Activist Packet

The Green Fund Activist Training Materials Packet

Table of Contents

  1. Announcements and Communication
  2. Campaign Rules for The Green Fund
  3. The Green Fund FAQs
  4. Why Vote for The Green Fund?
  5. Sample Projects
  6. Benefits of The Green Fund at SRU
  7. Indirect Campaigning

Your Friendly Green Fund Training Coordinators:

Rachel DeWolf . 269-275-0659 . rachel {at} leaveitgreen(.)org
Dan Cannon . 440-724-4716 . dan {at} leaveitgreen(.)org

Announcements & Communication

Classroom or Group Announcement

  • Thanks to the professor/host for allowing me to speak!
  • Show Green Fund movie clip (accessible through youtube under “SRU Green Fund” or on Facebook via “The Green Fund” group page.
  • Hi! My name is __________, and I’m part of a team working on an SGA referendum called The Green Fund. The Green Fund is proposing an increase of $5 dollars per semester per student to the Student Activities fund and will raise over $80,000 each year for sustainability projects to make the campus more green. This fund will help us pay for things such as increasing energy efficiency, water conservation, renewable energy, and so many other projects that will help reduce Slippery Rock University’s impact on the environment. As you saw in the video I just showed, SRU uses as many kilowatt-hours of electricity as the British Virgin Islands. This is a pretty scary statistic that really puts our impact into perspective. There are a lot of things that we can do to reduce our impact, but the struggle lies in funding these projects, which is where The Green Fund comes in! The Green Fund only costs as much as a burrito, but the difference it can make is incredible.
  • Vote “Yes” for The Green Fund!!
  • Go to www.leaveitgreen.org for more information, or join our group on Facebook called “The Green Fund”
  • If you are interested in helping, contact a Green Fund Team Member

Outdoor Communication

  • Opening: Are You Voting “Yes” on The Green Fund?
  • What is The Green Fund?
  • The Green Fund is on the ballot to show student support on a $5 semesterly fee increase that will help to reduce SRU’s impact on the environment.
  • Right on!
  • Do you want to be on our mailing list that will remind you to vote?
  • If yes, take down their e-mail address.
  • If no, say, “Alright, that’s cool. Well if you have any questions, let one of us know.”

If any questions are asked about the facts shown in the video, let the students know that all facts were compiled from SRU’s energy reports and further researched by the founders of The Green Fund. All facts have been approved and verified by SRU officials.

Campaign Rules for The Green Fund

It is important that all campaign tactics by members of The Green Fund Team remain positive. While representing The Green Fund, team members are to answer questions and concerns respectfully. If at any time you feel that you can no longer handle somebody and still maintain a positive attitude, ask for help, or direct them to leaveitgreen.org, where they can e-mail Rachel or Dan.

  1. STAY 50 FEET AWAY — Do not campaign within 50 (fifty) feet of a polling place. This is an SGA Rule and must be followed.
  2. APPROVE FLYERS — Flyers must first be approved by a Leave It Green organizer or officer. Once this is done, any flyers must be approved by the building in which they will be hung. You can get approval by asking the department heads in the building (ex. for ECB, ask Parks and Rec; for the Field House, ask the PE department).
  3. CHALKING — All chalking must be done on the ground. It is against SRU rules to chalk on any building. Only chalk where you can walk. In sticking with our message of positivity, there is to be no vulgarity.
  4. SIGNS — Signs may not negatively target groups or individuals. Creativity is encouraged.
  5. RESPECT OTHER PEOPLES OPINIONS — There will be opposition to The Green Fund. Do not take this opposition personally, and respect the opinions of those opposed. Feel free to respectfully debate with them, but keep the debate positive and remember that your time is valuable. It is better to share the benefits of The Green Fund with more people then to drain your energy worrying about one person who disagrees. There are examples of opposition on the Facebook discussion board of The Green Fund, and responses to the concerns, which may be helpful. Read these before you campaign to see what you may be up against.
  6. DO NOT TOUCH OTHER FLYERS — Do not interfere with or take down any other flyers, regardless of their content.
  7. HAVE FUN — Campaigning for The Green Fund should be a fun experience. You are part of an incredible movement to improve the natural environment. Be proud and have a good time.

