GREEN UMBRELLA

We lead collaboration, incubate ideas, and catalyze solutions that create a resilient, sustainable region for all.

Green Umbrella facilitates collaboration among non-profits, businesses, educational institutions, and governmental entities to meet the environmental, social, and economic needs of today while preserving the ability of future generations to thrive.

We have united around the Collective Impact model. The model teaches that success requires having a common agenda, using a shared measurement system, supporting mutually reinforcing activities, and maintaining continuous communication.

Green Umbrella is the “backbone organization” that helps all member organizations work better together to promote a more environmentally sustainable region.

Green Umbrella is the regional sustainability alliance of Greater Cincinnati, with over 200 member organizations and over 200 individual members passionate about enhancing the environmental health and vitality of our region.

The organization that became Green Umbrella began in 1998 with a focus on bringing citizens and organizations came together to find ways to preserve and restore greenspace. In 2011, Green Umbrella significantly expanded its mission. In partnership with Cincinnati’s leading planning initiatives, we became the sustainability alliance for the region. We hired our first executive director, adopted the Collective Impact model, and created Action Teams focused on key issue areas. The Teams built strategic partnerships to improve economic vitality and quality of life by maximizing environmental sustainability. We also demonstrated significant value by aiding nonprofit start-ups.

We have demonstrated capability by sponsoring three Initiatives, parts of Green Umbrella but with their own staff, financing, and boards. We also have launched more than a dozen community-based Impact Teams, highly focused on specific issues in four broad area: People, Policy, Built Environment, and Landscape. Details may be found here: https://greenumbrella.org/Green-Umbrella-in-the-News/8246527.

Following are a few success indicators:

Among the new nonprofit we had incubated, acted as fiscal agent, and spun off as independent are Red Bike (www.cincyredbike.org), Taking Root (https://takingroot.info/about), Adventure Crew(www.adventurecrew.org), and Sidestreams Foundation (http://sidestreams.org). We have also found success in coordinating grant applications, distributing funds to our member organizations.

Our Tri-State Trails Initiative crafted a connected vision for our fragmented regional trail network. This resulted in a Regional Trails Plan in 2014. Tri-State Trails has grown to become the leading advocacy group for active transportation issues in Greater Cincinnati. We publish information about and guides to regional multi-use trails. Funding inspired by the regional plan is increasing and has enabled, for example, then start and/or completion of about 42 miles of trails and bike lanes in 2020. Partnering with member organizations, we have launched a grassroots fundraising campaign to build a 34-mile urban trail loop around the City of Cincinnati

The Cincinnati 2030 District Initiative is creating a network of healthy, high-performing buildings in the city of Cincinnati. The District accelerates the development of sustainable buildings by breaking down market barriers, encouraging collaboration, and assisting members in the deployment of innovative sustainability solutions. Participating members make a collective commitment to reduce their buildings’ energy use, water consumption, and transportation emissions by 50% by the year 2030. Members are property owners and managers, developers, and commercial tenants who commit to goals through the implementation of sustainable, emissions-reducing solutions in their buildings. Currently, 37 members have committed 305 buildings and close to 26 million sq. ft.

The mission of our third Initiative, the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council, is to advance a healthy, equitable and sustainable food system for all within Greater Cincinnati’s ten-county region through policy, systems and environment change. Since the Council launched, dozens of institutional partners are sourcing local food and our region's two local food hubs have made over $1.5 million in sales. Over $100,000 in state and local funds support Farm to School programs.

The most mature of the Impact Teams, with a focus on protecting and restoring greenspace, recently completed a detailed, multilayered, GPS-based map of our region. This is providing strategic guidance for preservation efforts by a coalition of parks and land conservancies.