My Nonprofit Reviews

The Oregon Environmental Council is the oldest (I believe), and still one of the most effective, environmental advocacy organizations in Oregon. Many such entities struggle to make it to a tenth year anniversary; OEC has celebrated its first half-century and is working on its second. And it is as active and assertive in today's climate and toxics campaigns as it was in decades past on clean air and water. My first close encounter was soliciting OEC to testify for a City of Portland energy policy in 1979 when I worked for the Mayor and oversaw our first-in-the-nation commitment (Portland now has a municipal climate policy, to which OEC contributed, of course). Most recently I collaborated with OEC and other NGO's to negotiate an agreement with our private electric utilities setting hard target of zero greenhouse gas emissions in steps to end by 2040. The agreement was ratified by Oregon's legislature and became the most aggressive utility limit in the country. In between there have been many more such joint efforts, and also eight years serving on OEC's Board where I learned how such an organization can be organized to operate in a fiscally sustainable manner (and, I hope, contributed to both management and policy outcomes positively). An active, caring Board and a caring and energetic staff are equally important to longevity and effectiveness. Over 50 years there have been multiple challenging moments. Sometimes OEC was called to take positions at odds with its allies (supporting a divisive agreement to enable the closing of Oregon's only nuclear plant in the early 1990's). In economic recessions the budget was challenged, along with the ability to support and keep faith with staff (a modest endowment, assembled in the 1970's and carefully conserved over the years, proved invaluable in these moments). In sum: a professionally-run organization that can still lead simultaneously from heart and head together.

Above I gave OEC five stars, but in truth the organization only lives up to my expectations, year over year. But over those years I have developed exceedingly high expectations for OEC, and have very rarely been disappointed.
Angus Duncan, Pacific Northwest Consultant for the Natural Resources Defense Council.