The Green Fund FAQ Sheet

What is the Green Fund?
The Green Fund is a student-sponsored initiative with two goals. The first goal, which is a short term goal, is to implement a foundation account that will be open to community members and Slippery Rock University faculty, students, and alumni to donate to. The long term goal is to have a five-dollar contribution added to the semesterly bill, which will generate around $80,000 a year. The money generated will go towards sustainably-progressive programs, such as upgrades, educational programs and events, research grants, and scholarships.

How much does it cost?
5 dollars per semester

What will it pay for?
The scope of what the Green Fund will pay for depends on the creativity of its applicants. All projects will have a positive impact on the natural environment. Some possibilities include: investment in clean energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, green buildings, sustainable transportation, expanded recycling and composting, student internships, research grants, and more! The Green Fund does NOT pay for anything the university is already required to do by law or policy

Who decides how the money is spent?
The money in both the foundation and the future fund will be regulated by the Green Fund Advisory Board, which Leave It Green suggests to be composed of faculty members, student representatives, and a community member.

Why should everyone pay $5?
The answer is simple: the environment affects everyone. We can’t escape it — it is the air we breathe, the water we drink, the ground we walk on, it is all around us. It is our duty to protect these things, if not globally, at least locally here at Slippery Rock.

Isn’t $5 a little expensive?
We realize that as college students, it can be hard to come up with five dollars, but let’s put it into perspective. For five dollars, you can’t even buy a meal at Rockies. Over four years, your five dollars a semester will add up to forty dollars, which is less than most tanks of gas. For a worthy cause such as the environment and SRU, five dollars is a cheap price to pay for the benefits it will be returning. Environmental efforts can be expensive, so we believe five dollars is the perfect amount.

How will I know how my $5 is spent?
The Green Fund Advisory Board will issue annual reports to students via email as well as post online.

Who initiated The Green Fund at Slippery Rock University?
A small group of Slippery Rock University Students who were ready to make change happen.

Who else has passed a Green Fund?
There are approximately 30 other schools in the country that have instituted Green Funds on their campuses. The list includes Duke, Harvard, UC Berkeley, Chico State College, and MIT.

This is a selfish cause/what personal benefits are you guys getting from The Green Fund?
The only benefits we are getting by advocating the Green Fund is the knowledge that future generations of Slippery Rock students will be living in a healthier local environment.

Who can get the money from The Green Fund?
The Green Fund will be available to those who can show that their initiatives will have a direct benefit to the Slippery Rock University community. Applications will be reviewed by the GFAB.

Why should students pay for The Green Fund? Why not the administration?
The truth is, the administration should be paying for campus sustainability initiatives. However, the funds do not currently exist on either the state or campus level to pay for the numerous sustainability projects that need to happen on our campus. Climate change needs to be addressed now, and our campus needs to begin investing in the sustainable infrastructure that will pay off in the future. This is our chance as students to place major pressure on the administration to step up their own sustainability initiatives. We students are spearheading sustainability and holding our campus accountable to do the same.

Where does the money go if it isn’t spent?
It is almost certain that all available money will be spent each year because there are far too many sustainability projects that need to be completed on campus. If for some reason, the money isn’t spent by a project it will return to the fund for the next year and will be reallocated then.

Who appoints The Green Fund Advisory Board?
The initial Green Fund Advisory Board members will be appointed by the founders of The Green Fund. These people will be chosen based on education, current involvement with the campus and current initiatives, as well as their dedication to improving the natural environment. From there, as dictated by the by-laws of The Green Fund, faculty replacements will be voted on by existing Green Fund Advisory Board Members. Students will be nominated by professors of the existing GFAB, unless own initiative has been taken to involve themselves with The Green Fund. All new members will be elected by the GFAB.

