A more sustainable outlook

SLIP, an educational non-profit in Spokane dedicated to building a stronger sustainable future for Spokane, recently made a change for the better. Formed in 2005, SLIP — Sustainable Local Investment Partners — initially hoped to find ways for local unaccredited investors to put their money to work growing green businesses and green jobs in Spokane. has been contributing to the local landscape by helping business owners understand the value of the triple bottom line (consider people, planet and profit) in strengthening their market position. SLIP even received the 2011 Catalyst Award recipient for Clean/Green Organization of the Year and was obviously doing things right. However the name didn’t necessarily reflect the organization’s mission. “It really didn’t have a positive connotation” said Susanne Croft, executive director and certified sustainability professional of the group now called Sustainable Resources Inland Northwest. “No one could remember what SLIP stood for.” In 2011, the group decided the original Sustainable Local Investment Partners no longer accurately encompassed the scope of its services, which have definitely broadened and refocused since its inception. Croft and a group of friends met to discuss how they could put more money to work locally by encouraging investment in green businesses. “As time went by, we realized while there was a lot of interest, there weren’t a lot of green businesses to invest in,” said Croft. Spokane really started taking an interest in the ‘greener’ side of things in 2008, and SLIP followed suit in 2009 by helping businesses interested in becoming more environmentally friendly but either didn’t have the knowledge or the resources. Croft and other board members started meeting with business owners and figuring out areas where business efficiency could be improved to lead to greater sustainability. Now called Sustainable Resources INW, the new name gets right to the heart of what the organization is all about. “What we’re working for is a stronger community…sowing those seeds of change,” Croft said. Using S-CORE (Sustainability, Competency, Opportunity, Reporting and Evaluation), a proprietary sustainability assessment tool, businesses are rated on the extent to which they’re embedding sustainable practices into all different aspects of their business. While most business owners may think of energy efficiency and recycling when it comes to sustainability, S-CORE helps businesses look at all functional aspects of a business, including accounting and human resources, and how those departments can help to achieve the organization’s sustainability goals. “It’s not so much from a ‘tree-hugger’ stance but from a business stance,” said Croft. “While evaluating business practices for efficiencies and cost savings, we’re also helping them to become more comfortable with transparency and are preparing them for local green investors.” Originally on hold, the investing/matchmaking aspect of the non-profit is finally coming to fruition, as the number of sustainable businesses has increased in the past couple of years, and owners are coming forward seeking investment capital. At the same time, investors are eager to invest. “Local investing is a way to keep our money working locally to support local businesses,” Croft said in an earlier interview. “You’re investing in more than just your own financial stability. You’re also investing in the future resilience of your community, which is what sustainability is all about.” Once a business’ eligibility is determined, educational opportunities and financing assistance is available through Sustainable Resources INW’s consortium of local agencies and organizations including the City of Spokane, Avista, and the State Department of Ecology, local financial institutions such as Numerica and Spokane Teachers Credit Union and non-profits including SNAP Financial Access and Community-Minded Enterprises. Sustainable Resources also helps a business track their progress over time with a sustainability planning tool called SPaRK. The tool measures performance, impacts and return on investment. “We formed as a non-profit because we’re motivated more by outcomes than income, and we value the power of partnerships to effect change,” said Croft.