Sustainable Tompkins is searching for a Director of Operations to provide experienced leadership in small nonprofit fundraising, marketing, financial management, and general administration.  We are offering flexible, part-time work with good benefits, and a leadership role in the local sustainability movement. Read more…

What does growing vegetables have to do with economic security? According to community leaders Kirtrina Baxter of Southside Community Center and Dave Gell of the Black Locust Initiative, teaching young people how to garden is one of the surest ways to build both self-reliance and the entrepreneurial spirit so necessary to creating a resilient and thriving local economy. Sustainable Tompkins could not agree more, which is why Baxter’s Youth Farm Project and Gell’s Trumansburg Middle School Root Cellar were recent recipients of awards from their Neighborhood Mini-Grants Program.

Sustainable Tompkins is eager to support more projects like these and is calling on local citizens and grassroots groups to submit their applications by September 1 for the next round of funding. Over the last two years, the donor-supported program has distributed $14,455 to 35 projects with a goal of encouraging local self-reliance, strengthening neighborhood connections, and promoting long-term community well-being. Read more…

Tompkins Weekly – July 26, 2010
by Bob Rossi
What does success mean to you? Perhaps it means happiness or achieving specific goals. Perhaps it relates to your business, family, or sport. Now take a moment to consider what your best path to success might be. Most likely you cannot travel this path alone.

We are social beings. Our individual success depends on the participation of those around us. This holds true for where we live, where we work, and how we spend our time in between.

This concept of interdependence is central to a new business network called the SEEN. The SEEN stands for the Sustainable Enterprise & Entrepreneur Network. It is a growing community of businesses, organizations, and individuals working together to achieve ecological, social, and financial success. This approach – known as the triple bottom line – has been shown to increase customer loyalty and generate stable profitability. Read more……..