Have you let your filing system go?  Are you packing on the pounds of wasted paper?  Have you been drowning your sorrows in cartons of non-recycled paper?  We all sometimes let our offices get out of control, but maybe it’s time to go on a paper diet! 

The G4 Team has challenged the GMN membership to reduce its paper usage.  In July, we sent out a survey to determine your organization’s baseline and identify opportunities to trim.  More than 80 members responded!   These members will now be implementing paper-saving initiatives from now through the end of the year and we’ll track and share the results of the biggest loser (the organization with the greatest reduction in paper use) as well as the leanest and meanest (the organization with the least amount of paper use). 

We have set up a special GMN member group for participants.  We will use the member group to post ways to reduce paper and to provide a venue for sharing best practices, success stories, and ideas to help win over even the most resistant colleagues.  We encourage you to join that group and learn about ways to reduce paper even if you have not officially responded to the challenge.

Here are some suggestions for those interested in reducing their paper use:

Start with low-hanging fruit.

The easiest way to cut paper use is to use recycled paper and double-sided printing.  While this may seem like a small step, duplex printing is very cost effective.  If you go from single-sided to double-sided paper, it could cut your paper use in half.  This not only reduces paper costs but also storage and postage costs, due to the reduced volume.  Likewise, going from non-recycled to 30% recycled paper will cut the environmental impact of your paper.

Consolidate commonly printed forms.  If a request slip is only half a page, print out two on the same sheet and use the paper cutter.

Use emails for forms and document transmittals.  Save your grantees the cost of mailing proposals, reports, and supporting documentation by accepting them electronically!  If the entire process is electronic then there isn’t much point printing the result, right? 

Move on to tougher turf.

Move to an electronic grants management process.  Most grants software vendors have options that will allow you to move most, if not all, of your grant processes online.  No more searching for proposals or grant files!  No more waiting until signatories are back in the office to approve requests!  No more paper files!!

Move to an electronic board book.  Several organziations have had success transitioning their board to electronic board books, created in Adobe Acrobat Pro or Issuu or utilizing dedicated iPad board book applications.  Check out the Technology article in this newsletter for a comprehensive look at the available options.  No more printing costs! No more paying fifty bucks a pop to overnight them!

Issue electronic grant approvals and payments.  This is for the most elite and ninja-like among you.  It takes the most buy-in from other departments, but has worked for many pioneering organizations.

Go Your Own Pace

Don’t blow your diet in the first week!  Implement your paper reduction efforts slowly so your co-workers will not be overwhelmed with changes.  You know your own limitations and what is realistic for your organization, so set ambitious but reachable goals.

Get Support

There are some lone rangers who have had success implementing paperless measures, but your best bet is to get buy-in and support from others in your organization.  Find coworkers who can be allies in your quest to trim your paper usage.  Get the ear of someone in leadership.  Use department representatives to help advocate and coordinate within their own departments.  Test new ideas on enthusiastic colleagues and don’t get bogged down with the stubborn paper hoarders.  Make this a group effort, not a lone knight battling windmills.

By reducing your organization's paper usage, even a little bit, you will be helping to save money, save energy, save trees, reduce pollution, and perhaps even save time.  You will be on the forefront of an industry-wide shift away from paper in favor of cost-effective electronic solutions.  Most importantly, you will be freeing up time and money that can be spent on furthering your organization’s mission rather than shuffling paper.

We look forward to cheering on our paper dieters!