Why not make this a voluntary fee?
The Green Fund also has a foundation account, which collects only voluntary donations. However, we would also like to implement a student fee in order to have a reliable amount of money each year, as well as for the following reasons:

  • The overhead costs of manually collecting a voluntary fee are huge and the process is time-consuming, resulting in less impact for your dollar;
  • As a student body we want to demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability;
  • Mandatory fees are eligible for financial aid, voluntary ones are not;
  • Everyone benefits from a greener campus so we should all pay equally;

Won’t voting for The Green Fund cause more people to pass student fees in the future?
No. Passing a fee referendum is incredibly hard work. It takes a committed body of students working hard for a long amount of time to do it. Also, The Green Fund is not funding a particular student group or department; it is creating a new fund to address a need that is not currently being met on campus. The environment affects everyone.

I’ve seen all the things around campus becoming demolished. The trees behind Bard are gone, and dorms are being destroyed just to add new ones. Seriously, another thing is the power plant on campus uses so much coal too. I’m just not seeing a real change occurring anytime soon.

Actual quote from concerned student

Change must start somewhere, we can’t get discouraged. We must use these negatives as motivation. It’s our generations’ time to step up and speak out for the environment. If we don’t do anything, we can’t expect anyone else to either. The Green Fund will also be able to offer solutions to these problems you see. The Green Fund is our chance to make a difference.

How hard will it be for organizations and groups on campus to receive funding from The Green Fund? Is it really restrictive?
Students, groups, organizations, faculty, staff, administration and community members are all eligible to apply for funding. All applicants will have to go through the same processes in order to receive The Green Fund’s support. The groups will have to show how their project will have a positive impact on the natural environment as well as have a budget for the GFAB to review. The GFAB will review all applications case-by-case, and projects that benefit Slippery Rock Students will be considered first. As far as the scope of the projects, the GFAB can only be as creative as the applicants.

How will the students know about these projects and the achievements of The Green Fund? Will any documents be available to the public?
The students will receive an annual email which will include the achievements and expenditures of The Green Fund. Unless specified by the applying groups, all approved gift applications will be made public on The Green Fund website. All final reports made by recipients will be made public via website. With the exception of gift-allocation meetings, all GFAB meetings will be open.

Why Should I Vote For The Green Fund?

  • THE GREEN FUND ONLY COSTS AS MUCH AS A BURRITO;
  • THE GREEN FUND HELPS FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING;
  • SOLAR IS COOL;
  • SLIPPERY ROCK USES AS MUCH ELECTRICITY AS THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS;
  • THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO GIVE $5 AND MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE;
  • THE GREEN FUND WILL BE OUR SUSTAINABLE LEGACY;
  • THE GREEN FUND WILL SAVE MONEY THROUGH ENERGY CONSERVATION PROJECTS;
  • SLIPPERY ROCK PRODUCES 1.4 MILLION POUNDS OF SOLID WASTE PER YEAR. WE CAN REDUCE IT!
  • WATERLESS URINALS! WATER CONSERVATION PROJECTS CAN SAVE WATER & MONEY!

DON’T YOU WANT A GREEN CAMPUS?

Sample Projects

ARHS could propose a project like this one:
An Energy War between the different Residence Halls. ARHS could request funds to support the energy war. The funds could be used for advertising as well as setting up an interactive, up-to-date website on which Residence Hall is winning. Funds could also be used to throw a pizza party for the winning residence hall.

A project like this would raise environmental awareness, educate students, and reduce SRU’s energy consumption each year the war is implemented.

Projects with educational themes are effective, easy, and have just as much potential to qualify for funding as green building improvements.

Some other examples of educational programs the Green Fund could potentially fund:

  1. Bringing a speaker to campus on professional development day for faculty and staff on how to “green” the office.
  2. O-team could add Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) to freshman welcome packages along with informational pamphlets on what SRU is doing to become greener.
  3. Clubs and Organizations like UPB could host environmental awareness festivals, speakers, or concerts.
  4. Cycling club could host bike maintenance classes and informational presentations on the Green Bike Initiative.
  5. The Art Department could request funding for environmentally-friendly art supplies, such as soy-based paint, or workshops on how to create sculptures using recycled products.

