Get to Know Global Non-Profits

Let me first begin today's blog by apologizing for the long hiatus.  I missed this site and One Tribe Creative like the deserts miss the rain.  

Now that my sabbatical is over, I would like to introduce you to five global non-profits that represent the diversity of global regions and causes, have proven track records of accountability and results, and possess no political or religious connections or agendas. In other words, these global non-profits are making our planet a better place.

Child Helpline International

Child Helpline International is a global network of phone numbers that helps protect 11 million children each year in more than 150 countries.  By connecting children to services that already exist, this powerful resource supports the most marginalized children all over the world. Street children, victims of child labor or sexual abuse, or disabled children can call a toll-free number anytime, anywhere for any reason, and CHI acts as a one-point contact that facilitates instant access to support, advice, active intervention or just a listening ear.

Global Village of Beijing

Given the harsh environmental realities in China, Global Village of Beijing (GVB) was established in 1996 as a mechanism through which government, nonprofit organizations and businesses can work together for the environment and to help the public understand its role in this environmental movement. One of the first nongovernmental organizations allowed in China, GVB has risen to international recognition: In 2000, Sheri Liao, founder of GVB, received the Sophie Prize for environmental action and also became environmental adviser to the Beijing Olympic Committee. GVB’s main projects include the production of television programs about environmental issues, organizing media workshops and journalist forums, developing green communities, and hosting public activities on sustainable development and consumption.

Grassroot Soccer

All the loyal readers of this blog will be familiar with this non-profit.  For those who might have missed the numerous blogs we've posted, Grassroot Soccer is a South-Africa based non-governmental organization that integrates the cross-cultural appeal of soccer with evidence-based HIV prevention and life skills programs that equip African youth with the knowledge, skills, and support to live HIV free.  Grassroot Soccer aims to educate over 1 million your by World Cup 2010.

Peace Jam

After discovering an appreciation for Desmund Tutu's nonviolent efforts in a Denver Latino gang, PeaceJam founder Suvanjieff envisioned envisioned a foundation in which Nobel Peace Price laureates work shoulder to shoulder inspiring youth.  PeaceJam, launched in 1996 in Denver, connects youth with Nobel Peace laureates to inspire them to initiate global service projects.  So far, more than 1 million global service projects have been launched by 600,000 youth.  The projects help youth make a positive change in themselves and their communities and the world.

WaterPartners International

WaterPartners' vision: the day when everyone in the world can take a safe drink of water.  A U.S.-based non-profit organization, WaterPartners provides clean drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries.  Since its inception in 1990, WaterPartners has transformed hundreds of communities in Bangladesh, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Honduras, Guatemala, India, Kenya, and the Philippines with access to clean water and sanitation.  By forging partnerships with carefully-screened partner organizations and offering innovative financing methods through its WaterCredit Initiative, WaterPartners empowers local communities to develop and sustain solutions to their own water needs.

So why these non-profits and not others?  If you feel we need to tell another non-profit's story, let us know.  Until then, there is more on these non-profits later this week...

Tip of the Hat: Grassroot Soccer United

One Tribe Creative would like to give a big congratulations to Ethan Zohn, international-soccer player turned winner of Survivor: Africa, who finished his 500 mile trek from Boston, Mass. to Washington D.C. while dribbling a soccer ball to raise awareness for his non-profit organization, Grassroot Soccer. Have a look:

In 2002 Grassroot Soccer was created after realizing the connections that soccer creates between people. Based on an interactive soccer-themed HIV prevention curriculum, Grassroot Soccer hosts 8-week camps in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia that provide children aged 10 – 18 with the knowledge, life-skills and support to live HIV-free. 

Grassroots Soccer is striving to enlist 1.25 million African youths into the program by 2010.  To date, approximately 3,000 students have successfully completed the program.

One Tribe Creative and Grassroot Soccer have teamed up for a special venture that will begin in January. More on that later....

Sprig Toys Getting the Holiday Nudge

One Tribe Creative client and Fort Collins-based toy company Sprig Toys was featured on The Today Show for their environmentally responsible all-terrain toy vehicles.  These road-rides are not only comprised of recycled wood and recovered plastic, but also use kid's kinetic energy to power the bells and whistles.  Have a look:

Also, Laura M., editor of BabyBuyProducts.com guided me to a very informative podcast with Sprig Toys co-founder Justin Discoe on his progression from matchbox car maker to creating a line of toys that are socially and environmentally responsible.

Everyone here at One Tribe Creative have got their Sprig Eco-Trucks for the little ones and they love em'!

One Tribe Creative is Decking the Halls With Sustainability

With holiday season in full swing, sustainability can get lost in the plum pudding. Allow One Tribe Creative's fourth newsletter to lend a helping hand during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

 Click here to go to newsletter!

In this issue, we highlight three companies that provide gifts and guides for your own sustainable sleigh ride. From green body care to toys that Santa would be proud to have in his bag, these organizations are all on the “good” list.  

Do you have any suggestions for green gifts?  Let One Tribe Creative know!

Tip of the Hat: Sprig Toys and Envirofit

All of us here at One Tribe Creative would like to send some congrats over to two of our clients who have received awards honoring their sustainable and socially-responsible practices.

First up, Fort Collins based start-up Sprig Toys, an eco-friendly toy company that utilizes recycled wood and reclaimed plastic to build their products, was presented with the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio 2009 Platinum Award and The National Parenting Center's 2009 Seal of Approval.

