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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Silicon Valley Conservation Council?
The Council is a non-profit organization founded in 2000 by a coalition of business and environmental organizations with a common interest in strengthening communities by preserving open spaces and creating vibrant places to live, work and play in Silicon Valley. Council partners find our collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation attractive - even refreshing.
What makes the Silicon Valley Conservation Council different from other conservation organizations?
We start at a different place.
The Council is unique in that both environmental partners, such as The Nature Conservancy, and business partners, such as CISCO Systems, have come together to address complex issues, side-by-side, on the same Board of Directors.
From this unique perspective we connect conservation and commerce in the early planning stages, where there is greater flexibility, and therefore greater opportunity for impact.
We convene groups to coordinate conservation efforts among partners thereby offering a strategic context for Silicon Valley conservation investments - collectively identifying priority areas for action and integrating strategies to make the best use of limited funds and to increase support for expanded conservation funding.
Our collaborative approach requires a focus on reasonable rather than tactical positions and, when partners differ, to seek solutions that meet the needs and interests of all. In short, collaboration allows us to get to the heart of conservation issues and to concentrate on solutions. Monies saved by favoring collaboration over litigation are invested in "preserving spaces and creating places."
Why partner with the Silicon Valley Conservation Council?
Like all great partnerships, both sides can accomplish more by working together than they would individually. Driven by science and business imperatives, the Council is an ideal environmental partner dedicated to conservation and to delivering measurable results to its stakeholders. Entrepreneurial in spirit, our organization actively seeks out relationships with "like-minded" corporations and foundations to create pragmatic solutions for today's conservation issues.
What is a typical partnership with the Silicon Valley Conservation Council?
In fact there is none. Each is a product of a collaborative process that meshes a company's needs with a particular Council effort.
How can I join the Council?
The Council works with partners in every sector of American life, however, we are not a membership organization. This helps us to keep fundraising costs low, our return on investment high. We do, however, welcome your help, and donations are gladly accepted by mail, by telephone, and online. For more information, see the Donations section of our Web site.
How much of the money donated actually goes to conservation and smart growth efforts?
The Council seeks operating endowments to fund administrative expenses, as such, over 95 percent of all general donations to the Council are allocated directly to conservation and smart growth efforts.
Does the Council exchange donor information with other organizations?
No. When you volunteer information to us, whether to request information, join our mailing list, or perhaps to offer a contribution, we use it solely for the purposes for which it was provided. Our policy is not to share personally identifiable information with third parties, unless required by law, or unless explicitly requested by you. We recognize that your information is valuable and we take all reasonable measures to protect your information while it is in our care. Please see the Privacy Policy for additional information
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