Fundraising Guru!

Rock Environmental welcomes a fundraising expert to the team!

Jane B. Ford, M.Ed., uses practical skills to help non-profits achieve their missions. She bases her consulting work on over 30 years of experience working with community and faith based non-profits.  At Rock, she will be using her talents working with international conservation and wilderness foundations.

Jane is also a published author, her book, Get Grants Now, offers a helpful perspective on seeking foundation and corporate grants to support the mission of non-profits.  Her experience and conversational writing style combine to make this book both a useful tool and an enjoyable read!

At Rock, Jane helps non-profit clients develop creative marketing and fundraising plans, concentrated research and funder prospecting, and preparing corporate and foundation grant proposals.  The two words that clients consistently use to describe Jane are practical and inspirational! 

Foundation & Conservation Consulting. Rock Environmental. info@rockenvironmental.com

Green Stereotypes

A new national study of green consumers is busting the stereotypes about them: The environment is not their top concern, their kids are not influencing them to be green, and while many know what they should do to save the planet, they often don’t do it. As a result, messages aimed at them often fall on deaf ears ...

Our Green Living Pulse study published last week, and our PR team has done such a good job of boiling down a few of the key findings, that I’m literally stealing from their press release here.

First, though, a bit of context. Shelton Group conducts four national consumer studies a year to keep our finger on the pulse of shifting attitudes and behaviors around energy and the environment. We use these insights to fuel the development of our advertising and communications work for our clients.

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So we reached out to the 77 percent of the population identified as green buyers in the most recent Eco-Insights study of 30,000 consumers and probed deeper on knowledge vs. behaviors, attitudes and messaging responsiveness. Through the course of our study, we busted six big myths that marketers have long held true about green consumers:

1. Myth: Green consumers’ top concern is the environment.

When asked to identify their top concern, the economy, by far, is No. 1 (with 59 percent calling it their top concern) and the environment falls far behind (8 percent).

2. Myth: Green consumers’ main motivation when reducing their energy use is to save the planet.

When asked the most important reason to reduce energy consumption, 73 percent chose “to reduce my bills/control costs” and only 26 percent chose “to lessen my impact on the environment.”

3. Myth: Green consumers are all-knowledgeable about environmental issues.

For example, the survey asked, “From what you have read or heard about CO2 (carbon dioxide) please place a check beside any of the following statements you think are true.” Almost half (49 percent) chose the incorrect answer, “It depletes the ozone layer.”

4. Myth: Green consumers fall into a simple demographic profile.

While the study detected some demographic tendencies, it found that green consumers aren’t easily defined by their age, income or ethnicity. Instead, the survey found that green consumers generally share one of two mindsets. The Engaged Green Mindset is marked by optimism, extroversion, and a propensity to try new things -- and is more likely to respond to themes of innovation and possibility. The Mainstream Green Mindset is more pessimistic, introverted and apt to like things known and tried -- responding to themes of security and reliability.

5. Myth: Children play a big part in influencing their parents to be green.

Only 20 percent of respondents with children said their kids encouraged them to be greener -- promoting recycling and turning off the lights, for example.

6. Myth: If people just knew the facts they’d make greener choices.

Green Living Pulse shows that knowledge does not always lead to behavior. Individuals who answered all of the science questions correctly did report participating in a significantly higher average number of green activities -- such as driving a fuel-efficient car or lowering their thermostat. However, the 25-34 age group consistently answered the question correctly, yet, on average, their green activity levels were lower than those of older respondents.

The moral of the story is this: Many marketers and, frankly, advertising agencies, are stereotyping green consumers and embracing many of these myths as fact. If green messages were simply better targeted, more people would be buying green products, conserving electricity and doing more to save the planet. If you’ve got a green ad campaign in the market now and you don’t feel like it’s driving inquiries the way it should, it’s a good bet it’s because the campaign is founded on myth rather than fact.

Suzanne C. Shelton is founder, president and CEO of Shelton Group, an advertising agency focused exclusively on motivating mainstream consumers to make sustainable choices. She writes a blog at http://www.sheltongroupinc.com/blog/, where this piece originally appeared.

Kessler Canyon backs up green initiatives with honest actions.

PRESS RELEASE

Kessler Canyon employees hold a public information session on their sustainability and conservation plans.

De Beque, CO, May 25, 2009: The green industry is soured with trendy adjectives and warm-fuzzy marketing terms. As a result, often the ethical real-world approach to conservation and sustainability seems a bit watered down to the public. Refreshingly, this is not the case for Kessler Canyon! A beautiful 23,000 acre retreat and luxury guest lodge located outside of De Beque, approximately a 45 minute drive east from the Grand Junction Airport. At Kessler Canyon the employees are backing up their ‘green’ words with hard work, honest actions and a sincere commitment to community, environment, and business here in Colorado.