The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio was founded in 1989 as the only independent consumer review of children's media.

"Sprig vehicles deliver," announced Stephanie Oppenheim, of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, calling the toys "a new, truly green collection of vehicles that are just right for the preschool set."

On top of that, Sprig Toys will be featured in WIRED Magazine's store in New York City starting Nov. 21. If you find yourself in the big apple, get your little one a big Sprig rig.

Another client of ours, Envirofit, had their co-founder and vice president of operations, Tim Bauer, collect one of ten Rolex Awards for Enterprise for the company's work in developing countries.  

Bauer and Envirofit were selected out of 1,500 applicants in over 120 countries to receive the award which comes with a cool $100,000 check.  

Envirofit produces clean-burning indoor cooking ovens as well as two-stroke retrofit engines.

"On behalf of the entire team at Envirofit, I am honored to receive this award from Rolex," Bauer said in a statement. "Over 2.4 million people die each year from air pollution-attributed illnesses. Our plan is to use the Rolex Award to develop additional markets, thus increasing Envirofit's positive impact on lives and the environment to the greatest extent."

Congratulations!

Green Inventions of 2008

One Tribe Creative, Fort Collins CO - 

Time Magazine has released its Top 50 Inventions of 2008, and while there are your usual robots, invisibility cloaks, and pop-culture movements, over 20 percent of the inventions involve sustainability and the environment.  Here is a quick breakdown:

#7 - The Chevy Volt - Our normal car batteries are still too cavemanish to get us off gasoline completely, but the Chevy Volt's battery can provide up to 40 miles of driving a day.  Seeing as though 80% of Americans drive under 40 miles a day, it is a good start to a greener drive.

#11 -  Green Crude - Researchers at Arizona State University have been working on ridding carbon from petroleum by incorporating algae into the crude. These researchers might get Time Magazine credit, but I gotta give a shout out to Solix Biofuels and Blue Sun Biodiesel for working on this movement as well.

#25 - Thin Film Solar Panels - Currently most solar panels are baked up in batches.  Nanosolar, a San Diego based start-up has found a way to produce paper-thin solar panels that can be manufactured on a assembly-line-like printing press.  

#35 - Airborne Wind Power - Sky Windpower, yet another San Diego company on the list, is attempting to go top shelf into the Earth's atmosphere to harness the Superman-strength jet stream winds.  Sky Windpower has invented giant wind-turbine kites that can be placed into the troposphere to generate power.  Just watch out for those giant, commercial airplanes.

#37 - Smog-Eating Cement - While there is the phrase, "Smog is the reason for Los Angeles' beautiful sunsets," most people are against smog.  That is why Italian engineers have incorporated a photo-catalyzer (titanium dioxide for you Einstein types) into cement.  Using this cement in certain areas has yielded a 60 percent decrease in smog.

#41  - The Peraves Monotracer - This two-person vehicle might seem like it came straight-out of Minority Report or Doc Brown's lab, but this sustainable whip features wind-shield wipers, air conditioning and is energy-efficient: its BMW engine, goes from zero to 62 m.p.h. in 4.8 sec. (100 km/h), and gets about 65 m.p.g. (28 km/L).  

#46 - The Aptera Electric Car - George Jetson would be proud to roll up to Spacely's Sprockets in this ride.  All-electric (120 miles on a full charge) and quick (an acceleration of zero to 60 in under 10 seconds), the Apter Electric Car is a trailblazer on sustainable transportation.  

So what can we expect in 2009?  What do you want in 2009?  One Tribe Creative will continue to be on the lookout.

Social Responsibility and Sustainability: Who's walking the walk?

Step into any store, pick up a magazine, or surf the Internet, and bam! … eco-friendly advertising everywhere! “Green” is the most overused word in marketing today, associated with companies from petroleum to pet food. But are all of these companies socially responsible, committed to sustainable practices? Or are some just “greenwashing” their way to financial gains and goodwill?

It’s clear that an authentic, socially responsible company has a marketing edge. While the economy wavers, consumers are increasingly selective about where their money goes. They value sustainability — in fact, 67 percent of American consumers say that a company’s social responsibility is extremely influential in deciding to buy a product or service from that company (Fleishman-Hilliard/National Consumers League Study, 2007).

It’s also clear that stretching “green” truths is prevalent, causing consumers to be increasingly skeptical, not knowing whom they can trust to do the right thing. That’s why it’s critical that good organizations tell their stories right. If they don’t convincingly communicate their commitment to sustainability, they risk getting lost in the clamor of players vying for a piece of the “green” pie, or worse, being labeled a “greenwasher.”

Paul Jensen and One Tribe Creative believe social responsibility and sustainability are synonymous, with both built on a triple bottom line — environmental, social, and economic. “Advertising and marketing efforts should never exploit these ideals. There is a fine line between employing truly sustainable practices and falsely promoting environmental efforts to increase a fiscal bottom line,” Jensen says.

For those companies that have a real story to tell, One Tribe Creative stresses the importance of honesty, credibility and transparency in marketing and advertising. By telling the stories of its clients in this manner, One Tribe has helped them improve market share, turning global consumers into believers who actively support the companies’ products and services.

We have one planet and one chance. Let’s work together to write the story of a better world.