Report of the Standing Committee of the

WNY Environmental Alliance

2010 Environmental CongressNovember 13th 2010

Overview

►Standing Committee

►Goal

►Structure of the Alliance

Mission

Engagement

Governance

Policies & Procedures

►Roles & Responsibilities

History

►1st Environmental Congress in 2008

►Yielded consensus that the region needs a group to support collaborative work

►WNY Environmental Alliance formed to serve that need

►Standing Committee bridges the work of CFGB into working structure for alliance

Goal

Build a long-term structure for working together that has durability outside the structure of the Community Foundation.

Structure: MissionWNYEA Working Mission:

The Western New York Environmental Alliance is committed to strengthening the work of our environmental community by: Increasing collaboration among organizations

working on environmental issues

Developing consensus around the shared agenda for action

Attracting resources to support the agenda.

Standing CommitteeMember Representatives

Anthony Armstrong Katy Duggan-Haas Judy Einach

Thomas Herrera-Mishler Bill Hudson Robert E. Knoer

Julie O'Neill David Spiering Arthur Wheaton

Standing CommitteeCommunity Foundation

Representatives

Cara Matteliano Rebekah Williams

Structure: Engagement

Three types of WNYEA engagement:

• Members

• Supporters

• Affiliates

Structure: Engagement

Members

• Not-for-profits and community groups, (established and emerging) with strong environmental interest demonstrated by organizational mission and / or strategic plan and programmatic activity

Structure: Engagement

Membership Process:

• Sign on to Shared Agenda

• Pledge to participate in WNYEA efforts and convening's

• Be approved by the Standing Committee

Structure: Engagement

Member Benefits:

• Participate in collaborative efforts

• Access to the members-only portion of GrowWNY.org

• Access to peer learning groups, shared grant writing fund, and other resources

• Voting privileges

Structure: Engagement

Supporters

• Other non-profit and community groups

• Individuals

• For-profit institutions

• Elected officials

• Sign on to the shared agenda

• Pledge to support and provide resources and input to the Alliance

Structure: Engagement

Affiliates

• Governmental entities

• Academic institutions, departments and programs

• Provide resources, advice and expertise to the Alliance

Structure: Governance

►Standing Committee

►Working Groups

►Affiliate Groups

Structure: Governance

►Standing Committee meets at least quarterly

►Membership meets at least annually

►In votes of the membership, each organization will have one vote

►The 2011 Congress will include first annual election of the Standing Committee

Structure: Policies & Procedures In Development

►Quarterly reports by Working Groups

►Standing Committee approves or rejects requests for Alliance to take a position on an issue

►No member, supporter, affiliate, working group or affinity group may speak or take positions on behalf of the Alliance.

Roles & Responsibilities: Standing Committee

►Continue to develop and refine the structure, governance and policies

►Seek input from Alliance members

►Participate in Working Groups

►Encourage engagement

Roles & Responsibilities:Members

►Provide feedback

►Provide content for the Grow WNY website

►Use Grow WNY communication tools

►Participate in Working Groups

►Encourage engagement of others

Moving Forward

►Policies for advocacy

►Quarterly membership meetings/gatherings

Report of the Standing Committee of the

WNY Environmental Alliance

2010 Environmental CongressNovember 13th 2010