating built solutions? Join us as Ash Awad, Vice President of Energy and Facility Services at McKinstry and Daniel Friedman, Dean of the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington explore these and other considerations of sustainable design and its impact on our future.

PREVIOUS SEMINARS THIS YEAR

 

 

MAY 11, 2010

A CONVERSATION ABOUT A GREEN ECONOMY with Michelle Long, Executive Director of BALLE; and Joel Magnuson, author of “Mindful Economics”

The terms green economy and green jobs are often used, but what do they really mean? What does a truly green economy look like at local and national levels? Can local changes catalyze large scale change? How do we reconcile the demand for economic growth with the goal of sustainability? Join Joel Magnuson, internationally recognized economics professor and author of "Mindful Economics" and the forthcoming book, “Beyond Destruction”, and Michelle Long, Executive Director of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, (BALLE), a network of over 21,000 socially responsible businesses across the U.S. and Canada, as they discuss these important issues. 

JUNE 9, 2010

A CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR FOOD AND EATING with Mary Embleton, Executive Director of Cascade Harvest Coalition; and Britt Yamamoto, Core Faculty at the Center for Creative Change at Antioch University

Choosing and eating food is a significant personal activity that is common to all of us. The various ways that food is produced, distributed, regulated, marketed and consumed have profound cultural, environmental, economic, political, health and social implications. Is it enough to "vote with your fork"? What would a sustainable food system look like? Join us as Mary Embleton, Executive Director of Cascade Harvest Coalition, and Britt Yamamoto, a member of the Core Faculty at the Center for Creative Change at Antioch University, discuss the many dimensions of food and eating.

See the 2010 Speaker Bios

Partnering Organizations

We extend special thanks to our 2010 Seminar Series Committee members!

Carol Barone, Peter Baum, Janice Camp, Denice Carnahan, David Cosman, Matt Chadsey, Kate Davies, June Eisenman,  Richard Gayle, Sue Kraemer,  Nan McKay,   DeAnna Poling.

Thank you to Monica G. Marcu for donating photography for the postcard advertising the May 11 event.

This is a framework we have been working on for much of the last year. It helps us examine a wide variety of problems and discuss possible solution with a systems approach.

Download a copy of the 2010 RFP for your information [5 page PDF]

About Sustainable Path Foundation

The Foundation is an engaged group philanthropy whose grant making is focused on sustainability and informed by scientific understanding and systems thinking. We believe that:

• Scientific inquiry continues to expand our understanding of the complex relationships between natural systems and human systems.

• Recognition of the interconnected nature of our world provides a vital lens for informed application of scientific discoveries and technological innovations. 

• Insightful, innovative scientific and systems thinking is fundamental to imagining and creating solutions for a healthier world.

We are a diverse, interdisciplinary community of people who collectively offer our financial resources, talent and expertise, and embrace a culture of collaboration in our work. We view our grantees as partners in identifying and solving issues facing our region and our world and promote their successes and opportunities for involvement to our community of donors and volunteers. We fund both interesting experiments and big-impact projects.

Please be sure proposed projects fit with our mission, vision and values.

Funding Areas for 2010

Sustainable Path Foundation provides funding in support of projects in the greater Puget Sound area that will encompass one or more of the following:

1. Explore, elucidate, and/or apply links between natural systems (i.e. environment) and human systems (i.e. economy, health, community).

2. Provide opportunities for individuals or organizations to expand scientific awareness and scientific literacy and inquiry skills.

3. Focus on root causes and focus on opportunities for systemic change.

4. Bring together people and organizations with diverse perspectives and expertise to address complex problems.

Successful proposals will employ approaches based on science and systems thinking. Proposals may utilize, integrate and/or generate information from disciplines relevant to sustainability, the natural environment or human society. In addition, projects may involve bringing together people or organizations with interests similar to those of Sustainable Path Foundation for focused discussions or forums. Projects should include provisions for educating the public and/or policymakers about the results and should focus on issues of importance in the greater Puget Sound region. We will also consider science literacy projects for youth if the projects align with our mission.

Sustainable Path Foundation is looking for organizations with strong leadership and a clear strategic vision. Both one-time projects and ongoing work will be considered. We do not provide general operating support or support for capital projects. We value the potential for Sustainable Path to contribute to the organization’s work through collaboration or volunteer activities.

Approximately $100,000 is available for new grants in 2010; our typical grant is between $5,000 to $20,000, and partial funding is common. The maximum amount budgeted for science literacy grants is $10,000. In 2009, we funded a total of 10 projects including science literacy.