The employees of Kessler Canyon opened their doors to the public for an informational meeting on the company’s environmental and community initiatives. After about two months of work with conservation consulting firm, Rock Environmental, LLC, Kessler Canyon was proud to introduce to the community a new set of standards, operational activities, and policies that will create a more sustainable future for the company. The document presented was referred to as an Environmental Management System (EMS) within it describes the processes Kessler Canyon will take to minimize harmful environmental and community impacts and maximize positive conservation and cultural impacts.

The presentation was given by employees about several key aspects; all of which had clear objectives, goals, indicators to measure success, and plans to improve over time.

Employees
1. TRAINING: A comprehensive employee orientation and training schedule and manual was developed to continually improve staff knowledge and ability to communication information about conservation initiatives, operational objectives, native flora and fauna, and local culture and history to guests.
2. RESOURCE USAGE: The usage of water, amount of waste disposal, CO2 emissions, and energy usage by employees will now be monitored by management. Kessler Canyon seeks to create an industry standard/baseline of non-guest occupied areas and residences of employees that live onsite in order to keep track of usage, measure, evaluate and improve over time.
3. FOOD PROCUREMENT: The Head Chef is committed to purchasing products of natural, organic, local, wild harvested, minimally processed meats and produce. Kessler Canyon records and measures the amount of sustainable products in order to reach their desired percentage of the food procurement budget. This information is conveyed to guests either verbally or written in items like the menu.
4. SAFETY & LEAVE NO TRACE: Employees are committed to accurately and consistently provide clients with risks and safety information before all outdoor activities. Kessler Canyon believes in a “leave no trace” policy in regards to maintaining habitat used during activities and properly discarding waste created during such activities. The employees openly encourage guests to participate.
Guests/Clients
5. EDUCATION & AWARENESS: Kessler Canyon has a desire to inform guests about local history, culture, flora, wildlife, and their own personal commitments to conservation. Employees’ communication this through newsletter, the website, verbal interpretation onsite, and soliciting guest satisfaction surveys for ways to improve the presentation of their message.
6. RESOURCE USAGE: The usage of water, amount of waste disposal, CO2 emissions, and energy usage by employees will now be monitored by management. Kessler Canyon seeks to create an industry standard/baseline of all guest consumption in order to keep track of usage, measure, evaluate and improve over time.
Community
7. CHARITABLE DONATION: Kessler Canyon has committed to the Colorado Division of Wildlife to donate and host six, 3-day cow-elk hunts for kids from Colorado. Employees donate their time and knowledge to give Colorado children the opportunity to experience a true wilderness adventure.
Land
8. LAND IMPROVEMENT & MAINTENANCE: Kessler Canyon has created a baseline to evaluate the property and improve upon the percentage of land enhancements since the property was purchased in 2001. A percentage of the annual maintenance budget is designated to continually improve the stream, canyon, and mountain habitats for fish, bird, and other wildlife habitat.

After the employees gave their presentation, Dougald Scott, a resident of California and De Beque area land owner, shared with the audience a series of old photographs from the property that illustrated his family’s heritage and historical connection with the canyon. Scott’s personal narrative reiterated how important it is for Kessler Canyon to share these types of unique stories and history of the area to guests.

Wayne Klahn, Broker Associate of Colorado Heritage Real Estate Company and resident of De Beque, commented that “The presentation was impressive… It was a great concept to include the community.”

Guests enjoy the grandeur of Colorado’s mountains and wildlife in the ultimate mixture of luxury, adventure, and tranquility. The Guesthouse over looks a historical apple orchard, the trout-filled lakes, and the meandering Brush Creek nestled between 8,000 ft high mountains. The Guesthouse offers six private guest rooms, while the Homestead contains nine private guest rooms for accommodations of up to 30 people. With four-star amenities and services the stay is sure to please the guest seeking quiet relaxation or the guest craving exciting activity. Enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, fly fishing, clay shooting, four wheeling, photographic tours, big game hunting and wing shooting or simply relax and enjoy the Poseidon Spa, gourmet meals, the world-class Kessler art collection and the tranquil surroundings. The perfect destination for your next weekend away!

For more information, contact Kessler Canyon at (866) 548 3267 or visit them online at www.kesslercanyon.com.

About The Kessler Collection - Richard C. Kessler's luxury hotel collection includes the AAA Four-Diamond Beaver Creek Lodge in Beaver Creek, CO; the AAA Four-Diamond Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine, FL; the AAA Four-Diamond Celebration Hotel in Celebration, FL; the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville, NC; the AAA Four-Diamond Grand Bohemian Hotel in Orlando, FL; the AAA Four-Diamond El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa in Taos, NM; Kessler Canyon in De Beque, CO; the AAA Four-Diamond Mansion on Forsyth Park; Savannah, GA; Columbia Place luxury condominiums in Savannah, GA; and The Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront opening July 2009.
Kessler’s Grand Theme Hotel collection includes the Doubletree Castle Hotel in Orlando, FL and the Sundy House, a Kessler-managed property, in Delray Beach, FL.

For more information, visit www.kesslercollection.com.