Impact Report

2020-2021

It has been a challenging year and we are thrilled to share the incredible amount of citizen action that has taken place in this report. We have seen how people have come together (safely), supported each other (sometimes virtually), and most importantly, have taken concrete steps on their journey to sustainability.

It was a year of learning and adapting for the Reep team as well, with so many of our in-person services moving online. The community responded positively to this change, and we reached a much larger audience, including some international participants. 

During lockdown, the Reep team did not sit still. When our home audits and backyard consultations returned, we  streamlined procedures and created careful COVID protocols to ensure an efficient and safe experience for all. Our tree-planting team worked hard between lockdowns and were successful in achieving their planting targets. In other programs, such as home energy evaluations, we have seen an increased demand and are steadily building capacity to reach everyone.

As Board Chair and Executive Director, we are energized by the resilience and adaptation that our team and community have demonstrated this year, and so grateful for the enthusiastic response of program participants and donors. As an organization and as a community, we are emerging from this pandemic with a greater capacity for dealing with uncertainty and challenge, and that gives us a strong foundation for the years ahead!

Elanor Waslander                                                                         Mary Jane Patterson

Board Chair                                                                                   Executive Director

 

By 2030, people impacted by Reep Green Solutions will have taken 10,000 meaningful actions to collectively shift our community to a resilient, low-carbon future.

How Close Are We To Our 2030 Target?​

9.5%

10,000 Meaningful Actions
between 2020 and 2030

Meaningful Actions
Supportive Actions

Creating a sustainable society is going to take meaningful action by everyone. Reep Green Solutions believes in tracking the actions that participants take to make sure that our work is having an impact and supporting people in making changes. This past year we set a target to facilitate 10,000 meaningful actions by the year 2030.

Meaningful actions include planting a tree through our Backyard Tree Planting program, switching to low-flow fixtures after a WET Home Water Review, or adding attic insulation after an EnerGuide Home Energy Audit. These actions are meaningful because they contribute to community targets such as the TransformWR strategy to reduce our emissions 80% by 2050.

We are also tracking supportive actions – important capacity-building steps that participants take on the road to meaningful actions. These include participation in webinars and workshops, where people gain valuable skills that may influence future shifts towards living sustainably.

Program Updates

All reported numbers are from the most recent fiscal year (April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021).

ClimateActionWR

A stylized cityscape of Waterloo Region with a map in the foreground.
Sector Committee Members
Community Members Engaged
Municipal Staff Engaged
Municipalities Endorsed

ClimateActionWR is a collaboration between local municipalities, organizations and community members focused on climate change mitigation. It is co-led by Reep Green Solutions and our colleagues at Sustainable Waterloo Region

Continuing on the work started in January 2019, the ClimateActionWR collaborative has spent the past year developing Waterloo Region’s long-term community climate action strategy, titled  TransformWR. The strategy outlines Waterloo Region’s transition to an equitable, prosperous, resilient, low-carbon community, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% (compared to 2010 levels) by 2050.

 The development of this strategy has truly been a collaborative effort, in partnership with the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo, the townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Woolwich, and Wilmot, and the Region of Waterloo. This work has been made possible thanks to generous support from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Transition 2050 grant.

TransformWR has four calls to action: Transform the ways we move, build & operate our spaces, produce, consume, and waste; and transform the ways we relate. Flowing from those calls to action are transformative changes and milestones, all leading to the greenhouse gas reduction goal of 80% by 2050.

The draft TransformWR strategy was completed in February 2021, and was made available for final public consultation for five weeks to gather insights from across our community. The feedback strengthened the strategy with several changes drawn into the final version. TransformWR was endorsed by all eight municipal councils in May and June of 2021.

Healthy Yards and Neighbourhoods

A man pours soil onto a newly planted tree
Tree Consultations
Trees Planted
Bloom{in} Box Plants Sold
Shrubs Sold

As the pandemic wore on, people took refuge in their yards, and we saw a corresponding increase in our landscaping programs. Despite service interruptions due to lockdown restrictions, our team of Healthy Yards Advisors conducted 84 tree consultations with participants, resulting in 116 trees planted. Our Backyard Tree Planting program focuses on planting the right tree in the right place, ensuring that the trees thrive in their new location. We work closely with homeowners to match them with the appropriate species and size of tree for their yard.

