American Sustainable Business Institute (ASBI) is a policy advocacy organization that promotes left-of-center environmentalist and diversity, equity, and inclusion agendas in business. Founded in 2009, it is a distinct legal entity from its sister organization American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC). ¹

Together, these organizations form the American Sustainable Business Network, with ASBI focusing on educational initiatives aimed at the general public and policy makers, while ABSC primarily deals with business organizations and leaders. This group supports a so-called “triple-bottom-line” approach to business, which measures a corporation’s success not only in terms of revenue, but in social and environmental impact aligned with ESG activism. It is funded in part by the Wallace Global Fund. ²

Projects and Funding

In 2015, American Sustainable Business Institute received $25,000 in funding from the Overbrook Foundation’s Sustainable Consumption and Production Initiative for an educational project entitled “Building a Business Movement for a Sustainable Society, Climate Action, Clean Energy, Safer Chemicals, Clean Water, and a Just Economy.” It was also the recipient of grants in 2017 and 2018 from the Lintilhac Foundation to promote clean water and renewable agriculture policies in Vermont. ³ In 2017, ASBI received a $175,000 grant from the left-of-center advocacy and endowment management group Surdna Foundation to promote an increase in the minimum wage and changes in labor laws. ⁴

ASBI received $175,000 in 2017 from the William Penn Foundation to educate local businesses and promote clean water policy in Delaware. In 2021, ASBI was the recipient of a two-year $150,000 grant from the international philanthropic collaborative Partners for a New Economy. It was also the recipient of a $25,000 grant from The Fund for New Jersey, which was used to start a local chapter of ASBI. ⁵

Uplift the Solar Energy Industry in Massachusetts Coalition is an initiative promoted by ASBI that received support from the Cambridge City Council in October 2021. It was also an applicant for the U.S. Economic Development Association’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge but failed to receive grant approval. ⁶

People

Jeffrey Hollender, CEO of American Sustainable Business Institute, is also the co-founder and CEO of Seventh Generation cleaning products and founder of Sustain Natural, which produces and markets feminine care products. He is also the former board chair of Greenpeace US and an adjunct professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business. ⁷

MaryAnne Howland, ASBI board chair and leader of its Race and Equity Working Group, is also the founder and CEO of the marketing and branding communications firm IBIS Communications. She is also founder and CEO of Global Diversity Leadership Exchange, a coalition of organizations which advocate for increased minority representation in business. Howard is also co-founder of the Justice Diversity Equity Inclusion Collaborative (J.E.D.I), which works to shift funding towards minority-owned businesses in the organic products industry. ⁸

David Levine, co-founder and president of ASBI, is the co-founder of the Continuing Education and Public Education program at the Graduate Center of City University of New York. He is also founder and former executive director of the Learning Alliance education resource. ⁹

1. “American Sustainable Business Council.” CSRHub. Accessed February 14, 2022. https://www.csrhub.com/datasource/american-sustainable-business-council
2. “American Sustainable Business Council.” Wallace Global Fund. Accessed February 14, 2022. http://wgf.org/grantee/american-sustainable-business-institute/
3. “Report of Gifts 2018.” Lintilhac Foundation. Accessed February 14, 2022. https://www.lintilhacfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Report-of-2018-Grants.pdf
4.  “Surdna Foundation Announces $3.16 Million in Grants.” Surdna Foundation. January 31, 2018. Accessed February 14, 2022. https://surdna.org/news-insights/surdna-foundation-announces-3-16-million-in-grants/
5. “Summary of Grants Awarded.” The Fund for New Jersey. Accessed February 14, 2022. https://fundfornj.org/grants-awarded?year%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=
6. “BBBRC Phase 1 Applicants.” EDA.gov. Accessed February 14, 2022. https://eda.gov/files/arpa/build-back-better/BBBRC-Phase-1-applicant-list.pdf
7. “NYU Stern’s Citi Leadership & Ethics Program Appoints Jeffrey Hollender as 9th Distinguished Fellow.” NYU Stern School of Business. December 15, 2011. Accessed February 21, 2022. https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-stern/news-events/jeffrey-hollender-citi-fellow
8. “MaryAnne Howland.” Linkedin. Accessed February 14, 2022.   https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannehowland
9. “David Levine.” ASBC. Accessed February 14, 2021. https://www.asbnetwork.org/profile/david-levine-1