Many innovative "sustainability" strategies – efforts that create jobs, preserve the environment and strengthen communities – fail due to inadequate funding.  This is especially true in the isolated rural communities where we work. Urban centers like Portland, Seattle and San Francisco have tremendous financial resources, yet it is often difficult for rural communities and businesses to access to these dollars. As a result, many good ideas with great promise for communities, and the environment never make it past the "idea" phase. 

SNW's newest program, Sustainability Finance, finds innovative ways to connect financial support to communities and enterprises pursuing sustainability objectives.  This work is a mixture of assembling and adapting existing tools like easements and tax credits, and developing new tools increase the financial support of worthy projects.

Current projects

• Forest Investment Zone: Sustainable Northwest is working with the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities to advance sustainable forestry in the dry forests of Oregon and Northern California
  

• Stewardship Investments: Partnering with ranchers to develop and implement income strategies based on conservation and natural resource stewardship.
• Harnessing Tax Credits: Using tax incentives like the New Market Tax Credit to support sustainable community development.