Our Tree Stewardship program, which launched in 2019, expanded this year to Waterloo and Guelph joining original partners, the cities of Cambridge and Kitchener.

The Bloom{in} Box and Fall Shrub native plant sales continue to be popular fundraisers for Reep. By making a home for these plants in their yard, participants have taken a positive step towards the goals of our bee-friendly cities.

"It's like a living memento"

Trees hold a special place in our families. They are more than just yard features – they become lasting legacies of our care for future generations, and memorials for the lives lived today.

Brenda Holvey, 92, approached us for help planting a memorial tree for her late husband, Alan. Together, Reep and the Holvey family selected a site where the tree would thrive – one visible from the deck where Alan spent time watching birds in the backyard. 

“It’s like a living memento, as if he’s a part of me still,” said Brenda. “You have to be very careful with people who pass, you don’t want to live in the past forever, but if you can live in the future and see something growing, that’s very moving.” 

Brenda and Alan connected with each other in nature, walking the trails with their binoculars. They were both a part of Friends of Lakeside Park, a group of champions working to preserve and protect their neighbourhood park.

Four generations of the Holvey family helped scatter Alan’s ashes and watched as the serviceberry tree was lowered into its new home. Brenda recited a poem in his honour and Lillian, Brenda’s 10-month-old great-granddaughter, clapped for the first time.  

“As always with small children, she just stole the show because suddenly she started clapping. You couldn’t have had anything more adorable.”

“It’s like a living memento”

Trees hold a special place in our families. They are more than just yard features – they become lasting legacies of our care for future generations, and memorials for the lives lived today.

Brenda Holvey, 92, approached us for help planting a memorial tree for her late husband, Alan. Together, Reep and the Holvey family selected a site where the tree would thrive – one visible from the deck where Alan spent time watching birds in the backyard. 

“It’s like a living memento, as if he’s a part of me still,” said Brenda. “You have to be very careful with people who pass, you don’t want to live in the past forever, but if you can live in the future and see something growing, that’s very moving.” 

Brenda and Alan connected with each other in nature, walking the trails with their binoculars. They were both a part of Friends of Lakeside Park, a group of champions working to preserve and protect their neighbourhood park.

Four generations of the Holvey family helped scatter Alan’s ashes and watched as the serviceberry tree was lowered into its new home. Brenda recited a poem in his honour and Lillian, Brenda’s 10-month-old great-granddaughter, clapped for the first time.  

“As always with small children, she just stole the show because suddenly she started clapping. You couldn’t have had anything more adorable.”

Stormwater Management & Water Conservation

A person wearing a face shield gives a talk to people wearing masks.
Rain Gardens Installed
Water-Efficient Fixture Upgrades

Our Home Water Advisors visited 133 households this year to help homeowners make water conservation improvements. While in-person service was at times disrupted by pandemic restrictions, the Reep Green Solutions team held more workshops than in previous years, going virtual with education on rain gardens, water efficiency and the Region of Waterloo’s new water softener plumbing rebate. 

Partnerships Make Plants Bloom

A woman wearing a masks plants a plant in a rain garden.

Partnerships are essential to the work that Reep does in the community. Last fall, we partnered with the City of Waterloo to design and construct a demonstration rain garden at the Waterloo Service Centre. “With this project, we’re hoping that people will see rain gardens can be built anywhere,” said Paola Mendez, engineering technologist and project lead with the City of Waterloo.  

We replaced a section of grass at the Service Centre with native plants to support pollinators and beneficial insect species. The new garden also helped to solve an erosion problem from too much stormwater run-off.  

Volunteers and staff worked together on the rain garden site. They created a lowered area to capture water, removed the existing turf and soil and amended it with six cubic yards of sand and compost – a mix that is both well-draining and nourishing for rain garden plants. Then they planted the 38 square meter garden with about 200 raingarden-friendly native plants, including marsh milkweed, New England aster and prairie dropseed.

