Environmental
Federation of Oregon
P.O. Box 40333
Portland, OR 97240
(503) 223-9015
info@efo.org

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Winter Newsletter

1997 Campaign on Target!

EFO finished its 1997 campaign year on target, with employees at over 70 workplaces across the state making contributions to support environmental conservation.

A corps of 35 dedicated volunteers helped EFO staff give over 108 presentations throughout the campaign season. More than 100 volunteers donated 3,000 hours to the campaign. To promote volunteerism and to expand the options for workplace giving, EFO introduced a new volunteer program this year. The program successfully linked volunteers from workplaces with EFO member groups to do everything from river clean-ups to web site management.

Looking over the results of the 1997 campaign, Sandi Scheinberg, EFO's campaign director, is struck by two themes: the commitment to community giving, and the recognition that not everyone gives in the same way. "As a new campaign director, I was touched by the dedication of people who coordinated the campaigns at the workplaces. Across the board, there was a great effort to give back to the community," says Scheinberg. The approaches to giving, however, varied, "usually ranging in focus from employee participation to volunteerism to a specific monetary goal," according to Scheinberg. Whatever the emphasis, many campaign coordinators tried to put a fresh face on their campaigns and to infuse them with new energy. A few of those fresh ideas and the people responsible for them are described here. To all of you who made it happen this year, we thank you for your enthusiasm and dedication!

Molecular Probes

"Our staff is very environmentally conscious and very international," says Sherrie Firman, human resources manager of Molecular Probes, Inc. "When employees give, they give generously." Molecular Probes is a Eugene-based business that produces and sells florescent reagent dyes for scientific research. Founded in 1975 in a converted Minnesota garage, Molecular Probes grew rapidly into a worldwide business because its less-toxic dyes replaced earlier materials that were highly toxic and radioactive. Although Molecular Probes opened its doors to EFO last spring for a "mini-campaign," this fall was the first combined campaign, including both EFO and United Way. About one-third of the company's 140 person staff attended the 4 afternoon presentations. "Snacks are always an attraction," quipped Firman. A dozen employees chose to donate over $2,300 to EFO. "We scheduled the presentations for a Friday afternoon because people are wrapping up experiments at the end of the week," explains Firman. "People can't leave a reaction in the middle. You can't have the chemicals go 'poof!'"

Pacific Gas Transmission Company

PGT did flips for its campaign this year! During a pancake-breakfast kick-off, the corporation's officers flipped flapjacks for "any human being in the building," laughs Sandra McDonough, who as vice president for corporate relations was a member of the griddlecake crew. The owner and operator of a natural gas pipeline system that runs from the Canadian border to the Oregon/California line, PGT views environmental stewardship as part of its business. The company's combined campaign, which includes EFO, Black United Fund, and United Way, is just one way the company strives to be a good neighbor. "We're a new company to Oregon," explains McDonough, "and we're slowly building our employee giving campaign. We included EFO to give employees another choice. We are hoping it will increase overall giving." PGT is off to a good start; this year's effort yielded $3,700 for EFO. In addition to the pancake breakfast, Campaign Coordinator Jodi Lietz promoted charitable giving through a silent auction of sixty used computers, and a raffle for a surplus truck and free-vacation day. "The computer sales really boosted giving," says McDonough, "because the employees get something out of it, too."

Nike

Hoping to give its charitable giving a boost, Nike made two big decisions this year: to open the giving campaign to all 10,500 employees nationwide, and to change the fund drive's name. Now called the "Community Campaign," Nike's effort is geared toward campaign activities that highlight the needs in the community, says Aubrey Hord, community action coordinator. "We tried to bring the community to our campus by asking the charitable organizations to present programs that were fun, innovative, and informative," she explained. Each participating federation was scheduled for a full week of hands-on activities to engage employees. During EFO's week, master fly-fishers from Oregon Trout coached folks in the finer points of casting. "You couldn't get the poles away from people. They didn't want to stop!" laughs Hord. Among the EFO groups that participated were Audubon Society of Portland, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Friends of Trees, Native Plant Society of Oregon, Northwest Earth Institute, Oregon Environmental Council, Recycling Advocates, and The Wetlands Conservancy. Campaign events were highlighted in Nike's internal e-mail newsletter, and the Global Community Affairs staff "went door-to-door to 110 staff meetings to present the campaign to employees," says Hord. The hard work paid off. Participation increased by 30 percent over last year's campaign. Employee contributions to EFO reached $58,000, which will be matched dollar for dollar by Nike.

