Dear Earth Deeds Supporters,

We send you warm wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season and a New Year filled with Peace and Happiness.  Just as we have faith that the light will return following the Winter Solstice, so too do we at Earth Deeds have faith that 2014 will be a year marked by greater understanding, compassion, and … Carbon Consciousness!

And with that segue, here’s what’s been happening at Earth Deeds since we last shared:

• Donate to Earth Deeds: Because folks were asking, we set up a dedicated donations page to support Earth Deeds helping others become carbon conscious and fund projects working for a healthy planet.  Thank you for your generous support!*
• Transforming Earth Deeds Carbon Emissions: For 2013, we calculated that our business travel emitted 2.96 mT of CO2 (largely due to flights to conferences).  Based on best estimates of the true cost of this carbon, we are donating $107 to the Wind Turbine Project at the Sirius Community.  This donation does not make us “carbon neutral” and we will continue to support this and other projects in every way possible.
• Updated Language: Informed by insights from 38 survey respondents (thank you if you were one of them!), we are now using the following terminology to describe Earth Deeds in just a few words:
  • Tag Line: “Transforming Carbon Footprints”
  • Ecolabel: “Carbon Conscious Certification”
  • Twitter Pitch: “Earth Deeds offers innovative online tools for understanding and then transforming carbon footprints through supporting sustainability projects.”
• Pilots: We are excited to be working with CISabroad to help them measure the carbon footprints of all their 2013 programs and donate to 10 projects in their host communities. Upcoming pilots in 2014 include CELL’s Spring Semester in Central America, PLU, and a few Ecovillage Design Education courses.
• New Videos:  Check out our new 2-Minute Overview video and let us know what you think!  I’m also working on a 5-part video series to help Earth Deeds users better understand climate change and how we can best respond.  We intend to share them with you one by one in early 2014 to get your feedback.
• Echoing Green: While we haven’t had much luck with entrepreneurial competitions, we’re still applying as they help us better articulate what we do and often offer excellent feedback.  Next up is Echoing Green.  Wish us luck!
• University Classes: We enjoyed working with a UMass Social Entrepreneurship class that took on Earth Deeds as their case study.  One of their suggestions was to use more social media.  Perhaps I’ll ask my teenage daughter to teach me how to use Instagram!  I also recently offered a 90-minute seminar on climate change via Skype to a group of students studying at Kibbutz Lotan in Israel.  Fun!

That’s all for now.  Thanks again everyone for your incredible support and we’ll be in touch again next year!!

In community,

Daniel Greenberg, Ph.D.
CEO, Earth Deeds

* Please Note: Earth Deeds is a social venture incorporated as a Low-Profit Limited Liability Corporation (L3C).  As such, any donations are not tax deductible.  Please contact us if you would like more information on L3Cs or how donations are used at Earth Deeds.