1000 FRIENDS OF WISCONSIN INC
Promoting Healthy Communities
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The climate crisis needs to be addressed from all angles, from policy creation to on-the-ground action, and at all levels – from national to individual. 1000 Friends of Wisconsin focuses on educating, engaging and providing resources for local governments and community members to aid in the creation and maintenance of healthy communities. Through sound land use and transportation planning, carbon emissions can be decreased, natural resources can be protected and public health can be prioritized.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Green Tier Legacy Communities
Together with our partners, 1000 Friends works to assist communities in developing and implementing sustainability measures. Under the Charter, municipalities take actions and share information to achieve superior environmental stewardship by focusing on water resources management and/or sustainability practices. By collaborating, communities are able to move further and faster toward reaching their sustainability goals.
Transportation
1000 Friends advocates for transportation options that are clean, equitable and cost effective. We believe that a disproportionate focus on automobiles has encouraged sprawl, unsustainable land use patterns and contributed to transportation being the largest source of climate changing carbon emissions in the United States.
Our goal is to move Wisconsin towards a balanced, cost-effective, equitable transportation system that discourages sprawl and accelerates the decarbonization of the transportation sector.
Watershed Protection
1000 Friends is partnering with communities throughout Wisconsin to implement green infrastructure solutions with emphases on watershed protection, community involvement and environmental education.
Expanding Urban Forests to Protect our Great Lakes: 1000 Friends is leading a project to expand urban forest canopies in four Green Tier Legacy Communities (GTLC). A grant through the USDA Forest Service Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is funding the tree plantings.
Aldo Leopold Green Schoolyard Project: 1000 Friends is working with the community at Aldo Leopold Elementary School to develop a safe and welcoming green schoolyard there. Because Leopold School is in two watersheds (Lake Wingra and Lake Monona) this is also an important watershed protection project in south-central Wisconsin.
Natural Resources Protection through Sound Land Use Planning
1000 Friends of Wisconsin was founded in 1996 in order to become the citizens’ voice for sound land use planning. The goal was to protect Wisconsin’s quality of life, natural resources and cultural heritage from the effects of sprawl and uncontrolled growth.
Active Wisconsin
Active Wisconsin is made up of communities and statewide partners representing the diverse needs of people in Wisconsin. The local coalition members and network partners that form Active Wisconsin are dedicated to making it easier for individuals to walk, bike and be active through local and state-level advocacy and resource-sharing.
Our work is centered around equitable and sustainable active transportation solutions, including advocating for local and state Complete Streets policies, increased bike and pedestrian infrastructure funding and encouraging communities to start Safe Routes to School Programs. We also focus on linking active transportation and public transportation to fully connect people to jobs, services, school, and recreation.
Active Wisconsin encourages communities and groups working locally on active transportation projects to join our larger, collaborative statewide effort so we can work together and share experiences and resources. In addition, we host a designation program called Wisconsin Active Together (WAT), which recognizes and celebrates community and organizational biking, walking, and rolling efforts.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
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?
We aim to increase awareness of the connections between transportation and land use planning and the impact it has on our communities by providing resources and technical assistance.
We advocate for land use policies that address the importance of climate adaptation and mitigation. For example by addressing policies in communities that are too frequently underestimated in their importance for natural resource protection, such as allowing solar installation and green infrastructure use.
We work to expand the number of Green Tier Legacy Communities (sustainable cities network).
We aim to get cities and counties across Wisconsin to adopt 100% energy renewal goals by 2050.
Active Wisconsin is made up of communities and statewide partners representing the diverse needs of people in Wisconsin. The local coalition members and network partners that form Active Wisconsin are dedicated to making it easier for individuals to walk, bike and be active through local and state-level advocacy and resource-sharing.
Our work is centered around equitable and sustainable active transportation solutions, including advocating for local and state Complete Streets policies, increased bike and pedestrian infrastructure funding and encouraging communities to start Safe Routes to School Programs. We also focus on linking active transportation and public transportation to fully connect people to jobs, services, school, and recreation.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We have formed partnerships with local governments, nonprofits and community organizations to move more quickly towards our goals. We are members of regional and national organizations working to address the same issues.
We work with a network of cities and counties across the state to encourage sustainability practices and setting climate goals by providing resources and technical assistance to reach the goals. We work with communities across the state on green infrastructure projects to help prevent stormwater runoff in our watersheds as a result of extreme rainfall. It is critically important for communities to create climate goals and take action at the local level.
We developed a pair of toolkits, one focused on electric vehicle adoption and the other on multi-modal transportation that will help Wisconsin communities adopt policies to fight climate change. These toolkits will provide a pathway for local governments to meet their emission benchmarks while building a more accessible and affordable transportation system.
We are preparing a report on the future of Clean Transportation in Wisconsin.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have a long history of successful grassroots organizing across the state.
We are part of a statewide sustainable cities network, lead a responsible transportation coalition, partner in an equitable deep decarbonization regional effort, and sit on the Wisconsin Climate Table and the Dane County Climate Table.
We have a staff of 4 with expertise in land use planning, transportation, green infrastructure, grassroots organizing, forestry and web and social media design.
We have the support of our statewide membership and local and regional funders.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have gotten the attention of elected officials. We were invited to give input on transportation options to the newly elected Governor’s transition team. We continue to be consulted and provide data and resources.
Eight cities and counties in Wisconsin have passed significant renewable energy goals just this year.
We developed toolkits for electric vehicle adoption and the other on multi-modal transportation.
We were part of an initiative to plant more trees in the great lakes water basin to prevent stormwater runoff.
The Green Tier Legacy Communities program that started with 5 communities now has over 20 members.
Up next, we will be releasing a new study: A Vision for Clean Transportation by 2050; and helping expand the number of sustainable cities in the Green Tier Legacy Network.
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our 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.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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.
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.
1000 FRIENDS OF WISCONSIN INC
Board of directorsas of 01/17/2023
John Clancy
Godfrey & Kahn
Steve Born
University of Wisconsin
Lynn Hobbie
Madison Gas and Electric Company
James Matson
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
Jennifer (Jeff) Rothstein
Ozaukee County Land Preservation Board
Jean Wells
SupraNet
Mark Roffers
MDRoffers Consulting
Atticus (Attie) Jaramillo
UW-Milwaukee
Trevor Jung
City of Racine
James Longhurst
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
Bill Berry
Tom Mlada
Kine Icks Torinus
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
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? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
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? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
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
No data
Gender identity
No data
Transgender Identity
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data