What are some ways to make your community outreach program more environmentally sustainable?

1 Assess your impact

Before you start or improve your community outreach program, you need to assess how it affects the environment. You can use tools like the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or the Social Return on Investment (SROI) to measure the environmental and social costs and benefits of your activities. You can also conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups with your stakeholders to get their feedback and suggestions. By assessing your impact, you can identify the areas where you can reduce your environmental footprint and increase your social value.

2 Choose green partners

One of the easiest ways to make your community outreach program more environmentally sustainable is to choose partners who share your values and goals. You can collaborate with local organizations, businesses, or institutions that have a proven track record of environmental responsibility and innovation. You can also look for partners who offer green products, services, or solutions that can help you achieve your objectives. For example, you can partner with a renewable energy company to power your events, a recycling company to manage your waste, or a social enterprise to support your beneficiaries.

3 Adopt eco-friendly practices

Another way to make your community outreach program more environmentally sustainable is to adopt eco-friendly practices in your planning and execution. You can use digital platforms, tools, or apps to communicate, coordinate, and monitor your activities, reducing the need for paper, printing, or travel. You can also use reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable materials for your promotional items, giveaways, or packaging. You can also encourage your staff, volunteers, and participants to adopt green habits, such as using public transportation, carpooling, or biking to your events, bringing their own water bottles or cups, or donating unused items to charity.

4 Educate and inspire

A final way to make your community outreach program more environmentally sustainable is to educate and inspire your audience and community about the importance and benefits of environmental stewardship. You can use your platform, channels, or events to raise awareness, share information, or showcase best practices about environmental issues, challenges, or solutions. You can also invite experts, influencers, or role models to speak, demonstrate, or mentor your audience and community about how they can make a difference. You can also create opportunities for your audience and community to participate, engage, or contribute to environmental causes, projects, or campaigns.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?