Supporting your future by supporting us

By Grey Lee, Executive Director

Green Building Advocates, 

I am stuffed from the recent holiday…but I am still hungry!

We have so much work to do. And now it's #GivingTuesday. Allow me to ask for your help, yet again.

I hope that you all had a great long weekend of giving thanks and connecting with loved ones. I can only imagine the diversity of discourse at your Thanksgiving tables. We are a creative bunch, and our families reflect the pluralism of the country. I love talking up green buildings with my less-green relatives. Our mission and programming is notably supported by all facets of our society. 

We connect voices and offer a market-smart solution which provides broad community benefits.

Green buildings mean more jobs, more skilled workers, less money out the door for operating expenses, and better investments. Green b uildings also mean: healthier buildings, decreased GHG emissions, more resilient designs and stronger, more inclusive cities. 

Our mission and the impact of our organization is so expansive and deep rooted that when examined, we should be at the top of any charitable giving list. I know it may sound presumptive, but green buildings really are “the answer” to a lot of things we are concerned about!

Our mission addresses the 40% of GHG emissions which come from buildings – an eminently practical solution to a global crisis. O ur mission promotes significantly healthier indoor environments where Americans spend 90% of their time – with the potential to decrease many health risks. 

Green building will account for $13.6 billion in contribution to GDP; 155,000 jobs; $9.12 billion in labor earnings; and $279 million in tax revenue by 2018. If you are involved with our organization and reading this, you are most likely part of these numbers. 

We often refer to green buildings as high performance buildings, designs consisting of many technological advances offering exceptional results. It's exciting to be a part of the future of real estate!

What we see green buildings being is the harmony of leadership at many different levels. Clients, who see the value of building efficient, healthy and socially equitable structures as a reflection of the ir corporate values; designers pushing the limit of traditional design norms and code as the base standard; manufacturers showing leadership by re-engineering their products to support values at all points in their life-cycle; and occupants for demanding a revolution in the building industry. 

The USGBC MA is the only organization which is working to connect all these voices, provide market solutions , and take significant steps towards responding to the honest concerns you may have voiced or heard voiced at the Thanksgiving table.

Can you help us take it to the next level? Can you help us with the massive task of transforming our built environment for net positive results?  
 
Our organization can only work at the pace of our funding, so we ask you now, in the spirit of Giving Tuesday, in the spirit of the holidays, in the spirit of not letting another lousy building go up ever again, please support our work.
 
With your support in the past year, we organized hundreds of hours of volunteer service. We educated and inspired thousands of event attendees with green building content. We raised the solar net metering caps, supported net-zero municipal policy and successfully passed legislation for Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) in our advocacy work. Massachusetts went from #5 to #3 in the union for LEED per square foot. We supported industry-transforming research at Harvard connecting green buildings to improved cognitive function, and we built coalitions of allies to expand our influence in real estate, academia, building operations, solar deployment and the general environmental advocacy community.

If this resonates with you, please donate.
 
We are asking for everyone to donate: the amount is up to you. The challenge of transforming the building sector is daunting, and we are needed now more than ever. We value your support and will continue to serve you through our mission. Thank you for being an engaged member of our community. 

Best wishes,

Grey