2008 YEAR END REPORT

THANK YOU!

Along with all the Transition Initiatives in Colorado, we at Transition Boulder County have set our sights on rebuilding the resilience and self-reliance of our communities in the face of peak oil, climate change and economic instability—a mission our global heart cannot deny, in response to difficult-to- grasp but deeply-felt forces that are altering our lives. Many people are responding. For this, we bring forward our many feelings of gratitude:

• We are thankful for those who can see, understand and can act in response to The Long Emergency by preparing for difficult times, renewing skills or crafts, sharing their knowledge and talents, contributing their resources, and learning about the changes taking place in our world.
  
• We are thankful for those who can envision a future where our communities have transitioned away from dependence on fossil fuels and have dramatically reduced carbon emissions; a future where life is more socially connected, more meaningful and satisfying, more sustainable and equitable; where production and consumption occur much closer to home; where long and fragile supply chains have been replaced by interconnected local networks, where the total amount of energy consumed by businesses, citizens and government is dramatically less than currently unsustainable levels.
  
• We are thankful to those who are dedicating their lives to this vision of Transition and who are encouraging patience in the developmental process.
  
• We are thankful to those who are willing to shed their isolation to collaborate with others.
  
• We are thankful to local growers who honor the atmosphere and the planet, who generate healthy soil and conserve precious water, and who provide nutritious, healthy produce.
  
• We are thankful to our sponsors, partners, members and volunteers who support and inspire us to move forward. This is just the beginning of our preparation for the future, and we are thankful to be doing it together.

From the head, heart and hands of Transition Boulder County, we thank you all.

2008 SUMMARY 

For Transition Boulder County, 2008 has been a year of major operational and strategic reorganization, and this process will continue into 2009. Here’s a quick look back:

• Early in 2008, after three years of alignment with Post Carbon Institute, and being one of the more successful efforts within the Relocalization Network, the organization decided to align with the Transition movement and applied for recognition as a Transition Initiative. In May, Boulder County Going Local was officially recognized as the first Transition Initiative in the U.S. (prompting a name change), and quickly began operating as the first Transition Hub in this country. Co-founder Michael Brownlee traveled to the UK to go through Training for Transition in Scotland and to meet with Transition founder Rob Hopkins and Ben Brangwyn (head of the Transition Network) in Totnes, England about bringing the Transition movement to the U.S.
  
• Following conversion from a for-profit social venture to a non-profit organization, the organization was granted 501c3 status by the IRS. We began the year with the able and dedicated assistance of Board and staff members Jeff Graef, Erik Johnson, Jennifer Johnson, Laurie Loughrin, and Lisa Shapiro. By mid-year, staff was reduced to two full time employees (Michael and Alice Kelsey) and two part-time employees (co-founder Lynette Marie Hanthorn and Don Hall). Lynette Marie was appointed Executive Director in August, and as of Dec. 1 she is working in that capacity full-time. 
  
• Throughout the year, the organization delivered approximately 3,597 people-hours of public awareness events (including Chautauqua forums, but not including Permaculture classes), and 3,529 people-hours of presentations by Michael. In addition, adopting a key Transition strategy, we delivered 4,050 people-hours of Great Reskilling instruction. A high point in our events was the highly successful Chautauqua Summer Sustainability Forum Series of seven public presentations and panel discussions. Tabling at the Boulder Farmers’ Market, an arduous awareness activity, was championed by Jeff Frant and Don Hall, plus scores of volunteers.
  
• We conducted a two-day Training for Transition for 61 people in September and have been supporting the development of several Transition Initiatives in the area, including Transition Lyons (now officially recognized by the Transition Network), Transition Louisville, Transition Boulder, Transition Longmont, Transition Boulder Mountains, CU Going Local, Transition Naropa University, Transition Niwot/Gunbarrel, Transition Loveland, Transition Denver, Transition Westminster, Transition Evergreen, Transition Manitou Springs, and Transition Ft. Collins. 
  
• In December, Michael and Lynette Marie became certified Transition Trainers for the Transition Network U.S. In addition, in August, Michael became a member of the Transition Network U.S. Initiating Group, and will become a board member of Transition Network U.S.; he is also becoming a national spokesperson for Transition, and will be involved in bringing Transition to members of the Relocalization Network.
  
• Transition Boulder County appeared in numerous national media (print, radio, video, YouTube) throughout the year. Michael was a featured speaker at national conferences including Community Solutions’ “Plan C” Conference and Michigan Future: Energy, Economy and Environment Conference in November, and was the keynote speaker at the Great Unleashing for Transition Sandpoint, Idaho (attended by more than 500 people).
  
• We also sponsored or co-sponsored several important local events, including an 8-month Permaculture Course with Sandy Cruz and Becky Elder, Permaculture Certification with Midwest Permaculture, Cornucopia of Local at the Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites, and Buy Local First Week with Boulder Independent Business Alliance.
  
• In November, Transition Boulder County published an updated online version of Boulder County’s Eat Local Resource Guide (at www.eatlocalguide.com). Amy Telligman, CU graduate student, managed the two-month updating process with daily calls to growers, producers, restaurants and related organizations. 
  
• With Les Squires, we created a social networking website for Transition Initiatives, which is now available at TransitionColorado.ning.com (with 465 members to date).
  
• By applying principles of Permaculture, we have made significant efforts to develop a sustainable funding base. Individual contributions, our valued sponsors and partners, and the Boulder County Council on Economic Development represent the infrastructure of this support, providing both essential financial resources and connections into the community. 
  
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) was the inspiration for our introducing Community Supported Relocalization—engaging members of the community in a unique partnership, a form of membership, to support relocalization through Transition. More than 30 individuals signed on with volunteer and monetary commitments. 
  