Washington County

Campaign representatives in Washington County had to hit the ground running on behalf of EFO this year. And they did. Shortly before the annual United Way campaign was set to begin, Charlie Cameron, Washington County administrator, decided to open the campaign to EFO in recognition of the interest and commitment to environmental issues expressed by many county employees. EFO was introduced in the employees' monthly newsletter, and the 18 departmental coordinators did their best to raise awareness through a panoply of book fairs, bake sales, and auctions throughout the campaign. The Support Services Department opted for a fifty-fifty raffle, in which half of the money earned went to an employee whose name was picked, and the other half to EFO. "We focused on participation, not on how much you give," explained Juliann Livengood, senior administrative specialist in the county administrator's office. "We did well, earning over $4,000 for EFO. We're planning to have some brown bag lunch presentations throughout the year to inform employees about EFO. It was nice to give people the choice."

NW Natural

Have you ever watched the "Jeopardy" game show on TV and said to yourself, "I could win this game!" The campaign committee at NW Natural gave its employees a chance to win by creating its own "Jeopardy" and enticing employees to learn about the charitable fund drive in the process. "This was the second year that we included EFO and Black United Fund in a campaign along side United Way, and we said 'Let's do it right!'" exclaims George Richardson, manager of local government relations and community affairs. "We changed the name to the 'Charitable Giving Campaign' and extended the campaign to all of our district offices." Local employees in each of the seven districts played the roles of "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek and belle of "Wheel of Fortune" Vanna White. "Even though they're from different shows, they're both familiar names," explains Richardson. Employees competed to answer questions about their district office and about the three federations. NW Natural's campaign, which focused on increasing employee participation, generated $11,400 for EFO, a 100 percent increase over last year. Will employees have a chance to win at "Jeopardy" again? "I haven't geared up yet for 1998," says Richardson. "But I think we'll come up with another creative game."

Paradise Saved I: NCAP

"Pesticides are used all around us, but no one keeps track of why, where, and how much are used," says Neva Hassanein, coordinator of the Oregon Pesticide Right-to-Know Campaign for Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP). Working with the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group and the Oregon Environmental Council, NCAP hopes to build a broad coalition of people in public health, the medical community, children's advocates, and the agricultural community who are knowledgeable about the impact of pesticides. "We're especially concerned about water pollution because routine use of pesticides has resulted in the appearance of pesticides at alarming rates in the Willamette basin," says Hassanein. The three groups plan to convene twenty public meetings and to distribute educational materials over the coming year.

Paradise Saved II: FSEE

Ever heard of Haploppapus radiatus? What about Cimiciguga elata or Kalmiopsis frangrans? They may be unfamiliar to you, but to Native Plant Society of Oregon (NPSO) student interns the characteristics and habitats of these rare or endangered plants are every day concerns. With funding provided by NPSO, four botany students this year worked for the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Agriculture to study these plant species in order to help the agencies better manage and protect their habitats. "The money we raise through EFO is funneled into this program, says NPSO President, Michael Fahey. "We're pleased to be able to help students gain experience and extend their knowledge of botany." "In 1996, Oregon had a hundred-year storm that caused landslides all over the national forests," recounts Andy Stahl, executive director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE). "The day after that storm, we conducted a survey on the coast range in cooperation with the US Forest Service and forest research scientists." The team concluded that the most cost-effective solution to preventing slides is to close two-thirds of the roads through the Siuslaw National Forest. "First of all, there's no money to maintain the roads," says Stahl. "And second, the roads are a hazard." Rainwater needs to drain freely rather than clogging behind jammed culverts. FSEEE has now released a 25 minute video, "Torrents of Change," to explain the causes and solutions for the devastating landslides. The video is available to all groups for a fee on a sliding scale.

