Major Actions

Below are the activities we have accomplished or are currently undertaking to achieve goals of the green agenda.

• Conducted a Green Office Audit of NeighborWorks America corporate and district offices to define our carbon footprint and an initial game plan to improve our greenhouse gas emissions.

• Created greener training conferences by steadily improving what we do, what we use, and how we conduct these training sessions. Select items undertaken include:
  • Developed Green survey for all hotels hosting the NeighborWorks training institutes.
  • Course binders are made of cardboard from recycled fibers.
  • Increased e-marketing to reduce printing and mailing of marketing brochures.
  • Reused boxes and packing material for shipments.
  • Electronic systems for processing faculty classroom , audio-visual set-ups and electronic course updates have reduced paper/fax use by nearly 100 percent.
  • Online registration has reduced paper/fax registration by over 50 percent.
  • Online testing has reduced paper testing by 100 percent

• Developed a Green Course curriculum that provides education and skills training in healthy homes and green construction.

• Launched a Green Certificate program at the Atlanta NTI to train practitioners in successful strategies for green building and sustainable design.

• Createed a Green Practices log of network affiliate green efforts to facilitate peer-to-peer training ofexperiences.

• Launched Green Grant programs to support the NeighborWorks network in green activities including: new construction; rehabilitation / renovation; and multifamily energy efficiency. To date $530,000 has been distributed. See press release.

• Developing a Greening Our Community course to focus on individual leadership skills, organizational capacity tools, and community impact possibilities of"green" action, programs, and projects.