Diverse Funding Leads to Strong and Lasting Community Programs

How does your support help achieve our collective goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions?

We get it. In our society, people avoid talking about money. This is also true in the nonprofit sector. The nonprofit world rarely engages in clear and succinct conversations about an organization’s long-term funding strategy. Here at Ecology Action, we have invested in building long-term sustainability into our funding so that we can have an impact that lasts into the future. This change should be in the communities in which you live to promote a healthier planet, thriving communities, and a just transition away from greenhouse gas-emitting activities. A glance at our 2020 Impact Report reveals that we have a diverse revenue model built upon individual donations, corporate contributions through grants and sponsorship, foundation support, fee-for-service, and government grants and contracts. All of these sectors of our revenue stream keep Ecology Action sustainable and continuously able to deliver community impact, and they would not be possible without the support of those who contribute.

While there is no ideal “mix” for a healthy revenue model, we know that it is one that has some amount of diversity to buffer changes in revenue depending upon shifts in funders’ interest, government investments, or business opportunities for fee-for-service revenue. We also know that it means saving for a rainy day just like individuals do so that we can weather storms (changes in revenue streams) such as what we have seen during the pandemic and continue to have a lasting impact as we come out on the other side. Take local favorites like Bike Month and Bike to Work, which inspire new riders, motivate riders to ride more often, and reacquaint riders who have not ridden in years with the joy of biking. In other words, they help elevate the profile of biking in all aspects of our lives. These two programs are supported by government grants, business sponsors, individual donors with corporate matching, and community contributors who have been giving for years – all of whom believe in inspiring collective action and getting more folks on bikes, more often.
Thank you for being a part of our mission and helping our communities and our planet thrive.