Annually, the Emerald team conducts a nationwide search for one U.S.-based, non-profit organization to support in seeking a sustainable building certification. This program is called Emerald Gives. It is our pleasure to announce the start of the 2023 selection process - and to share an update on our 2022 winner, Hathaway Brown School.

What is Emerald Gives?

Started in 2020 as a way for our company to give back, this is an initiative Emerald is proud to offer the community every year. Our first recipient was The Children's Museum of Cleveland with whom we partnered to deliver their WELL Health-Safety rating in 2021. The experience was so rewarding that we decided to continue it with an annual winner. We are passionate about this program because we get to live our Core Values by engaging with the community and non-profit organizations. 

Update on 2022 Winner of Emerald Gives

After a national search, we selected Hathaway Brown School (HB) as our Emerald Gives 2022 recipient. Our team got to work with student representatives and staff at the school right away to guide them in applying for LEED Certification with the Operations & Maintenance rating system. Our process began with an assessment of utility consumption and current facilities operations as it relates to the requirements in the rating system.

During the assessment phase, we developed a strategy to achieve LEED certification, which identified steps the school needs to take to create the documentation needed, such as formatting operating policies, clarifications of data entry in Energy Star Portfolio Manager, and new initiatives they may consider for additional point achievement.

We are now into Phase 2 of the engagement, where HB is actively working on the steps in its action items list, a project management tool we use to help clients manage the work. When the school year begins in the fall, we’ll start Phase 3, which is the actual tracking of performance data and creating the documentation needed to submit for certification.

We asked Tory McMillan, Director of Fellowships in Sustainability, about their experience with us:

"Hathaway Brown is so lucky to have been selected as the Emerald Gives recipient for 2022.  We had considered pursuing LEED O+M certification in the past, but the process and documentation seemed overwhelming without outside guidance. Emerald has been amazing to work with. They are shepherding us through each step of the process, providing technical and general assistance to help us collect the information and data we need. I have been so impressed with their ability to navigate the complexities of our particular building, which is in the midst of renovations as we speak and to roll with the quirks of working within a school calendar. I have been surprised by some of the technical reporting requirements for LEED O+M, such as the outdoor air balancing verification. 

The response from the school community when they hear that we are pursuing this certification has been universally positive. Learning that, if we achieve certification, we would be the first school in Ohio to do so, has certainly been a motivating factor - one that we will be proud to share with our broader community!

Two things most excite me about this process: 1) Some of our student Sustainability Fellows are involved with the certification process, so they are getting deep insight into what goes into LEED O+M certification and are learning in a professional setting alongside me.  2) Pursuing this certification is pushing the school to move further and faster on sustainability practices and policies than we would have otherwise. As an institution, we are committed to this work, but having the guidance and timeline laid out for us to submit for certification has accelerated and focused our efforts.

To others considering O+M certification, I would say go for it! There were elements of our buildings and operations that I thought might disqualify us immediately from certification, but Emerald has helped us review the data and confirm that we do not have any disqualifiers right out of the gate. This has been a great way to engage folks within Hathaway Brown who are decision-makers and budget managers to direct us on how to implement positive changes. Emerald has also been super helpful in directing us to the credits that make sense for us and pointing out those that we are unlikely to earn and thus should not spend time on in this first go-round.

I can't thank Emerald enough for the gift they have given us with their consulting services. We would not be doing this without them!"

2023 Emerald Gives Program Details

The 2023 winner will also receive complimentary consulting services for the pursuit of LEED Certification under the LEED Existing Building Operations and Maintenance rating system. This certification focuses on concepts such as indoor air quality, sustainable purchasing, green cleaning, human experience, ongoing recycling, and waste management, energy and water efficiency, and sustainable building and grounds maintenance. Being granted certification in LEED For Operations and Maintenance can result in financial benefits to the organization, such as insurance discounts and resource consumption savings. 

As a performance-based certification, points are awarded based upon reported data, measured by tools such as software, air testing, occupant surveys, and annual performance tracking. These measurements and strategies to address them are exactly what we will be aiding the building owners in executing.

The eligibility requirements WERE as follows:  

• The selected organization must be a US-based 501 (c)(3) organization.
• The organization must own, and be the sole occupant of the selected building, that has been in service for a minimum of 12 consecutive months (including limited access during COVID).
• The building must be open to visitors/clients/students on a daily basis .
• The organization must be willing to pay related LEED registration and certification fees - which are based on SF ~$.040 /SF and Emerald can provide those details. These will be paid directly to the Green Building Council.
• The organization must be willing to engage in a social media campaign to promote their application - #EmeraldGives2023. 
• The organization must be able to commit no later than February 1, 2023.
• The organization must be able to complete the work required for certification by August 1, 2023. 
• The application must be received by November 1, 2022.
  

The application deadline for our 2023 winner has past. If you're interested in learning more about our Emerald Gives program, reach out to us!