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

The organization is still in the process of shifting from its primary role as being a catalyst for relocalization in Boulder County to functioning as a Transition Hub, providing inspiration, support, training, networking and coordination for Transition in the county and beyond. With more than three years of relocalization experience, we are ideally positioned to play a key role in the Transition movement in the U.S. and even internationally. However, our primary focus will be the proliferation and support of Transition Initiatives in this area. And while we will continue to produce major county-wide projects and events, and will continue to catalyze activities in the county related to our five original Boulder County Going Local themes (Eat Local, Grow Local, Buy Local, Local Energy, and Local Currency), much of the on-the-ground work will shift to the emerging involvement of Transition Initiatives in Boulder County and the neighboring region. 

As a Transition Hub, we offer local initiatives inspiration, training, support, networking; coordination of Transition movement on county-wide and regional levels; occasional county-wide and regional events; ongoing coaching/consulting/guidance; non-profit fiscal sponsorship; logo design; networking website (and the training and support that goes along with that); ongoing training (Skilling Up for Transition for initiative leaders, speaker training; Training for Transition; publicity; materials that can be adapted to local initiatives (brochure for now, others to come); loans of AV equipment, documentary films; discounts on books, videos for sale; speakers for key events; relevant PowerPoint files and speaker notes; promotion of important local initiative events; exposure in Transition Times; connection with Transition U.S.

The goals of relocalization via the Transition model are to regenerate community resilience and self-reliance, to transition away from fossil fuel dependence and reduce consumption and carbon emissions, and to strengthen local economies while improving environmental conditions and fostering social equity. The Transition model appropriately calls for development of an Energy Descent Action Plan for each community, which is a multi-year process. Meanwhile, in view of a dramatic economic downturn, apparent peaking of oil production, growing food crises, and anticipated short-term impacts from global warming and resource depletion, the organization will also quickly accelerate efforts to significantly increase community resilience to withstand potential near-term energy shocks, economic shocks, and food shocks.

Our greatest strengths lie in the experiences garnered over the past three years of relocalization efforts in response to The Long Emergency—peak oil, climate change, and economic instability. Transition Boulder County is uniquely positioned to engage public and policy leaders and to present both the challenges and needed responses. Our task now is to partner with existing organizations and maximize our involvement, while encouraging, supporting and training Transition Initiatives to take on Transition and relocalization activities in their communities. 

The success of transitioning from fossil fuel dependence relies on the degree of individual and community action to reduce consumption, rebuild local food production, increase local production of goods and energy, and to relocalize currency, governance and culture. However, the first priority is still awareness raising—both about the challenges of The Long Emergency and the opportunities that Transition provides—and all the local initiatives will be engaged in awareness raising activities. This should greatly increase penetration of relocalization/Transition into Boulder County communities, and provide sufficient momentum for these communities to apply the Transition process. Transition Boulder County will continue to be a powerful catalytic resource in all these efforts.

2009 GOALS AND STRATEGIES

Revenue—secure funding for 2009 Transition Boulder County operations with diverse support; implement a membership program for additional fundraising via individual contributions; launch Transition Consulting Services; deliver Transition trainings and workshops; launch Transition Times as an advertiser-supported online publication; offer sponsorships as appropriate.

Transition Initiatives—develop a system of support for local initiatives which can be a model for other Transition Hubs, including integrated web platform; add at least six Transition Initiatives to official status in Boulder County by end of 2009; launch Transition Speaker Training and a Speakers Bureau; launch Transition weblog; strengthen Transition presence at Farmers’ Markets; build flexible tabling team in partnership with local initiatives; incorporate Transition Colorado as a non-profit organization to act as a state-wide Transition Hub (anticipating 25 active initiatives by year end).

Internal Organization—seat new and expanded board of directors; completely redesign and relaunch the Transition Boulder County website; implement use of Holacracy in Transition Boulder County, and make this technology available to other initiatives and groups as needed; implement an Advisory Council for Transition Boulder County (organized around key issues, e.g., local currency, emergency preparedness, transportation, BALLE chapter, local jobs, zero waste/carbon neutral, foodshed alliance, and local Transition Initiatives).

Projects—form an initiating group for Emergency Response and Resilience (food, jobs, shelter); build The Great Reskilling by integrating offerings from other community organizations; stimulate job creation in the local economy; for the Boulder County Food and Agriculture Policy Council, research existing food emergency preparedness plans and linkages with other organizations, and prepare white paper on reducing fossil fuel and greenhouse gases in food and agricultural systems.

Events—host a county-wide Great Unleashing, partnering with local and county governments, organizations, and Transition Initiatives; establish a county-wide BALLE chapter; partner in key regional events ( e.g., BALLE conference, GreenFest, EarthWorks Expo, and Colorado Bioneers); host the first Transition U.S. conference.

Publishing— in a collaborative venture, publish the prototype edition of Transition Times as an online magazine in early 2009, with accompanying Eat Local, Great Reskilling, Think Local First, and Greenbuilding/Retrofitting Guides.

Strategic Partnerships—build long-term partnerships with Colorado Bioneers (CU Environmental Center), EarthWorks Expo and Chautauqua; also build effective working relationships with BALLE, Boulder CarShare, Boulder County Economic Development Council, Boulder Green Building Guild, Boulder Independent Business Alliance, Boulder Outlook Hotel & Suites, Center for Resource Conservation, ClimateSmart (City of Boulder), Colorado Friendship, David Johnston, EcoCycle, eTown, Everybody Eats!, Boulder County Farmers Markets, Green Heart Institute, Indra's Net, Longmont Small Business Association, Malowany Associates, Naropa University, Pachamama Alliance, Rocky Mountain Institute, University of Colorado, and Work Force Boulder County.