EFO Profile: Carrie Walkiewicz, saying good-bye

With a heartfelt "thank you" and a begrudging "good-bye," EFO must bid farewell to Carrie Walkiewicz, a long-standing member of EFO's Board of Directors who has reached her term limit. Walkiewicz, who wraps up her final term on the Board this winter after six years, will be sorely missed. "Her departure is a great loss for us," says EFO executive director, Sarah Sameh. "Carrie has been an integral part of our organization through its many changes and intense growth. Her ability to remain focused while keeping in mind a broader vision is truly remarkable. Carrie's insight and expertise have been invaluable contributions to all of us. We will miss her." Walkiewicz joined EFO in 1992 when she was membership coordinator for The Nature Conservancy of Oregon. "At the time, I was working for David Allen who was one of the three people who started EFO," she explains. "When he left for another job, I stepped in as the Conservancy representative on the EFO Board." Now the director of membership and annual giving at the Conservancy, Walkiewicz looks back on her many roles on the EFO Board: serving on the Marketing Task Force, the Restructuring Committee, and the Campaign Committee, as well as functioning as the EFO Board Secretary. "I don't know how that happened to me," she laughs. "I was just sitting in a Board meeting, and before I knew it, I had been elected Secretary. Then I had to start taking notes! According to Walkiewicz, one of the interesting things about being involved with an organization for a long time is to hear new people on the Board raise issues or ideas that have come up in the past, and being one of the only people who remembers it." In the years spanning Walkiewicz's leadership on the Board, EFO developed from a fledging organization to a sophisticated advocate for its members. "I'd say that over the years the Board's work with the staff has become more goal oriented, and the organization has taken more proactive steps toward achieving those goals. Not many similar organizations are able to do what EFO has done, to grow in the ways we measure growth, by conducting more productive campaigns and increasing access to new workplaces,"We've grown without diluting ourselves as an organization." Is there life after EFO? "I hope so!" laughs Walkiewicz. "But I will always be connected and aware of what is happening at EFO. I feel strongly that as the largest environmental organization in the state, the Conservancy has to be more than just a name on the list of EFO's members."

What are you doing for Earth Day '98?

It's not too soon to begin planning for projects to celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Plan a project in your own neighborhood, with family and friends, at school, or with your co-workers. Any ideas can become a project: planting trees and community gardens, learning about alternatives to hazardous household products or taking a nature hike in a nearby park or greenspace.

The deadline for registering all Earth Day '98 projects in Earth Day's Hands On Guide is March 1. To request a Project Brochure or find out more information, call the Earth Day Hotline at (503) 788-4992 or visit our Earth Day page.

Earth Day '98 is the largest coordinated regional event in the Portland metropolitan area that provides people with hundreds of local opportunities to protect and enhance the environment. Earth Day is a project of the Environmental Federation of Oregon.

Many thanks to those who gave EFO
in-kind donations this year:

Interested in Volunteering?

Supporters of EFO member groups are always encouraged to donate their time and skills to causes of interest to them. If the work of an organization inspires you, don't hesitate to call a group directly. Or call Betsy Toll, EFO's Volunteer Coordinator, who can refer you to a specific EFO affiliate that may be in particular need of volunteers. And we always have room for extra hands and hearts at EFO!

EFO Staff

Newsletter Staff

EFO Member Groups

1000 Friends of Oregon, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, Audubon Society of Portland, Central Oregon Environmental Center, Corvallis Environmental Center, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Friends of Opal Creek, Friends of Trees, Headwaters, National Wildlife Federation, Native Plant Society of Oregon, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives of Pesticides, Northwest Earth Institute, Oregon Environmental Council, Oregon Natural Desert Association, Oregon Natural Resources Council Fund, Ospirg Education Fund, Oregon Trout, Pacific Rivers Council, Recycling Advocates, River Network, Solar Energy Association of Oregon, The Nature Conservancy of Oregon, The Sierra Club Foundation, The Wetlands Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, Tualatin Riverkeepers, WaterWatch of Oregon