Programs and results
What we aim to solve
In past decades, Charlotte’s swelling population rapidly expanded into previously undeveloped forest and farmland by building suburban shopping centers with vast surface parking lots, single-family homes on large lots, office parks far from residential areas, and an extensive road network designed almost exclusively to move cars as quickly as possible between them. Regionally, this led to a five-fold increase in our human footprint, or amount of developed land per person, between 1976 and 2006. In fact, Smart Growth America has now identified the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill area as the 5th most sprawling large metro area in the nation. Past growth patterns have contributed to a number of economic, social, and environmental problems that our region is now struggling to correct.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
2020 Program Goals
Visit this page of our website for our current programs and projects:
https://www.sustaincharlotte.org/what_we_do
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of stakeholders or stakeholder groups who agree to engage
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The Charlotte Regional Transportation Coalition (CRTC) is convened + coordinated by Sustain Charlotte. It is a diverse coalition of organizations, nonprofits, and individuals.
Number of participants attending course/session/workshop
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This includes attendance at programming presented by Sustain Charlotte as well as external events in which Sustain Charlotte served as a speaker, presenter, or participant.
Number of training events conducted
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This metric covers the number of peer convenings, networking, education, or information sessions facilitated to highlight best practices and policy responses.
Number of blog posts published
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
https://www.sustaincharlotte.org/blog/
Number of list subscribers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The number of subscribers to Sustain Charlotte's weekly newsletter
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Fortunately, there is a smarter way to grow. Smart growth means building urban, suburban and rural communities with housing and transportation choices near jobs, shops and schools. This approach supports local economies, protects the environment, and furthers opportunities for all. See our list of our top goals for 2020 here:
https://www.sustaincharlotte.org/2020_goals
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
To achieve our goals we focus on three key strategies:
Educate – We educate the public about the value to our community of sustainability and how it is achieved, including the best ideas and practices from other cities around the country.
Engage – We provide opportunities for increased public engagement in the discussions and decisions that determine our future's sustainability.
Unite – We unite citizens, businesses, nonprofits, public agencies and academic institutions to develop shared visions, goals, and strategies for a sustainable region.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Our staff and board of directors are highly qualified to help us achieve our goals. Read about them here:
https://www.sustaincharlotte.org/staff
https://www.sustaincharlotte.org/board_of_directors
We also have a growing and diverse group of more than 600 individual and institutional donors. Please download our most recent audited financial statements for more details.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
See a list of our 2019 accomplishments here:
https://www.sustaincharlotte.org/2019accomplishments
And our 2018 accomplishments here:
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/transportationalliance/pages/907/attachments/original/1545071239/2018_Accomplishments.pdf?1545071239
Here are some accomplishments prior to 2018:
• Secured Charlotte City Council and Mecklenburg County Commission approval of funding to create the first-ever Sustainability Plan for the seven communities of Mecklenburg after more than a year of education and advocacy, including a presentation on best practices from other cities.
• Researched and published a comprehensive report on the social, environmental, and economic benefits of streetcar systems, helping secure City Council approval of funding needed to continue construction of the CityLynx Gold Line (also known as the streetcar).
• Researched and published a comprehensive report on the social, environmental, and economic health of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County (2014 Sustainability Report Card) by collecting and analyzing the trends for 57 sustainability metrics. Included 94 recommendations for improvement as well.
• Recognized and honored over 500 local individuals and organizations at our Annual Community Sustainability Awards event since 2012.
• Created and manage the Transportation Choices Alliance to improve traffic, air quality, public health, mobility, and the economy through the promotion of more transportation choices. More than 30 organizations comprise the alliance.
• Assisted seventeen Charlotte neighborhood organizations with the creation and implementation of local sustainability plans.
• As a member of the public engagement team for Connect Our Future, organized 14 workshops that engaged over 400 youth across our 14 county region in conversations about how our region should accommodate the two million more residents we are expected to attract by 2050 -- without losing the things that make our region livable.
• Survey all candidates for Charlotte Mayor and City Council on the issues that impact our sustainability and provide their answers to the public to help voters make more informed choices.
• Educated thousands of local residents about the challenges and solutions to our sustainability through over 250 weekly e-newsletters, over 300 of media stories or interviews about our work, and over 250 presentations, speeches, workshops, panel discussions, and other events.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Sustain Charlotte
Board of directorsas of 05/25/2022
Mr. Brett Tempest
University of North Carolina Charlotte
Term: 2021 - 2022
Betsy Bodien
Bank Of America
James Cass
Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson
Joel Olsen
O2 Group Ventures
Keith Alyea
Wells Fargo
Philip Otienoburu
Self-Help Credit Union & Ventures Fund
Rachelle Latimer
Elite 360 Transportation and TRS&I Group
Ray Addison
Go-Station
Richard Cuebas
Integra Architecture PLLC
Joni Adams
Bank of America
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data