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Ecodana - where poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability meet
A recent report from the U.N. announced that eco-farming can double food output by the
poor. Earlier, the organization stated that we were on the brink of committing “global suicide” unless we ensure sustainable, climate-resilient green growth.
Ecodana is a non-profit social enterprise that stands right at this nexus: where poverty alleviation and environmental sustainability meet.
“We seek out small, grassroots, green projects in developing countries,” said Marc Henrich, founder of Ecodana, “Because we want to maintain the health of our planet, we believe the only way to do that is by helping people better their lives in self-empowering and environmentally-friendly ways.”
Ecodana is a San Francisco-based non-profit social enterprise whose mission is to improve the lives of the poor in rural areas around the world by facilitating funding for sustainable projects in their communities.
Unlike other organizations ,which follow a similar model of funding projects through online donation and fundraising partnerships, Henrich is personally involved with every aspect of his service. He corresponds regularly with people running projects on-the-ground throughout the fundraising and project phases and after completion to make sure goals have been met, and more importantly that people have been positively affected.
“Because we are a small, boutique organization, we carefully select projects based on their compatibility with our mission,” said Henrich, “We only fund green projects that focus on small
sustainability goals that can succeed in a short time frame and then be scaled. We also work only with in-country organizations that have a close and trusted connection to the community they serve. Our intention is to deepen our relationships with them to grow the project base.”
Ecodana has funded projects in Cambodia, Guatemala, Indonesia and Vietnam. They range from providing funding for community forest management to installing compost toilets in rural villages to help prevent the spread of disease from contaminated water.
On the fundraising side, Ecodana partners with trusted businesses and organizations to create mutually-beneficial promotions and fundraising campaigns which serve to raise awareness of sustainability and poverty issues among their constituents and customers. Henrich said, “This connection to real people in all aspects of our business is our assurance that we are proceeding with integrity and that the money truly is making a difference.”
Edodana specializes in matching up people who want to make a difference with great projects, and lets them stay in touch with their progress as they come to fruition. So, for the price of a coffee and a donut, supporters can change people’s lives and help the environment, while learning about another culture.
“We propose the projects, you make them happen,” says Heinrich. “Together, we make change possible.”