“It was so easy. I thought it would be more difficult to coordinate but Becca and Patrick met with our parks department to discuss the project needs and reached out to our communications team to promote the event. Reep just took charge, they knew what was needed and acted accordingly. It was a breeze,” said Paola. 

Rain gardens are one of the main tools Reep Green Solutions uses to help improve the management of stormwater on the landscape. By installing one at a public facility, together the City of Waterloo and Reep Green Solutions can inform more people about the value of these beautiful and useful landscape features.

Partnerships Make Plants Bloom

Partnerships are essential to the work that Reep does in the community. Last fall, we partnered with the City of Waterloo to design and construct a demonstration rain garden at the Waterloo Service Centre. “With this project, we’re hoping that people will see rain gardens can be built anywhere,” said Paola Mendez, engineering technologist and project lead with the City of Waterloo.  

We replaced a section of grass at the Service Centre with native plants to support pollinators and beneficial insect species. The new garden also helped to solve an erosion problem from too much stormwater run-off.  

Volunteers and staff worked together on the rain garden site. They created a lowered area to capture water, removed the existing turf and soil and amended it with six cubic yards of sand and compost – a mix that is both well-draining and nourishing for rain garden plants. Then they planted the 38 square meter garden with about 200 raingarden-friendly native plants, including marsh milkweed, New England aster and prairie dropseed.

“It was so easy. I thought it would be more difficult to coordinate but Becca and Patrick met with our parks department to discuss the project needs and reached out to our communications team to promote the event. Reep just took charge, they knew what was needed and acted accordingly. It was a breeze,” said Paola. 

Rain gardens are one of the main tools Reep Green Solutions uses to help improve the management of stormwater on the landscape. By installing one at a public facility, together the City of Waterloo and Reep Green Solutions can inform more people about the value of these beautiful and useful landscape features.

Home Energy Efficiency

A man operates a computer connected to a blower door device
Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Reported Actions via Project Neutral
Project Neutral Users

When able, our energy advisors were safely performing audits by taking precautions including pre-screening, wearing a mask, and ensuring only one person is in the house during the time of the audit. Energy audits were periodically delayed throughout the course of the pandemic, leading to a substantial waitlist. The introduction of the Greener Homes Grant from the Government of Canada sparked a surge in demand which will last well into 2022.

While visits to the Reep House for Sustainable Living were largely not possible due to the pandemic, we worked with local realtor Rebecca McIntosh to develop a virtual tour that allows people to see energy efficiency retrofits in action. This capacity built during the pandemic will be useful into the future, allowing participants to see the work that has been done at the Reep House and plan for their own retrofits.

Logo contains the text Project Neutral
Screenshot shows a webinar being given by a person on Project Neutral.

Helping Hundreds Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

This year, we welcomed 846 households in Waterloo Region to the Project Neutral platform, shared the tool at seven community events, and delivered virtual workshops to seven businesses, schools, and community groups. The Project Neutral platform is a way for anyone with an internet connection to assess their carbon footprint and take meaningful steps towards lowering it. With the support of the Region of Waterloo, Project Neutral was able to reach a total of 1,998 users in Waterloo Region, representing over 6,000 household members.

We also developed and piloted an employee engagement program with 47 Kindred Credit Union staff members.

Participants were asked what they found most helpful about these sessions. Here are some of their responses:

“I became really aware of the waste that is produced in my household. It made me realize that modifying my consumer habits is very important.”

“Highlighting all areas that contribute towards carbon emissions – it can be easy to get stuck on one topic but this highlighted some others!”

KW Urban Native Wigwam Project

“With the help of Reep Green Solutions, we have been able to increase the quality of life inside our homes and decrease the costs of heating and electric bills for the tenants and organization. We are grateful to the team for their support in coordinating the inspections and repairs to 22 of our homes. This has been a long process, coordinating for several visits in all of these homes and navigation around the regulations and restrictions due to the global pandemic. On behalf of our team and our tenants, we are extremely grateful and appreciate all of the work that Sara, Brendan and the rest of the Reep Green Solutions team have done for the KW Urban Native Wigwam Project. Miigwetch!”

