Sustain Charlotte
Advocating for smart land use and transportation choices.
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
For decades, the region’s swelling population has 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. In fact, the Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill area ranks as the 6th most sprawling large metro area in the nation. This auto-centric, low-density sprawl has contributed to a number of economic, equity, 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?
2023 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
Number of media articles reflecting preferred issue framing
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn 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 2022 Impact Report here:
https://www.sustaincharlotte.org/2022-impact-report
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?
2022 Impacts included:
Strategic Mobility Plan - Helped shape the city's new mobility plan and 50/50 mode-share goal
Secured $50 million for expanding the greenway network
UDO - Shaped the city's new rules for development
Opened the 5th/6th St protected bike lane
Launched the Impact 704 Academy
Sustain Charlotte Awards - Honored sustainability leaders
Hosted Biketoberfest
Conducted candidate surveys
Helped secure record funding - for active transportation and other sustainability initiatives
Coordinating the Charlotte Regional Transportation Coalition
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
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- 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 10/03/2023
Betsy Bodien
Bank of America
Term: 2026 - 2021
James Cass
Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson
Joel Olsen
O2 Group Ventures
Keith Alyea
Wells Fargo
Philip Otienoburu
Self-Help Credit Union & Ventures Fund
Ray Addison
Go-Station
Joni Adams
Bank of America
Becca Smith
Sunrun Inc.
Niketa Mittal
Wells Fargo
Michael Gander
Carter Bank & Trust
Jolaine Elien
Loaves & Fishes/Friendship Trays, Inc
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? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/03/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.