Sponsor Needs

Sponsors may expect specific results from their partnership with a green living program (GLP). For example, the recycling department may need to see waste disposal savings equivalent to their GLP contribution, or the facilities office may need to see energy usage decline before it commits to continued funding. Your campus likely has ample opportunities for conservation, which should enable you to make a large reduction impact and stay adequately funded.

Regardless of the type or amount of conservation that is feasible, be sure to communicate with the sponsors up front about their needs from the GLP. While the GLP staff may prefer to calculate savings in terms of greenhouse gas reductions or other environmental terms, the sponsors will likely need to see financial returns to stay interested. Be ready to calculate data and assess the savings the GLP provides to its partners. However, the needs of the sponsors may include less tangible items, such as higher visibility among the campus population or suggestions on how to spread messages among students. Be ready and able to demonstrate efficacy in all your sponsors' areas of GLP interest.

Continue communicating with sponsors throughout the year to share information about what the GLP is doing to meet their needs, receive feedback and assess whether needs have changed. Keep sponsors updated about various GLP successes through steering group meetings and one-on-one contact. When trying to assess how well the program is meeting sponsors' needs, the best place to start is with the sponsors themselves. Most likely they are keeping track of their expenditures and any signs of payback. Work directly with sponsors to evaluate data together.