Co-op America
Aligning Action with Ideals for a More Sustainable World
Until renewable energy, fair trade, organic agriculture, and socially responsible investing are embraced by mainstream America, especially Wall Street, people who want to create a sustainable world need a place to turn for information and action on these and other important green topics. Co-op America provides individuals and businesses with tools and resources to build a responsible economy, giving people ways to be more informed and take collective action to encourage corporate responsibility and to support a growing green marketplace. “Thanks to Co-op America for pulling together so much information on how to live green,” says one of Co-op America’s 65,000 members. “I feel very empowered, like maybe I can make a difference, even though I am just one person. Now my money talks.”
Co-op America’s mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. Some of their campaigns and successes include: moving $1 billion into underserved communities through Co-op America’s Community Investing Program; providing hundreds of thousands of consumers with alternatives to big business through the National Green Pages™ and Green Pages Online; and organizing annual Green Festival conferences in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., that attract about 50,000 people each year.
A recent grant from a donor advised fund at RSF increased Co-op America’s capacity to further its education and outreach, create more sophisticated tools on the Internet, and develop social entrepreneurial strategies. “It is wonderful to be working with RSF,” said Alisa Gravitz, executive director of Co-op America. “Our missions of mobilizing economic strategies for a just, sustainable world align so powerfully. The financial support and the collaboration that comes out of this alliance make lasting social change. Thank you!”
For more information about Co-op America’s work and publications, please visit www.coopamerica.org. For more information about Green Festival, please visit www.greenfestival.org.
Friday, March 31st, 2006