— Lee Ann Hundt, Executive Director

KW Urban Native Wigwam Project is a non-profit organization “providing culturally safe and affordable housing for the Indigenous community (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit) in Waterloo Region.” Over the last year and a half, we have had the privilege to work with this group to conduct air sealing for 22 of their units to make these homes more comfortable and affordable for the residents. Through this work, we were able to identify areas of air leakage within these homes (areas where outdoor air enters and conditioned air escapes). Air leakage results in inefficiency in space heating and cooling by making it difficult to regulate indoor temperatures. We were able improve the air leakage rates by caulking, weather stripping, and insulating. By conducting some of these minor improvements, together we were able to increase the overall efficiency and identify areas for further opportunity in light of the recently launched Greener Homes Initiative.

KW Urban Native Wigwam Project

“With the help of Reep Green Solutions, we have been able to increase the quality of life inside our homes and decrease the costs of heating and electric bills for the tenants and organization. We are grateful to the team for their support in coordinating the inspections and repairs to 22 of our homes. This has been a long process, coordinating for several visits in all of these homes and navigation around the regulations and restrictions due to the global pandemic. On behalf of our team and our tenants, we are extremely grateful and appreciate all of the work that Sara, Brendan and the rest of the Reep Green Solutions team have done for the KW Urban Native Wigwam Project. Miigwetch!”

— Lee Ann Hundt, Executive Director

KW Urban Native Wigwam Project is a non-profit organization “providing culturally safe and affordable housing for the Indigenous community (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit) in Waterloo Region.” Over the last year and a half, we have had the privilege to work with this group to conduct air sealing for 22 of their units to make these homes more comfortable and affordable for the residents.

Through this work, we were able to identify areas of air leakage within these homes (areas where outdoor air enters and conditioned air escapes). Air leakage results in inefficiency in space heating and cooling by making it difficult to regulate indoor temperatures. We were able improve the air leakage rates by caulking, weather stripping, and insulating.

By conducting some of these minor improvements, together we were able to increase the overall efficiency and identify areas for further opportunity in light of the recently launched Greener Homes Initiative.

Community Outreach

Two kids wearing masks plant things in a garden area
Webinars
Webinar Attendees
Zero Waste Challengers
$
Total Donations
Laptop with the project neutral slideshow and a phone resting on it.

Webinars 

We scaled up our online outreach during the pandemic and delivered 21 webinars to a total of 648 attendees.

In collaboration with partners like the City of Kitchener and Kindred Credit Union, we helped people learn how to build rain gardens, identify trees and reduce their carbon footprint.

Through collaborating with institutions like Cambridge’s Idea Exchange, we extended the reach of our online programming and engaged with new audiences.

We converted in-person workshops, like ones on tree planting and care, into virtual webinars. Adapting from in-person to online workshops also led to participation from further abroad, with some workshops attracting participants from all over North America.

Two mason jars filled with garbage from the Zero Waste Challenge

Zero Waste Challenge 

There was a renewed interest in zero-waste living at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People were paying attention to how much waste they produced, and we were able to support them.

During the month of our Zero Waste Challenge, our organization focused on sharing tips, information and resources to help all types of homeowners in our community learn how to successfully change their habits and work towards a zero-waste lifestyle.

Participants pledged to create no more than a mason jar full of non-recyclable, non-compostable waste.

A total of 79 people and 30 pets made a pledge to live waste-free during the month of October. Those 109 participants pushed themselves to waste less and live more sustainably with support from Reep.

A young man carrying a shrub in a black pot.

Fundraising 

Donations continue to be a key way for people in Waterloo Region to create a positive environmental impact. By donating to Reep Green Solutions, donors help support programs that lead directly to meaningful actions that help fight climate change.

