Earlier this summer, a Spokane-based nonprofit that provides educational resources on sustainable business and living practices rolled out its new name and brand image of Sustainable Resources INW. The organization formerly had operated under the name Sustainable Local Investment Partners, or SLIP.

That name change is part of a broader shift in focus that the organization has experienced since it was formed in 2005, says Susanne Croft, its executive director.

"When we started out, it was a narrow focus; a group of friends interested in local investing and creating a clean, green economy for Spokane," Croft says. "Since then, it has evolved into a broad-based educational nonprofit that helps businesses understand how sustainability relates to what they do and what it means to them."

While the organization's name and focus have shifted, Croft says it still employs herself and one administrative assistant and is governed by a 10-member board of directors. The nonprofit is located in the Community Building downtown, at 35 W. Main.

She also says that while the organization's name change was approved in early June by the Washington state Department of Licensing, an official announcement of that new name is planned to occur at its Green Business Networking Luncheon later this month, on Sept. 19.

Croft says that Sustainable Resources INW's educational services and workshops are tailored to address every aspect of running a business and making those processes more sustainable. She adds that sustainable practices are more than just recycling and being energy efficient.

"We go through and look at what they are doing and would like to be doing next," Croft says. "Some businesses start with the best intentions but don't know what's possible. We expand their knowledge on sustainable practices and give them an action plan to implement."

She says that a business interested in using Sustainable Resource INW's services typically first would go through an assessment process called SCORE, which stands for sustainability, competency, opportunity and reporting evaluation. Then, Croft says she would help the business apply any findings that could improve its overall efficiency.

She adds that the SCORE assessment—a tool developed by a Portland, Ore.-based company called Axis Performance Advisors—helps the business to think about ways to be sustainable in all areas of operation, such as marketing, purchasing, human resource training, and general office practices.

"Recycling and energy efficiency is good stuff, but the barriers to doing those often show up in other aspects of business," Croft says. "You have to hire people and train employees on what to recycle, how to run machinery to be energy efficient; and you have to incorporate sustainability in job descriptions, promotional reviews, and other policies."

Following the creation of a sustainability action plan, Sustainable Resources INW also offers assistance in connecting a business with resources in the community to help it achieve the plan's goals. Those resources could include securing financing for a project and locating technical resources, she says.

Croft says the organization also helps businesses realize that the initial steps to becoming more sustainable can be expensive, but that such changes are usually more cost effective in the long run.

Aside from the sustainability workshops and educational tools Sustainable Resources INW offers, Croft says it's contracted by Avista Corp. to work with Avista customers interested in applying for a loan to make energy-efficiency upgrades to their home or business through Avista's energy efficiency loan program.

A $1 million federal stimulus grant backs the loan program, Croft says. Three local lenders are involved in the the low interest rate loan program—Spokane Teachers Credit Union, Numerica Credit Union, and SNAP Financial Access—but that all loan applicants work with Sustainable Resources INW to apply for the program's financial assistance.