What we’re grateful for this year:

• 405 new members
• 30% increase in giving to environmental work in 2009, totaling over $50 million since 2002
• Three new staff members on the 1% team
• 1,132 members contributing 1% of their annual sales to a network of 1,909 environmental organizations worldwide

These strong results in 2009 signal more than ever the strength of commitment of 1% member companies.  1% goes into 2010 fueled by the momentum of these member companies and the work their giving enables.  Together we are well-positioned to change the face of giving and decisively influence the health of the planet in the year ahead.

Thank you for being a part of the 1% network, and enjoy the holiday!

P.S. Thanks to Yes! Marketing, 1% member #985, for designing our holiday cards this year.  Check ‘em out if you’re in need of help for a marketing or design project in the new year.

It’s almost here…we promise!

From tweets galore to posts on Treehugger, Sustainability Digest, NicerNews, and more, we’re starting to see the first ripples of excitement for 1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1. The 1% album will be available starting January 5 at music.onepercentfortheplanet.org and at online music retailers like iTunes and Amazon.  Offline, you can purchase an Eco Download card, which is constructed of 100% recycled materials and provides a unique code to access all 41 tracks from the 1% music website.  If you happen to live near a Patagonia retail store, you’re in luck–the Eco Download cards are available in most locations during December and beyond.

Check out the early buzz on the album and stay tuned here for updates over the next few weeks. At $10 for 41 tracks comprising the first music compilation dedicated to supporting the environment, purchasing 1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1 just might be the easiest decision you’ll make in 2010.

Q: What do Josh Ritter, Jack Johnson, G. Love, and Grace Potter all have in common?

A: Besides being bodacious rockstars, they are all featured artists on our upcoming release, 1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1

Scheduled for release in early January, 1%  for the Planet the Music Vol. 1, is a one-of-a kind compilation.  More than forty artists have donated rare and exclusive tracks to produce the first album dedicated to supporting the environment. All proceeds from album sales go to 1% for the Planet, and many of the artists featured are members themselves.  The all-digital release will be available online in just a few weeks, so stay tuned for more information on how to get your copy.

P.S. If his current tour has a stop in your area, be sure to check out Josh Ritter in concert. Several of us from the 1% team had the privilege last weekend and were treated to an incredible show.  A longtime friend and supporter of 1% for the Planet, Josh even made a few plugs for 1% during his set!

In a follow up to our October 1st post, the results are in for Green America’s People’s Choice Award for Green Business of the Year. Drum roll please . . . . . the winner is 1% for the Planet member Reusablebags.com! In recognition of their continued success (Reusablebags.com also won this award in 2007), the company was also awarded a Longtime Leadership Award. Our greatest thanks to all who voted and recognized Reusablebags.com as a truly committed company to Keeping Earth in Business!

Things 1% Member products are great for:

#16: holiday presents (#1-15 forthcoming)

These days, the average consumer good has a two month lifespan. That means the product is either obsolete, broken, or forgotten within 60 days of purchase.  More than ever, looking for a timeless and thoughtful gift for the holidays comes with a new (environmental)  challenge — to reduce the junk effect while supporting more environmentally-friendly brands.

So if you’re buying a gift this holiday season, consider getting one from a company that has a 1% member logo on the label or their company website. If the pants you’re eyeing for your sibling came from a 1% member company, you can let him or her know their new trendy trousers also came with an environmental commitment woven into their basic fabric. And if you want to go one step further in showing your 1% support, there are a handful of items adorned with the 1% logo available in the 1% store.

Luckily, member businesses now cover most all product categories we dutifully peruse during the holiday seasons.  Case in point – I took 15 minutes to see if I could come up with a variety of 1% Member companies that make pants. I used the 1% member search engine, the 1% online store suppliers list, and some basic web searching.

Here’s what I came up with.

SPORTY/ADVENTURE:
Mt. Borah www.mtborah.com
Patagonia www.patagonia.com
Mountain Khakis www.mountainkhakis.com

KIDDOS:
Frugi www.welovefrugi.com

FASHION/STYLE:
MEK www.mekdenim.com
Rock Revival www.rockrevival.com
Volcom www.volcom.com
Not Just Pretty www.notjustpretty.com

ZEN/YOGA:
Green Vogue www.easyoga.com
Beebliss  www.beebliss.com

Pretty good list for 15 minutes of searching, right? And I’m sure there are plenty of others, too. If you’re a 1% member with pants for sale, please let me know!  I will add you to this post. jake -at- onepercentfortheplanet -dot- org

The 1% team has been growing fast this fall with two new additions, Brittany Nunnink (left) and Grace Kronenberg (right).  Both have hit the ground running, and can be found behind the 1% HQ during lunch hour with their whitewater kayaks–class-V cornfields only.

