Matter of Trust

(1998, San Francisco; 15 staff, 130 volunteers and advisors; matteroftrust.org)

A non-profit that highlights natural abundance in equilibrium, integrating renewable resources into manufacturing and green jobs. Promotes recycling, reuse and redistribution. Provides and collaborates on eco-educational tools and spaces to focus on humanity’s incentives, perspectives and impacts on climate. Their programs work in integrated cycles, mimicking nature. They have implemented 75 programs to date, 30 of which are current in research, development, and active modes while 45 have been completed.

Programs:

• Surplus and Needs – Finding new uses for second hand, surplus or damaged manufactured goods and materials.
• Natural Abundance – Discovering uses for renewable resources found abundantly in nature.
• Eco-Educational – Broadening eco-awareness by providing educational tools and environmental solutions.

Project examples:

• Excess Access – Matches nonprofit needs with in-kind donations. The charities describe their missions and post wish lists with items that donors can supply.
• The Clean Wave program – Collects hair, fur, and fleece clippings to make oil spill clean-up booms. Hair can soak up petroleum oil, as do other renewable natural fibers such as feathers, fur clippings, and fleece. Thousands of green salons, pet groomers, farmers, harbors, and industries are involved with this program.
• Global Compost Project– A large mobilization for community green bin and compost systems. Through strategic mapping they are spreading compost on grasslands, urban parks, and gardens. A 1cm layer of compost every 30 years boosts photosynthesis increasing carbon intake up to 1.5 tons per acre, per year! Pulling carbon out of the air, back deep into the soil.
• The Hum Sum – Humanity Adding Solutions. This site is a free community platform for ecological conferences, starting with the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit.

Publications:

• Cartoons, exhibits, highlighted media coverage, press releases and press kits
• Good Eco News – Eco-innovations from around the world!
• HIGHLIGHT: It’s Easy Being Green – A guide to a convenient, green lifestyle that offers hundreds of useful tips. See how small choices by individuals add up to big change and provide ways to get more pleasure out of life.

Leadership: Lisa Craig Gautier (President, Founder)

Budget: ~$480k