Nonprofit Sustainability

Nonprofit Sustainability
Author: Jeanne Bell
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2010-11-05
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 047088696X

Praise for NONPROFIT SUSTAINABILITY "This is much more than a financial how-to book. It's a nonprofit's guide to empowerment. It demystifies mission impact and financial viability using The Matrix Map to provide strategic options for any organization. A must-read for every nonprofit CEO, CFO, and board member." —Julia A. McClendon, chief executive officer, YWCA Elgin, Illinois "This book should stay within easy reaching distance and end up completely dog-eared because it walks the reader through a practical but sometimes revelatory process of choosing the right mix of programs for mission impact and financial sustainability. Its use is a practice in which every nonprofit should engage its board once a year." —Ruth McCambridge, editor in chief, The Nonprofit Quarterly "Up until a few years ago, funding and managing a nonprofit was a bit like undertaking an ocean voyage. Now, it's akin to windsurfing—you must be nimble, prepared to maximize even the slightest breeze, and open to modifying your course at a moment's notice. Innovative executive directors or bold board members who want their organization to be able to ride the big waves of the new American economy must read this book." —Robert L. E. Egger, president, DC Central Kitchen/Campus Kitchens Project/V3 Campaign "Most nonprofits struggle to find a long-term sustainable business model that will enable them to deliver impact on their mission. Thanks to Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka, and Steve Zimmerman help is now in sight. This book offers practical, concrete steps you can take to develop your own unique path to sustainability without compromising your mission." —Heather McLeod Grant, consultant, Monitor Institute, and author, Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits "At last! An urgently needed framework to prepare leaders to meet head-on the persistent twin challenges of impact and sustainability. This is a practical tool based on good business principles that can bring boards and staff members together to lead their organizations to sustainable futures." —Nora Silver, adjunct professor and director, Center for Nonprofit and Public Leadership, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley "Together, Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka, and Steve Zimmerman equal wisdom, experience, and know-how on sustainability and lots of other things. Buy, read, and learn from this terrific book!" —Clara Miller, president and CEO, Nonprofit Finance Fund "Wisdom, experience, and know-how. Buy, read, and learn from this terrific book!" —Clara Miller, president and CEO, Nonprofit Finance Fund

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment for Decision-Making

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment for Decision-Making
Author: Jingzheng Ren
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 364
Release: 2019-11-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 012818356X

Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment for Decision-Making: Methodologies and Case Studies gives readers a comprehensive introduction to life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) methodology for sustainability measurement of industrial systems, proposing an efficiency methodology for stakeholders and decision-makers. Featuring the latest methods and case studies, the book will assist researchers in environmental sciences and energy to develop the best methods for LCA, as well as aiding those practitioners who are responsible for making decisions for promoting sustainable development. The past, current status and future of LCSA, Life Cycle Assessment method (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA), the methodology of LCSA, typical LCSA case studies, limitations of LCSA, and life cycle aggregated sustainability index methods are all covered in this multidisciplinary book. - Includes models for assessing sustainability in environmental, energy engineering and economic scenarios - Features case studies that help define the advantages and obstacles of real world applications - Presents a complete view, from theory to practice, of a life cycle approach by exploring the methods and tools of sustainability assessment, analysis and design of sustainability assessment

Sustainable Values, Sustainable Change

Sustainable Values, Sustainable Change
Author: Bryan G. Norton
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2015-12-16
Genre: Science
ISBN: 022619759X

“Systematically investigates the philosophical foundations of sustainable development in the context of the history of environmental policy. . . . Compelling.” —Choice Sustainability is a nearly ubiquitous concept today, but can we ever imagine what it would be like for humans to live sustainably on earth? One of the most trafficked terms in the press, on university campuses, and in the corridors of government, sustainability has risen to prominence as a buzzword before the many parties laying claim to it have agreed on how to define it. But the term’s political currency urgently demands that we develop an understanding of this elusive concept. While economists, philosophers, and ecologists argue about what in nature is valuable, and why, in Sustainable Values, Sustainable Change, Bryan Norton offers an action-oriented, pragmatic response to the disconnect between public and academic discourse around sustainability. Looking to the arenas in which decisions are made—and the problems driving these decisions—Norton reveals that the path to sustainability cannot be guided by fixed objectives; sustainability will instead be achieved through experimentation, incremental learning, and adaptive management. Drawing inspiration from Aldo Leopold’s famed metaphor of “thinking like a mountain” for a spatially explicit, pluralistic approach to evaluating environmental change, Norton outlines a new decision-making process guided by deliberation and negotiation across science and philosophy. Looking across scales to today’s global problems, Norton urges us to learn to think like a planet. “An excellent distillation of Norton’s extensive and groundbreaking work.” —Ben Minteer, Arizona State University, author of Refounding Environmental Ethics “Engaging and important.” —Sahotra Sarkar, University of Texas at Austin, author of Environmental Philosophy: From Theory to Practice

