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Marketing Sustainable Energy

Marketing sustainable energy best practices at Taliesin West celebrates Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy for sustainable architectural design. In addition, this campaign is funding the historic preservation of Taliesin West, Mr. Wrights early 20th Century school of architecture and laboratory.

Marketing Sustainable Energy

The Challenge

When I went to work with the staff at Taliesin West, this profoundly historic property was facing three daunting challenges:

  • First, there was a pressing need to create a fundraising program that would generate a minimum of $100,000 in year-after-year annual revenue.
  • Second, the fundraising campaign had to promote sustainable energy best practices, and
  • Third, the fundraising campaign had to celebrate and elevate Mr. Wright’s legacy of sustainable architectural design.
Marketing Sustainable Energy

Frank Lloyd Wright & Apprentices

Research

As a first step to increasing fundraising capacity, I researched the potential to expand the existing donor base. Unfortunately, research findings indicated that doing that was not a viable option. Next, I researched grant opportunities and, once again, found that seeking new grants to support the envisioned program was not a viable option. Finally, it became evident that achieving our goals would require creating a variety of for-profit partnerships. 

Strategy

Working as a team with Foundation staff and board members, I created nonprofit marketing marriages with First Solar, Power One and Osram-Sylvania. The Energizing Taliesin West program provided these state-of-art sustainable energy product manufacturers with an opportunity to install, demonstrate and promote their products at Frank Lloyd Wright’s historic laboratory.

Our goals for the program included 1) Seeking donations of sustainable energy products valued at $2.0 million, 2) Utilizing the installed energy products to reduce Taliesin West’s then almost $200,000 annual energy bill by at least 50%, and 3) generating a continuum of stories promoting sustainable energy best practices in concert with  advancing Mr. Wright’s legacy for energy efficient architectural design.

Results

Revenue generated by the Energizing Taliesin West will approximate $4.2 million over the life of the donated solar system which included donations of $1.4 million in solar energy products and installation, $400,000 in LED lighting products, $200,000 in lighting design services, and more than $200,000 in program development and management consulting services donated by yours truly. Additional revenue will result from annual energy cost savings approaching $100,000 over the approximate 25 year life of the solar energy and LED lighting system.

Please Contact Me

Please Contact Me if your organization needs a little (or maybe a lot of help) with developing a nonprofit marketing partnership.