SuROI: Impact Calculated Posted on November 7, 2016 by wpengine The results are in! Remember when we said someone can measure the social and environmental impact beyond the market-value of itemized goods? Well, now we have proof! Check out the summary of how we applied a Sustainable Return on Investment (SuROI) process in this one-pager, which presents the social and ecological value of our ReClaim McKeesport Ambassador Program completed in 2015. If you don't know what we're talking about yet, get caught up on the terms by reading our last blog on measuring intangibles. Questions? Email e.sing@gtechstrategies.org and stay…Read More
Check out our new site! Posted on November 3, 2016 by Grounded Strategies As you may have noticed, we have a super awesome, newly updated website that was re-designed for us by Pittsburgh-based Imagebox (they're awesome, by the way). We're loving our revamped site. We asked GTECH staff one rainy Thursday what their favorite thing about the new website was. Here's what they said: Sarah - "The Instagram feed!" We've also got a twitter and Facebook feed, and you can see our upcoming events and recent blogs - keep track of all of…Read More
Welcome Tom! An Interview with GTECH’s Newest PULSE Fellow Posted on October 21, 2016 by wpengine This month, the GTECH family gained another member. We are proud to welcome Tom Mulholland to the GTECH team. Tom is a participant in PULSE (Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience) an organization that places talented university graduates with partners at Pittsburgh nonprofits in order to develop the next generation of servant leaders in our city. Between conducting outreach for the Blight Bootcamp Conference and revamping the Lots to Love website, Tom has been pretty busy in his first few weeks. Luckily, we were able to…Read More
What’s in a name? Posted on October 10, 2016 by Grounded Strategies This blog was authored by GTECH Project Associate Kate Hancock. Email Kate at k.hancock@gtechstrategies.org. The basics of SuROI Sustainable Return On Investment social + environmental = SuROI You may be familiar with the term “ROI” or “return on investment” (a measure of the amount of return on an investment relative to the investment’s cost) but have you heard of SuROI? Sustainable return on investment, or SuROI for short, measures -- you got it -- the sustainable return on an investment.…Read More
Build places people will love Posted on October 7, 2016 by Grounded Strategies Kaid Benfield, author of the new book, People Habitat: 25 Ways to Think About Greener, Healthier Cities, and one of the the "most influential people in sustainable planning and development" (Partnership for Sustainable Communities), came to Pittsburgh to tell us about ways that we can make cities healthier. Here are 4 of my favorites: It's not just about 'cities' Kaid stressed the importance of thinking bigger - and smaller - than cities. Regions are the way we live. Neighborhoods are where we encounter our environment…Read More
Help Wanted: Must Have Gumption Posted on September 13, 2016 by wpengine Edward Abbey wrote that “Language makes a mighty loose net with which to go fishing.” Well, I believe we are all in the business of fishing - for that reason “gumption” is perhaps the closest thing to a verbal harpoon that I can think of when describing the qualities I aspire for and consider necessary for effective leadership. After 10 years of start-up, organizational growth, and evolution filled with countless moments of inspiration, joy, and gratitude, I am proud to…Read More
Intern Goodbye! Posted on August 12, 2016 by wpengine This post was written by our Alcoa Foundation summer interns on their last day. We're so lucky to have had them this summer! Yes, there were casualties -- we regret to report that paint got on kids’ shoes, shirts, and shorts. Other than those few incidents (which the kids probably view not as incidents, but as moments of sheer joy), "Learn, Climb, and Grow in Wilkinsburg" at the Green Playce at the Hosanna House went very well. In some ways…Read More
Introducing Shy Posted on June 29, 2016 by wpengine Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming Shy to the team for the summer as a design intern. She'll be working mostly with our Green Playces team. We asked Shy to tell us a little more about herself, and wanted to share what she wrote with you too: My name is Shynika Deandrae Stokes, but you can call me Shy. I am originally from Orangeburg, South Carolina, a small college town where the majority of the residents works at various industrial…Read More
We’re in for GWC 4.0! Posted on June 14, 2016 by wpengine GTECH Strategies is excited to participate again in the Pittsburgh Green Workplace Challenge, a local competition put on by Sustainable Pittsburgh to recognize and encourage sustainable achievements by businesses and organizations. Even though we have a green and healthy environment in mind when designing our projects, the Green Workplace challenge encouraged us to look internally at our office behaviors and policies and make them even greener. If you remember last year, GTECH’s hard work and dedication led us to victory…Read More
We Want To Hear From You! Posted on February 5, 2016 by wpengine When you’re planning a trip to a new city and are trying to decide where to eat, you likely check out Yelp reviews to find the best restaurant at the lowest cost. When you’re trying to decide whether to purchase that self-watering planter on Amazon, you might first scroll to the bottom of the page and see what others have thought of it. Online reviews drive so much of our purchasing decisions these days; even the comedian Aziz Ansari has…Read More
Two Great Jobs, One New Organization! Posted on January 19, 2016 by wpengine After a great deal of research in preparation with our partners, we here at GTECH are thrilled we spread the word about not one but TWO awesome job openings at a brand new Pittsburgh organization. A snippet from the job descriptions below should provide a few hints as to why we're so excited (and hope you are too!): After nearly 2 years of planning, national best practice benchmarking and site visits, and significant outreach, a collaborative effort between six non-profits has given…Read More
Combining the Giving Power of Individuals with Companies Posted on December 20, 2015 by wpengine An estimated $6 to $10 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed per year. - Double the Donation The GTECH Social Capital Council is a cadre of energetic and socially conscious professionals who actively support and promote GTECH. It is a way for those who don’t necessarily work in the social sector to connect with community development activities, green economy issues and other sustainability projects. Council members promote and support GTECH through projects, events and contributions. We find that many…Read More