An assortment of other things funds from the Green Fund could potentially support

Water Conservation

  • Motion censored sinks;
  • Low flow shower heads;
  • Low Flush toilets;
  • Drip irrigation systems;
  • Rain collection systems;

Electricity Conservation

  • Motion censored lights;
  • Energy star products;
  • Renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal);
  • “Turn off the lights” stickers;
  • Computerized heating and cooling systems;
  • Hiring students to turn off lights in classroom buildings at night (the “energy police”);
  • Replace T-12 bulbs with T-8 Bulbs;

Transportation

  • Electric or hybrid employee cars;
  • Design a faculty and staff carpool system;
  • Push Campbell bus systems to consider biodiesel;
  • Rentable hybrid and electric cars for students;
  • Expand The Green Bike Initiative program;
  • Incentives for biking and walking commuters;

Green Space

  • SGA tree planting program;
  • Design a special and unique green space for the new entrance;
  • Preserve and set aside current valuable green space on campus;

Food

  • Encourage AVI to increase amount of local and organic products;
  • Encourage AVI to provide vegetarian and vegan alternatives;
  • Encourage AVI to purchase non-factory farmed meats;

Recycling

  • More blue recycling bins available to students
  • Encourage AVI to increase recycling efforts
  • Get rid of Residence Halls “This job was printed by” pages
  • Set all printers to double sided printing or encourage students to reuse printing paper (opposite side)

Leadership

  • Be an example to other schools, and help them to start up their own “Green Fund” programs

These are only examples, the options are endless, and the creativity of the projects lies within the minds of the applicants.

Benefits of Having a Green Fund at SRU

On the University Level

  • Having a Green Fund will put Slippery Rock University at the same level as schools such as MIT, Harvard, Duke, and UC Berkeley. Slippery Rock University was named a “Best Northeastern College” by the Princeton Review, which shows SRU’s track record for success. Having a Green Fund will continue to set Slippery Rock University apart from other schools by demonstrating a real commitment to sustainability. President Smith stated, “It is always exciting to our faculty, students, staff and alumni to have our name included with some of the biggest and best universities in the region.” By implementing a Green Fund on campus, SRU will be able to have its name included with some of the most prominent schools in the nation as a frontrunner in the fight for a healthier earth.
  • Slippery Rock will be the first Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education school to implement such a fund. By doing so, SRU will become an example to its neighbors on how to take their commitment to a cleaner environment seriously. SRU will be a model school for positive environmental change.
  • As far as costs go, implementing The Green Fund will raise approximately $80,000 a year. This money will go into the same bank account as all student fees to be redistributed to the university. The $80,000 will then be set aside for The Green Fund, but the university itself will be benefiting from the interest gained on the $80,000.
  • Improvements that can be made by The Green Fund will play a large part in cutting down the current energy and water costs on campus, resulting in monetary savings to the university.
  • Having such a fund in place will generate excellent PR, and will inspire and attract students who have an interest in a clean campus.

On the Student Level

  • Students will have the knowledge that they are contributing to a healthier, more sustainable campus and can be proud of their schools efforts to make a positive impact.
  • Students will benefit directly from projects funded by this initiative, whether it is through educational programs sponsored by The Green Fund, or through direct involvement in research and implementation of projects.
  • Projects developed by The Green Fund will allow different groups, organizations, committees and even individuals to work together, helping to build the strength of the Slippery Rock University Community.
  • Student involvement in Green Fund projects will provide a unique experience to individuals, broadening their understanding of environmental issues, as well as giving the students excellent career-oriented resume builders.

On the Logical Level

  • To quote Steven Doherty:
    Campus greening initiatives [like The Green Fund] are clever, cost effective means to provide participatory and experiential learning opportunities across the campus community.

Indirect Campaigning

These are just little things you can do to spread the word

  • Change Facebook profile picture to The Green Fund logo;
  • Invite friends to The Green Fund Facebook group;
  • Post link to Leave It Green’s website on Facebook profile;
  • Get 2 friends to vote for The Green Fund who weren’t already going to vote;
  • Wear The Green Fund buttons!