All about
the money

The majority of our funding comes from restricted grants. We’re thrilled that programs like Making Trash Bloom and Get Paid to Go Green resonate with funders ranging from national environmental foundations to Virginia community foundations. Some of these funders chose our applications from among thousands submitted in competitive nationwide funding rounds. Some even want to help us scale nationally.

“Restricted” grant funds are dedicated to a particular project, meaning that our flexibility to explore new initiatives, host or participate in unfunded community events, and even pay for basic organizational needs, is limited. That’s not an unusual situation for a young nonprofit in expansion mode, and we’re proud that we’ve grown as fast as we have. To reach the next level, and be able to pursue those great new ideas, we need YOU: individuals providing unrestricted support. If you’ve benefited from our programs or value our ability to engage diverse communities in conservation, please step up and join us as a member, or donate today. We really can’t do it without you.

Primarily on people, their expertise, and their time. Hundreds of hours of preparation go into each of our programs. Whether it’s perfecting the content of our Zoom webinars; making site visits; meeting with farmers and county officials; writing grant applications and reports; designing graphics; drafting communications or educational materials; or training and managing volunteers, our staff works constantly behind the scenes. This administrative work isn’t glamorous, but it’s the real business of nonprofit impact. The programming and administrative work of our staff is supplemented by our extraordinary volunteers, many of whom are professionals in the fields for which they volunteer for Sustainability Matters. Their work enables our organization to have impact far beyond its size.

We also spend on telecommunications and online presence, including a large Zoom webinar package, hotspots for when rural internet fails, and this website. And we buy some program supplies, though we source most through repurposing, borrowing, and in-kind donations.

What we don’t spend on is expenses that many nonprofits take for granted. Our sustainability principles drive our choices. We don’t have an office: even pre-pandemic, our staff and volunteers worked remotely. We don’t pay for advertising or Facebook boosting. And we never fill anyone’s mailbox with dead trees.