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Southeastern United States:
Strengthening Organizations and Leaders for the Environment (SOLE-SE)
A multi-year initiative to build strong organizations and leaders for groups working on environmental and conservation issues in the Southeast - Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Working in partnership with the Environmental Support Center (ESC) and with many Southeastern organizations and consultants, this initiative:
- Helps environmental activist organizations and leaders assess their organization's internal needs and track progress;
- Build stronger organizations that achieve greater environmental success;
- Support new or existing coalitions in their work on environmental issues.
Supported by a group of regional funders. (See below.)
Results Achieved
Over the first four years of the SOLE-SE initiative, organizations who participated regularly achieved positive results in their work. We invite you to read about this impact yourself. Click here to read the Executive Summary from January 2003 - June 2006 Evaluation Report of SOLE-SE.
Programs and Services Offered
"It got us on the path and provided us with the tools…[I] don't see how this can be done without professional consultation… the results are already showing."
--Georgia Forest Watch
Short-Term Support
- ESC's Training and Organizational Assistance Program provides funds on a reimbursable basis for a single or multiple organizations to hire consultants or attend capacity building training events. Deadlines are monthly and grants and can be for up to $5,000 per year. Visit www.envsc.org/es03000.htm for more details.
- ICL's Custom Consulting offers subsidized support for individual leaders or for whole organizations by the Institute's staff or network of consultants. ICL can provide leaders or groups with direct support for a strategic planning process, difficult personnel transitions, major donor fundraising, etc. Contact Peter Lane at (301) 270-2903 for more details.
- ICL's Support for Boards of Directors. ICL offers Board University Workshops and its web-based Board JumpStart several times a year. Board University is
a day-long workshop for boards of directors and leads staff members to help them strengthen and focus their work.
To read more about Board University, click here. Board JumpStart is an online, in-person workshop for key board leaders who want to plan a path to a stronger board. For more information about Board JumpStart, click here.
- Coalition Building will be supported by ICL and ESC, who will to assist groups in forming or strengthening existing coalitions and in increasing less formal collaborations that cross traditional boundaries, including rural development, health groups, and labor unions. Click for more information from envsc.org.
Long-Term Assistance and Support
- ESC's Leadership and Enhanced Assistance Program (LEAP): This two year program provides intensive assistance on several topics and creates significant change in organizations. Six grants are made each year that average $10,000. Visit www.envsc.org/es08000.htm for more details.
- ESC's Fundraising for Sustainable Organizations program (FUNDS) helps stable organizations diversify and expand their funding base. FUNDS provides small technical assistance planning grants of up to $4,000 to help groups develop or improve their long-range comprehensive fundraising plan, and/or grants of up to $8,000 for further consultation or to implement key elements of comprehensive fundraising plan, and low-interest loans of up to $50,000 to capitalize the fundraising program. For details, visit www.envsc.org/es06000.htm.
- ESC's Technology Resources Program: Supports small environmental justice organizations with on-site technology assistance, including an assessment, hardware and software, and related training and support. Visit www.envsc.org/es04000.htm for more details.
- ICL’s Complete Fundraiser Program: A year-long series of workshops and follow-up support to help organizations significantly diversify their income and bring in more dollars overall, with broader participation among the staff. Includes three workshops, 24 hours of one-on-one phone consulting time, and the ICL Complete Fundraiser Companion. Click here for more information.
Organizational Self-Assessments
Participants will have the opportunity to use ICL's Benchmarking Workbook to assess their organization's internal needs and set goals for strengthening them. Groups will be able to do the self-assessments in print or on the web, or during workshops. If your organization is located in the Southeast and interested in using the Benchmarking Workbook, please get in touch with Courtney Carlson by e-mail at courtney@icl.org or call her at 301-270-2904.
SOLE-SE is generously supported by:
- Merck Family Fund
- Munson Foundation
For More Information
Please call either the Institute for Conservation Leadership or the Environmental Support Center for further details:
Institute for Conservation Leadership:
6930 Carroll Ave., Suite 420 Takoma Park, MD 20912
Contact: Courtney Carlson at courtney@icl.org or 301-270-2904.
Environmental Support Center:
1500 Massachusetts Ave., NW. Suite 25, Washington, DC 20005
Contact: Judy Hatcher at jhatcher@envsc.org or 202-331-9700.
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