The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (CFGD) in Iowa seized an opportunity to gather local environmental information and share it with residents of this Midwestern community in ways that inspired
Dubuquers to conserve energy, use less water and adopt other environmentally friendly practices.
But rather than launch a static “green” website that few people were likely to visit (even if they
knew about it), the foundation took a more creative approach. It developed an interactive online
information hub featuring games, contests and other ways for community members to get involved,
and coupled the site with real-world outreach at places like farmers markets and cultural events.
The approach was also highly leveraged: The foundation tapped into the Sustainable Dubuque
campaign launched by City Hall and joined with sustainability efforts of companies such as IBM.
To these campaigns, the foundation brought a critical missing link – the awareness and participation
of individual residents. In so doing, the foundation experienced the value of successful community
leadership and witnessed the impact that can be achieved when local residents can access and
engage with the right information, at the right time, in the right form.