1. “Thinking Holistically”
Deepening Your Work
“Thinking Holistically”

2. Going Deeper? What Does That Mean?
Nakia will lead and Ally will chime in
What do these images portray to you?
Inclusion:
Think about your marketing materials
Importance of Inclusion: More Voices, More Change!

3. Program Restructure Nakia will lead
Quote from Congressman, the more people that call, the more we listen.
Self check- why are those who look like me attending this meeting? Who has a vested interest in this project?
Sample Restructure Ideas:
Food market staff representing cultures that live in the community
Providing educational resources on how to cook food sold at the food market the day before the market is held.
Asking culinary partner to do a demonstration at the market cooking traditional meals served within the community.
Evening and/or Weekend Meetings
Potlock
Translators
Invite Key Community Leaders from Target Community to attend organizing meeting
Ask political representatives to include the event in their newsletter

4. For Example…
CASE STUDIES
Ally on this and expand these slides

5. Who are they?
Partnership of providers of homeless services and low-income people, in central Massachusetts, serving the second largest cohort of homeless individuals in New England.
Mission
To reduce the carbon footprint and energy costs associated with the buildings serving the extremely low-income people of New England’s second largest urban area by utilizing an array of financing, grants, and state programs to implement a comprehensive energy reduction strategy
To educate about the long-term reduction of energy costs as a measure to sustain social safety nets in similar communities
To provide advocacy through a group of low-income people and their allies working to adapt better energy measures in cities, increase eligibility and production, and foster innovation in energy programs affecting low-income people in our communities

6. Worcester’s Success Stories
Worcester Green Low Income Housing Coalition holds meetings to co-create with stakeholders
They take advocacy work to key regulators
Others build energy infrastructure for Massachusetts
For example…The Dismas House, a Worcester housing facility for homeless individuals and ex-offenders, received air sealing services with attic insulation which saved 19% on annual heating – roughly $11,000
This model reduces overhead costs to put more money into programs that matter

7. Aquidneck Community Table
ACT gathers together the people and organizations of Aquidneck Island that share concern for our food system: from access to healthy local food for all to growing more in our region, we work to foster awareness and understanding of the vital relationships between health, environment, agriculture and a thriving local economy.

8. Think globally, ACT locally!
Food Mapping
Map of resources from gardens, to markets, to local restaurants
ACT Local Food Challenge
Encourage local food production and awareness of the local foods on the Island (& where you can buy them!)
Community Garden Initiative
Why are gardens awesome?
How does this garden ‘go deeper’?

9. Resources
1st: Identify the different cultural groups within your community.
2nd: Contact community leaders within those groups informing them of your mission and asking them to become involved.
3rd: Provide a safe space for dialog.
Examples:
School Office/Website measures diversity
State Office of Diversity
State Office of New Americans
Nonprofit Organizations working in target communities, i.e. churches, farmers markets in target neighborhood, etc.
Nakia

10. Trainings & Tools Dollars Stories Collaboratives
Ally
Trainings & Tools
Dollars
Stories
Collaboratives

11. Guiding Values
Nakia and Ally

12. New England Grassroots Environment Fund Small Grants Program
$250 - $1,000
rolling online application
dedicated to help innovative, largely volunteer groups launch projects and build the group.
$5,000
Currently invitation-only
Geared towards groups working at the regional level
Seed – Ally
Grow – Nakia
Harvest – Ally
$1,000 - $3,500
online application deadline: March 15 & September 15
dedicated to help established groups increase capacity, collaborate, and leverage impact.

13. Seed & Grow Eligibility Criteria
3+ core volunteers
No more than two paid full-time staff equivalents
Annual operating budget <$100,000
Groups must reside in CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
Local efforts!
We do not fund regional, statewide, or national projects through Seed or Grow
Ally

14. Support Beyond the $$ Fiscal Sponsorship Tools Stories Collaboratives
All NEGEF grantees are eligible to apply for fiscal sponsorship
Tools
Root Skills Training
Technical and process training webinars
On-Demand Workshops
Retreats
Stories
Promotion of groups’ work through Feature Stories, Pep Talk Videos, Project Profiles, RootShare newsletter
Collaboratives
Connections to other local groups working on similar projects as well as to resources, experts, and partners working across states and issue areas
Ally

15. Contact Us!
Ally Philip, Program Administrator Nakia Navarro, Program Coordinator