Sustainable Path Foundation will only commit to single-year grants, however grantees may re-apply for funding for new or continuing projects on an annual basis. 

Selection Criteria

1. Applicant organizations must qualify as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code, or have a tax-exempt fiscal sponsor.

2. Projects should utilize and apply scientific approaches and methods to further understanding of the issue being addressed.

3. Projects that consider issues from multiple perspectives or employ collaborative approaches are especially encouraged. Collaborative applications that include more than one organization are welcomed.

4. Projects should include provisions for educating the public and/or policymakers about issues addressed.

5. Applicant organizations should be based in and focus on the greater Puget Sound region.

If your organization does not meet all of the selection criteria and you would like to further discuss your status, please contact us.
 

Funding Limitations

Funding will not be provided for:

·  General operating expenses (unless directly related to a project)

·  Endowments

·  Capital expenditures

·  Political campaigns or candidates

·  Lobbying activities

·  Individuals

·  Organizations that unfairly discriminate in any manner

·  Programs operating outside of greater Puget Sound region

Sustainable Path’s working definition of Science and Systems Thinking

Science is the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following an evidence based systematic method. Science also refers to the organized body of knowledge that has been gained by such study.

Systems thinking is a framework based on the knowledge that components and processes of our natural and man-made world(s) are interconnected and best understood in the context of relationships with each other rather than in isolation.  Those employing systems thinking are cognizant that changes in one area can alter other interacting elements of the larger whole. A systems thinker would therefore consider the interrelationships among sub-systems and processes before and during implementation of a solution to a problem.
 

Please look at this diagram that outlines our framework for developing systems-based solutions to sustainability issues.

Mary Embleton
Mary Embleton has been the Executive Director of the Cascade Harvest Coalition since it was formed in 1999. The Coalition addresses issues affecting the local food and farm system by building awareness and appreciation for the important economic, environmental, social and cultural aspects of farming in the region; promoting preservation and protection of farmlands and farming resources; and enhancing community food security by improving access to locally-produced food. Mary is a natural resource economist and has 25 years of experience in applying economic analysis to a wide range of land use, transportation, environmental, and planning and policy issues.

Daniel S. Friedman
Daniel S. Friedman, Ph.D. is Dean of the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington. Prior to joining CBE, he served as director of the School of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and director of the School of Architecture and Interior Design at the University of Cincinnati, where he taught from 1990 to 2002. He is co-editor of Plumbing: Sounding Modern Architecture (1997), and has contributed articles and reviews to the Journal of Architectural Education, Architecture, AA Files, AIAJ, and the Journal of Architecture and Planning.

Michelle Long
Michelle Long is the Executive Director of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, (BALLE), North America’s fastest growing network of socially responsible businesses, comprised of over 80 community networks with over 21,000 independent business members across the U.S. and Canada. Prior to leading BALLE, Michelle started Sustainable Connections in Bellingham, Washington, a network of 700+ local farmers, independent retailers, green builders, renewable energy entrepreneurs and local manufacturers. Michelle was recently named one of the west coast’s "top five leading ladies of sustainability" by the Sustainable Industries Journal. A regular keynote speaker, she teaches workshops on creating effective community business networks, is the co-author of Local First: A How-to Guide, and Building a Community of Businesses: A How-to Kit.

Joel Magnuson
Joel Magnuson, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized economist specializing in non-orthodox approaches to political economy. He is currently a professor of economics in Portland, Oregon and a visiting fellow at the Ashcroft International Business School at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, England. He is author of the book Mindful Economics, forthcoming book, Beyond Destruction.

Britt Yamamoto
Britt Yamamoto, Ph.D. is Core Faculty at Antioch University Seattle’s Center for Creative Change where, among other things, he teaches graduate-level seminars on the politics, culture, and ecology of the relationship between what we put in our mouths and what goes on in the world. For the last two decades he has been intimately involved in the world of food and agriculture, as a small-scale organic farmer, family farming advocate, researcher on GMOs and food social movements, and vocational trainer–both in the United States and overseas. He has been the recipient of a number of honors, including a Fulbright Fellowship, the University of Washington’s Excellence in Teaching award, and a Fellowship at the World Affairs Council. In addition to his work with Antioch, Dr. Yamamoto also directs an Seattle-based nonprofit organization called iLEAP: The Center for Critical Service, where he designs and leads international training and education programs focused on core issues of leadership, social innovation, and collaborative change.