Brittany Nunnink is a recent alumna of Scripps College, with a B.A. in Environmental Analysis. A native Vermonter, she’s happy to be out of southern California and back in the Green Mountain State running through sap lines, sipping ginger jack, hiking with her St. Bernard, and of course, helping to promote responsible business practices.  Brittany has done some work with Seventh Generation in the past, and is interested in helping more (and soon ALL) businesses to take on a similar responsible business approach – doing business for positive change, while simultaneously perceiving ones business practices with a holistic perspective. Currently, she’s working with member services, helping Chrissy with global membership wrangling and support. She is also hoping to get office composting underway and do some fundraising for a double-sided printer!

Brittany loves beets and we call her the Terminator.

Grace Kronenberg is a 2006 graduate of Middlebury College where she majored in psychology and creative writing.  Before joining the 1% team she spent three years growing Choose Responsibility, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting national debate on the 21 year-old drinking age.  Previous employment took her to Washington, DC, but she is happy to be back in the Green Mountain State and is looking forward to all the skiing, running, and hiking the Mad River Valley has to offer.  Grace is excited to be working at the intersection of business and the environment, and is currently focused on marketing support for the upcoming 1% music and film releases.

Grace is hoping to free the heel this winter and give telemark skiing a try.

We are pleased to share that 1% for the Planet co-founder Yvon Chouinard and the 1% for the Planet community have received a leadership nod by U.S. News & World Report for their commitment to revolutionizing the way business is done on this planet.

To join the movement with your business’s membership please contact us at memberships@onepercentfortheplanet.org.

For the full article please click here. Please click here to learn of the 20 fellow honorees of America’s Best Leaders for 2009.

This Saturday we encourage you to drop all plans, grab your circle of friends and family, and join the big circle, our global community, in action for 1% for the Planet Non-Profit Partner 350.org‘s International Day of Climate Action. Voice, act, dance, paddle, ring, play, sing, whatever you can offer, in show of your support for the number 350, representing 350 parts per million, the scientifically backed “safe upper limit” for CO2 in our atmosphere. With creative events and gatherings across the globe, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved with this powerful message that affects us all. Click here to find out what’s happening nearest you.

How are we celebrating? You can find us at Vermont’s 350 Dance Party at Higher Ground in Burlington. Headlined by 1% for the Planet member Barefoot Truth (member since Jan. ’08) the show will be simulcast online and on cable throughout the state so all can join.

1% for the Planet will also have a presence in New York City, circumnavigating Manhattan Island with a group in kayaks stenciled by area students.

Calling all 1% for the Planet members, if you’re participating in a 350 action this Saturday, please write me at kate@onepercentfortheplanet.org. We’d be happy to share your support with updates to our blog post here!

If you are a fan of films that give you goosebumps, have we got a weekend for you!

Saturday October 10th 1% for the Planet Member Teton Gravity Research (member since March ’08) will be showing their newest release, RE: Session, at The Flynn Theatre in Burlington, VT. Due to the proximity to the 1% HQ we’re pleased to reveal that our very own Jake Whitcomb will be in house sharing a few words about what Teton Gravity Research’s 1% commitment means. He’ll have a few rare 1% tees for the crowd and a special treat for attendees regarding our own short film due out soon. Purchase tickets through this link to show your support for Teton Gravity Research, 1% for the Planet, and to whet your appetite for a sweet winter season ahead.

If you are nearby Santa Barbara, California, this Saturday October 10th marks the world premiere of En Concert, a film documenting 1% for the Planet Member Jack Johnson‘s (member since January ’04) world tour last year. Having the honor of being on board for a few shows, we can attest to the magic this film will surely share. A highly encouraged event with raffle prizes to boot, tickets for The Arlington Theatre event can be purchased through this link.

Our greatest congratulations go out to longtime 1% for the Planet members Reusablebags.com (member since 2006) and Grounds for Change (member since 2003) for making the final round in Green America’s People’s Choice Award as the “Green Business of the Year”. “A celebration of the leaders of the green economy, and a challenge to corporate America to follow their path”, we encourage you to show your support to these committed businesses by voting through this link. Voting closes Thursday October 8th!