Toronto's Evergreen Brick Works, a community environment centre located along the Don Valley, received media attention this week when a reporter from journalism incubator Student Reporter spoke with EBW's co-founder Geoff Cape. In a piece that explored the role of environmental preservation in the concrete jungle, Cape is quoted as saying, "Cities need natural spaces. Not just manicured parks, but ecosystems."
What makes EBW so alluring is not only its copious ravines, local markets, and community-based programs, but also its innovation. The article reports that the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management is writing a case study to further examine how EBW is "bringing nature to the city" in part by connecting environmentalists and businesses. Not to mention the non-profit's commitment to preservation.
"EBW also strives to affect change at the macro level by testing innovative design principles, and sharing lessons learned through their implementation. The revitalized space is itself a showcase of green design, as Evergreen is headquartered in a LEED Platinum addition constructed on the industrial heritage site," the article says. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is the standard for how Canada measures a building's efficiency. Platinum is the highest certification a building can receive.
Evergreen Brick Works has several revenue streams that don't rely on government grants, sponsorships or donations. This previous method of operation preventing the non-profit from reaching its full potential as it was required to operate on a project-to-project basis. They turned instead to hosting events and renting space to like-minded organizations, developing local markets, and offering paid parking to subsidize a significant portion of their operational budget.
"The
social enterprise model," Cape says in the article, "has allowed us to nearly double in size and feed cross cutting support functions like technology, human resources, finance, and marketing. It's given us a degree of confidence and control over our operations, and has introduced us to a range of other networks and relationships."
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Original Source: The Huffington Post