‘Greenbaud’ uses Earth Day to advance action

The group of 20 eco-minded Blackbaud employees partnered with Team Blackbaud, a group of community service-oriented employees, to bring Blackbaud Green Week to company headquarters on Daniel Island this week. Greenbaud put together the first green fair for employees in the building’s atrium.

By Chelsea Hadaway
chadaway@scbiznews.com
Published April 23, 2009

Leveraging Earth Day on Wednesday, “Greenbaud” is showing Blackbaud employees and managers how they are bringing positive change to the company — and saving money.

Greenbaud Green Fair 2 On Thursday, the group put together the first green fair for employees in the building’s atrium, bringing together organizations including The Sustainability Institute, Mixson and Dwell Smart.

“I’ve had a lot of people listen, now I want to effect change,” said Brian Cook, the leader and chief “green” officer of Greenbaud.

Although large improvements and retrofitting can require big investment on businesses’ part, Greenbaud is showing how doing the small things can help.

The team organized a battery and cell phone recycling program at work. Cook said he took about 150 pounds’ worth of batteries to the recycling center after that started.

Since forming about 18 months ago, Greenbaud has already saved the company thousands of dollars.

Last summer, to cut back on carbon emissions, Greenbaud persuaded management to increase the thermostat by two degrees to 76 F. This saved the company between $5,000 and $6,000 a month on energy costs.

“A lot of the time, being green is synonymous with saving money,” Cook said.

The group has encouraged videoconferencing instead of flying on business trips, and it is coordinating a carpool among the more than 1,000 employees at the Daniel Island office, said Melanie Mathos, Greenbaud communications director.

“It doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing,” said Bailey Sullivan, a Greenbaud member who helped spearhead the green fair. “You can still run a business and be environmentally friendly.”