Finances seem to be the greatest hurdle for new sustainable communities, besides finding the right people!
I'm looking to start a network to assist start-up eco villages and individuals interested in joining such sustainable communities, to get the necessary funds. For that I need dedicated people with experience in fundraising, non-profit development, PR, grant-writing and webdesign, who are interested in helping me start this organization and create a website. The main task of this network would be to 'manifest' money in order to help these communities to get started in the first place and then to grow and expand.
The organization would:
The website would:
Obviously, all this needs to be done in a professional manner, something I can't do on my own. Right now this would all be on a volunteer basis. However, if an organizations gets created and funds come in, there's the distinct possibility that we can pay ourselves a salary and make a living by supporting sustainable living!
Please drop me a line if this sounds interesting and if you want to help launch NEST.
A few links you may want to check out :)
P.S. I realized I'm much more interested in joining an eco community that's in the process of getting established. That's a lot more interesting, though certainly also more challenging, and offers more chances to be creative. Established ones, on the other hand, can at times be a tad elitist.
1) contact potential donors, individuals, foundations, companies, etc., re. financial contributions (one-time or on an ongoing basis)
2) collect the donated funds and disperse them to new start-up communities and individuals wishing to join a sustainable community
3) contact the various sustainable living and eco village organizations such as GEN Global Ecovillage Network to suggest cooperation and 'spread the word'
4) maintain a database:
a) who to contact and negotiate with in order to buy land or property
b) to connect resources to those eco-villages that need them such as available land, who can help, who wants to join the eco-village, etc.
5) advertise by placing web and print media ads to help the sustainable movement grow
6) run and maintain the website, the center of this organization.
7) feature educational online how-to's (little PDF booklets?), FAQ, etc.
1) be linked to the GEN home page
2) have a link page to other related eco and "New Age" sites including Spirit of Maat, Tom Bearden's Cheniere.org, The Indigo Network, World Harmony Network, etc.
3) have a news site perhaps similar to that of the ENN Environmental News Network and with links to the Jeff Rense Program , KPFA 94.1 FM, etc.
4) also feature:
a) a donation button or some other provision to donate funds
b) a note board for suggestions and other messages, including sustainable living, technical, etc. info and suggestions
c) a database for people interested in joining and/or contributing to leave name and contact info
d) a database for people with particular skills willing to contribute and help
e) a page with info, tips and suggestions about a 'green home' and community activism similar to an improved version of Green Home - Clean Conscience
f) a page with environmental and related data and alerts perhaps similar to Whitley Strieber's Superstorm QuickWatch Monitor
g) maintain a list of suitable locations (with regards to global warming: changing weather patterns, rising sea levels, etc.)
5) could perhaps initially be hosted on my Shifting Paradigms domain to save money.
1) Green Home, Clean Conscience - How You Can Make a Difference
2) Starting Eco Communities - A Draft and Some Thoughts
3) The Paradigm Shift - Ideas for Change