Sustainable Putnam Inc
We can do this!
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The impacts of climate change have already cost our communities with power outages, drought, flooding, and the reconstruction of our roads and bridges, and private property damage. With the burning of fossil fuels, decades of worsening impacts are already locked in. And yet, our economy and our entire way of life are built upon the burning of fossil fuels. We believe that combatting this crisis requires two major technical challenges: a shift from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy sources, and a simultaneous drive toward much greater levels of efficiency. We already have the technology to make that a reality. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we need to do this for all of our residents, as quickly as possible.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Community Solar
Our Community Solar program assists our residents in accessing, and our municipal governments in promoting community solar. Solar electricity dramatically reduces the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, and promotes good jobs within our region.
Seven Steps to Clean Energy
Our Seven Steps to Clean Energy program guides and assists residents, and business owners in Putnam County, NY with the transition to reduce their energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Tools include the Financial Incentives Guide, free Energy Consultations, a Planning Worksheet, and a Guide to going Solar.
Repair Cafe
A Repair Cafe is an event where anyone can bring a broken, but beloved item for a free repair by expert volunteers. Visitors are expected to stay, chat with the Repair Coach, and learn about maintaining and repairing their belonging with the help of an expert Repair Coach. The goal is to return items to their useful functioning state, and eliminate waste from landfills and incinerators.
Community Composting
Our Drop-Off Community Composting initiative is a campaign to eliminate food waste from our landfills and incinerators, and return it to the soil. Our initiative supports those who cannot compost at home, and also allows those who do to compost all their food waste, including meat scraps, fish, bones, dairy, and grains. Drop-off composting programs require the cooperation and facilitation of municipalities to establish a drop-off site where residents can deposit food scraps on a weekly basis. These food scraps are picked up by a commercial composter, who carts away for commercial composting. The finished, nutrient-rich compost is then sold to farms and garden centers.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of people on the organization's email list
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Sustainable Putnam was founded at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In 2023, we increased the numbers on our email list to more than 800.
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Seven Steps to Clean Energy
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
More specifically, this relates to our Clean Energy Consultations, one component of the Seven Steps to Clean Energy program.
Number of carbon emissions prevented (estimated by CO2 equivalent)
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community Solar
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Through Sustainable Putnams community solar program, carbon emissions have been reduced by 1,767,423 pounds annually.
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
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?
Sustainable Putnam seeks to educate and activate the county's municipal governments, business leaders, nonprofits and residents to develop more vibrant and sustainable communities. We do this work through our own programs and through partnerships in the municipal, business, and nonprofit sectors of Putnam County, NY.
We seek to increase the sustainability and resilience of our infrastructure, buildings, transportation, and food systems in the face of our changing climate. We especially strive to assist those who are least able to make this transition.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Sustainable Putnam educates and activates the county's municipal governments, business leaders, nonprofits and residents to develop more vibrant and sustainable communities. We do this through educational programs, providing appropriate resources and expertise, and through partnerships in every sector of our communities.
We strive to adhere to two guiding principles in all major choices. The first is the Haudenosanee principle of considering the seven generations that preceded and will follow us. The second is the triple bottom line of developing solutions that are ecologically sound, socially equitable, and economically responsible.
Sustainable Putnam believes that only an efficient, low budget, grassroots organization can be truly effective and sustainable at the community level. For this reason, we rely entirely on volunteers, small donations and grants to do this work. We believe this is a marathon, and we're in it for the long run in order to secure and transform our community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Sustainable Putnam has a small core of dedicated, hard working leaders committed to its long term goals and methods. We have the skills and professional backgrounds required to administer and organize our volunteers for maximum impact. These include marketing, organizational development, and increasingly, residential building science and clean heating and cooling technologies, as well as Federal and New York State energy programs that have arisen in recent years.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Sustainable Putnam has synergized the work of our Climate Smart Community Task Forces by helping them to network and share resources. We have run successful Community Solar programs for two municipalities, and assisted another in acquiring earned points in the New York State Clean Energy Community program.
We have run dozens of workshops and webinars to educate residents about the most cost-effective steps to take in increasing home energy efficiency and transitioning to clean electric technologies. We provide free energy consultations, including lists of qualified contractors, work quotation reviews, and available financial incentives. Recently, we have also begun free repair events, to which residents can bring broken items to be repaired by volunteer experts at no cost.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
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.
Sustainable Putnam Inc
Board of directorsas of 12/16/2023
Joseph Montuori
Pete Elder
Elder Development Group
Janet Jemmott
Sarah Wilson
Judy Allen
Roberto Muller
Stacy Dumont
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:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data