Working Toward Sustainability

Working Toward Sustainability
Author: Charles J. Kibert
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 592
Release: 2011-09-28
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1118105893

A comprehensive introduction to the ethics of sustainability for empowering professionals and practitioners in many different fields By building the framework for balancing technological developments with their social and environmental effects, sustainable practices have grounded the vision of the green movement for the past few decades. Now deeply rooted in the public conscience, sustainability has put its stamp on various institutions and sectors, from national to local governments, from agriculture to tourism, and from manufacturing to resource management. But until now, the technological sector has operated without a cohesive set of sustainability principles to guide its actions. Working Toward Sustainability fills this gap by empowering professionals in various fields with an understanding of the ethical foundations they need to promoting and achieving sustainable development. In addition, Working Toward Sustainability: Offers a comprehensive introduction to the ethics of sustainability for those in the technical fields whether construction, engineering, resource management, the sciences, architecture, or design Supports nine central principles using case studies, exercises, and instructor material Includes illustrations throughout to help bring the concepts to life By demonstrating that sustainable solutions tart with ethical choices, this groundbreaking book helps professionals in virtually every sector and field of endeavor work toward sustainability.

The Sustainability Mindset

The Sustainability Mindset
Author: Steve Zimmerman
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2014-10-13
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1118767357

The Matrix Map—a powerful tool for nonprofit strategic decision-making Nonprofit sustainability lies at the intersection of exceptional impact and financial viability. The Sustainability Mindset offers nonprofit professionals and board members a step-by-step guide to move your organization towards this intersection. As outlined in the bestselling book Nonprofit Sustainability, "The Matrix Map" is an accessible framework that combines financial and programmatic goals into an integrated strategy. In this next-step resource, the authors detail a rigorous process to develop a meaningful Matrix Map and engage leadership in setting an organization's strategy. Nonprofits that thrive in today's environment are adaptable with a clear understanding of their impact and business model. This book offers nonprofit boards and staff a framework to do so. Drawing on their in-depth experience, the authors provide an easy-to-follow process complete with tools and templates to help organizations visualize their business model and engage in strategic inquiry. The book provides a variety of illustrative examples to show how the Matrix Map works for all types of organizations. Nonprofit executives and board member are sure to benefit from The Matrix Map analysis. Offers step-by-step guidance for creating a Matrix-Map, a visual representation of an organization's business model Helps organizations assess how each of their programs contributes toward their desired impact and their financial bottom-line. Filled with compelling examples of how The Matrix Map helps nonprofits with strategic decision-making Written by the coauthors of the groundbreaking book Nonprofit Sustainability This comprehensive resource will give any nonprofit the framework they need to make decisions for sustainability and the templates and tools to implement it and help leaders address the challenges inherent in balancing mission impact with financial viability.

Decisions for Sustainability

Decisions for Sustainability
Author: Thomas Dietz
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 383
Release: 2023-06-08
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1009204025

Decisions by individuals, organisations, and nations shape the well-being of humans and other species, the environment, and sustainability. Decisions for Sustainability examines how we can make better decisions concerning our future. It incorporates sociological, psychological, and economic perspectives to highlight our strengths and weaknesses in decision-making, and suggest strategies to influence both individual and societal decisions. Sustainability challenges – from local land use and toxic contamination to climate change and biodiversity loss – illustrate how we can improve decision making and what factors lead to conflict. How we use science in the face of uncertainty is also examined, and a range of ethical criteria for good decisions are proposed. Emphasizing the need for diversity in decision making and clarifying the relationship between reform and societal transformation, this book provides a comprehensive view of what we know about decision-making, and how we can do better in the face of sustainability challenges.

