Question 1

What are some of the benefits of joining?

Accepted Answer

Participants recognized for their sustainability initiatives will receive a personalized certificate of participation in the Green Masters Program that is suitable for framing.  You have access to the logo for your uses as well. The credential is a certification mark that validates you are taking action in environmental, social and governance metrics across your organization.

Other business benefits include:

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/90769c_d89f29c1558e4d49bbf6c93a9ec79bf9~mv2.png

If you decide to purchase a personalized sustainability dashboard, these help participants identify strengths and areas for improvement, are personalized for each company and reflect the organization’s scores from the past three years along with comparisons within the sector that your company is a part of. The dashboards are yet another tool to assist Wisconsin’s sustainability leaders on their road to a more sustainable future. An example dashboard can be seen below:

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/undefined
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/undefined

Green Masters Program participants will also receive the Green Masters Program Communication and Logo Kit. Our companies are the programs greatest promoters, so we encourage you to use our logo and include information about your participation on your website, Facebook, Twitter or other social media. Along with the Communication Kit, participants will be listed on the Green Masters Program website, a press release will be distributed upon request, and you will be featured on our social media.

Question 2

Are there any charges for the Green Masters Program?

Accepted Answer

The program is a member benefit (free) to WSBC member companies  and costs $397 for non members.

To learn more about member benefits and costs, visit this page: https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/membership (https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/membership)
To pay for the Green Masters Fee as a non member, visit this page https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/greenmasters (https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/greenmasters)and find the BUY GMP button.

Question 3

Are there fees for anything else?

Accepted Answer

All applicants will receive an email that shows their score and where it lies on a continuum of all previous applicants.  They also will receive a breakdown of how their score compares to all other applicants in each of the 9 sustainability areas.  They will receive a certificate that is suitable for framing.  The only additional fee is if you would like us to prepare you a dashboard to show performance change over time and participant performance against a specific sector, That charge is a $100 fee.  However, if you refer another company to the Green Masters Program, you will receive a dashboard free of charge. We have heard from many participants that these dashboards are among the most valuable aspects of the Green Masters Program.

To purchase your dashboard visit https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/greenmasters (https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/greenmasters)and scroll to 04/Dashboards for Benchmarking. Click the Buy Now button.

Question 4

Why are there now fees associated with the program and applying?

Accepted Answer

Since 2010 the Green Masters Program (https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/greenmasters)has been a tool for over 350 organizations to measure and improve their sustainable actions. Since the beginning, the program has taken an environmental, social, and governance lens to sustainability and in 2020 it became a certification that validates your sustainability credentials. We are proud that we have been able to offer the program for free for so many years. As many of you know we are no longer run by a student workforce, and in 2021 we officially transitioned to a membership organization.

As a member organization, we depend on membership (https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/membership)to fund our activities, including the development and administration of the Green Masters Program. We spend on average 30 hours just updating the application each year to assure it meets industry standards. Your membership dues are also used to invest in improving the features and benefits of the Green Masters Program. Last year we invested a significant amount to move the program to an online platform that includes materiality in the process. The new version significantly changes the user interface, program structure, and scoring and is currently being piloted by 11 business members. To learn more, you can read this blog post.(https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/single-post/next-generation-green-masters)

We are committed to keeping membership dues affordable and accessible to stay aligned with our vision and mission and are based on company size. We are asking you to join (https://wsbc.memberclicks.net/membership#/)W(https://wsbc.memberclicks.net/membership#/)SBC as a member to continue your participation in the Green Masters Program. You can see membership dues by scrolling to Investment on this webpage.(https://www.wisconsinsustainability.com/membership) If membership is not the right fit for your company, there is now be a $397 cost to participate in the program.

By becoming a member, you help to advance sustainable business practices not only in your organization but also in our larger business community. The importance of our collective work, advancing Environmental, Social, and Governance practices, is more important than ever and with your help, we can make strides towards more positive impacts. Membership is a cost-effective way to assess and integrate sustainable practices into your organization and together, move our positive collective impact forward.

Question 5

What are the levels of participation in the Green Masters Program?

Accepted Answer

The Green Masters Program is designed to make it easy for any business that is committed to sustainability to receive recognition for its efforts. The three levels are:
 
Green Apprentice: Businesses that earn between 9 and 299 points
Green Professional: Businesses that earn 300 points or more
Green Master: Top 20% of businesses
 
The top 20% of applications received during the calendar year will be awarded the status of Green Masters companies at the WI Sustainable Business Council annual conference.

Question 6

How many times can I fill out the survey?

Accepted Answer

The Green Masters Program encourages continuous improvement in sustainability practices. Therefore, the survey may be filled out multiple times during a year. The Green Masters Program will use the application with the highest score when calculating the top 20%.

Question 7

How long does my participation in the Green Masters Program last?

Accepted Answer

Your participation in the Green Masters Program starts in the year that you apply, and continues for 2 full years in the program (e.g. if you apply in 2020, you will be recognized for being in the program through the end of 2021, however, will have to reapply in 2022). However, for companies interested in Green Masters status (top 20% of participants), only applications submitted during the current calendar year will be considered.
 
We recommend submitting an application annually. If you’ve applied to the program before, we are able to prepare a dashboard that tracks your progress in each of the 9 areas over time.  A PDF version of your completed application is available, please email us for a copy. 
 
For companies that attain Green Masters status, the website will note the year that you achieved this distinction.  However, you will only be publicly recognized at the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council Conference if you have applied during the current calendar year and your score merits inclusion in the top 20% of companies.

Question 8

Is there any support available for Green Masters companies?

Accepted Answer

A number of case studies have been developed to assist companies looking for ideas on what can be done in any of the nine sustainability areas. These case studies are available HERE.(javascript:void(0))
 
In addition, there are several organizations in the state that may be hired to help a business with their sustainability actions. Organizations include WMEP’s Profitable Sustainability Initiative,(https://www.wmep.org/services/profitable-sustainability/) Focus on Energy,(https://focusonenergy.com/) and regional efforts such as the Milwaukee Economy, Energy and the Environment (ME3) Program (http://city.milwaukee.gov/ME3#.VNvCdVPF_Co)and the MPower Champions Program (http://www.sustaindane.org/going-sustainable/at-work/mpower-business/)in Dane County.

Got a Question?

LINKS

CONTACT INFO

SOCIAL