Assessing and Measuring Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Assessing and Measuring Environmental Impact and Sustainability
Author: Jiří Jaromír Klemeš
Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
Total Pages: 608
Release: 2015-01-20
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0128022337

Assessing and Measuring Environmental Impact and Sustainability answers the question “what are the available methodologies to assess the environmental sustainability of a product, system or process?” Multiple well-known authors share their expertise in order to give a broad perspective of this issue from a chemical and environmental engineering perspective. This mathematical, quantitative book includes many case studies to assist with the practical application of environmental and sustainability methods. Readers learn how to efficiently assess and use these methods. This book summarizes all relevant environmental methodologies to assess the sustainability of a product and tools, in order to develop more green products or processes. With life cycle assessment as its main methodology, this book speaks to engineers interested in environmental impact and sustainability. Helps engineers to assess, evaluate, and measure sustainability in industry Provides workable approaches to environmental and sustainability assessment Readers learn tools to assess the sustainability of a process or product and to design it in an environmentally friendly way

Sustainability and the U.S. EPA

Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2011-09-08
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0309212553

Sustainability is based on a simple and long-recognized factual premise: Everything that humans require for their survival and well-being depends, directly or indirectly, on the natural environment. The environment provides the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Recognizing the importance of sustainability to its work, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been working to create programs and applications in a variety of areas to better incorporate sustainability into decision-making at the agency. To further strengthen the scientific basis for sustainability as it applies to human health and environmental protection, the EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to provide a framework for incorporating sustainability into the EPA's principles and decision-making. This framework, Sustainability and the U.S. EPA, provides recommendations for a sustainability approach that both incorporates and goes beyond an approach based on assessing and managing the risks posed by pollutants that has largely shaped environmental policy since the 1980s. Although risk-based methods have led to many successes and remain important tools, the report concludes that they are not adequate to address many of the complex problems that put current and future generations at risk, such as depletion of natural resources, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. Moreover, sophisticated tools are increasingly available to address cross-cutting, complex, and challenging issues that go beyond risk management. The report recommends that EPA formally adopt as its sustainability paradigm the widely used "three pillars" approach, which means considering the environmental, social, and economic impacts of an action or decision. Health should be expressly included in the "social" pillar. EPA should also articulate its vision for sustainability and develop a set of sustainability principles that would underlie all agency policies and programs.

Risks and Decisions for Conservation and Environmental Management

Risks and Decisions for Conservation and Environmental Management
Author: Mark Burgman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 516
Release: 2005-04-07
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780521543019

This book outlines how to conduct a complete environmental risk assessment. The first part documents the psychology and philosophy of risk perception and assessment, introducing a taxonomy of uncertainty and the importance of context. It provides a critical examination of the use and abuse of expert judgement and goes on to outline approaches to hazard identification and subjective ranking that account for uncertainty and context. The second part of the book describes technical tools that can assist risk assessments to be transparent and internally consistent. These include interval arithmetic, ecotoxicological methods, logic trees and Monte Carlo simulation. These methods have an established place in risk assessments in many disciplines and their strengths and weaknesses are explored. The last part of the book outlines some new approaches, including p-bounds and information-gap theory, and describes how quantitative and subjective assessments can be used to make transparent decisions.

Sustainability

Sustainability
Author: Paul B. Thompson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2021-01-12
Genre: Science
ISBN: 019088326X

While politicians, entrepreneurs, and even school children could tell you that sustainability is an important and nearly universal value, many of them, and many of us, may struggle to define the term, let alone trace its history. What is sustainability? Is it always about the environment? What science do we need to fully grasp what it requires? What does sustainability mean for business? How can governments plan for a sustainable future? This short, accessible book written in the signature question-and-answer format of the What Everyone Needs to Know® series tackles these and numerous other questions. Sustainability is a porous topic, which has been adapted and reshaped for developing ecological models, improving corporate responsibility, setting environmental and land-use policies, organizing educational curricula, and reimagining the goals of governance and democracy. Where other treatments of this topic tend to focus on just one application of sustainability, this primer encompasses everything from global development and welfare to social justice and climate change. With chapters that discuss sustainability in the contexts of profitable businesses, environmental risks, scientific research, and the day-to-day business of local government, it gives readers a deep understanding of one of the most essential concepts of our time. Bringing to bear experience in natural resource conservation, agriculture, the food industry, and environmental ethics, authors Paul B. Thompson and Patricia E. Norris explain clearly what sustainability means, and why getting it right is so important for the future of our planet.