Donors gave a record amount in 2020 and supported programs that help people reduce their impact, conserve water, plant rain gardens, divert waste and plant new trees.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the donors who decided to support Reep Green Solutions this year. With your support, we are able to continue to empower our neighborhoods and collectively shift our community to a resilient, low carbon future.

  • Average gift: $146
  • Number of unique donors: 129
  • Number of gifts: 152

"Small actions add up"

A couple standing on a bridge with the water in the background.

Donors like Keith Gear understand that meaningful change requires engaging people who are not currently taking action to live sustainably.

Keith describes himself as an unlikely supporter – someone who was aware of the problems of climate change but not motivated to take action.

“That’s the people who are the tougher ones to reach — people who are ambivalent,” said Keith.  

But six years ago, everything changed. Keith saw the effects of climate change first-hand while on vacation in Laos.

There were torrential downpours in November – something that had never happened in the part of the country he was visiting. “It’s not fatal that day but what if it’s just the start of climate change?” said Keith.  

He came home from that trip and made his first donation to Reep Green Solutions, motivated by a connection with Samantha Tremmel, Plan Manager with ClimateActionWR. He has been a regular donor ever since.  

“The work Reep does is community-based– that’s how you engage people, not through massive actions but small actions and hopefully it ferments in their mind and they go, ‘I could do more’” says Keith. “Really it comes down to small actions that add up. You don’t have to make massive changes to your life. If everybody makes the same changes, it does add up.” 

Thank you, Keith, for your support. Because of donors like Keith, Reep Green Solutions is able to empower other people to make changes and live more sustainably.

“Small actions add up”

Donors like Keith Gear understand that meaningful change requires engaging people who are not currently taking action to live sustainably.

Keith describes himself as an unlikely supporter – someone who was aware of the problems of climate change but not motivated to take action.

“That’s the people who are the tougher ones to reach — people who are ambivalent,” said Keith.  

But six years ago, everything changed. Keith saw the effects of climate change first-hand while on vacation in Laos.

There were torrential downpours in November – something that had never happened in the part of the country he was visiting. “It’s not fatal that day but what if it’s just the start of climate change?” said Keith.  

He came home from that trip and made his first donation to Reep Green Solutions, motivated by a connection with Samantha Tremmel, Plan Manager with ClimateActionWR. He has been a regular donor ever since.  

“The work Reep does is community-based– that’s how you engage people, not through massive actions but small actions and hopefully it ferments in their mind and they go, ‘I could do more’” says Keith. “Really it comes down to small actions that add up. You don’t have to make massive changes to your life. If everybody makes the same changes, it does add up.” 

Thank you, Keith, for your support. Because of donors like Keith, Reep Green Solutions is able to empower other people to make changes and live more sustainably. 

Financial Summary

The financial information in this section is derived from the financial statements for April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 which were audited by Clarke Starke & Diegel LLP.   Reducing expenses, the diversity of our programs, generous donor support and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy contributed to a positive balance. It will support direct staffing and programming costs going forward, providing stability as we navigate the financial impacts of the pandemic. 

Revenue
Item 2020 to 2021 2019 to 2020
Grants $466,078 $451,218
Contracts $211,485 $192,853
Client fees $67,492 $92,878
Donations and sponsorships $35,580 $38,137
Other income $34,856 $28,240
Total revenue $815,491 $803,326
Expenses
Salaries and benefits $567,320 $509,381
Program delivery — contracted services and supplies $176,025 $156,048
Outreach and community engagement $8,894 $24,867
Rent and occupancy $24,340 $35,197
Professional fees $23,687 $24,210
Staff and organizational development $8,730 $10,431
Office and administration $12,182 $10,912
Insurance $9,345 $7,984
Amortization $764 $1,272
Interest and bank charges $5,677 $4,159
Travel $1,239 $1,917
Total expenses $838,203 $786,378
Totals
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy $126,893 ---
Excess of Revenue over Expenses $104,181 $16,948
See below for table describing image values.
The above images are two pie charts. This description is provided for accessibility.
Pie chart 1: Revenue sources
Revenue source Percentage
Federal 33%
Client fees and contracts 29%
Local 25%
Donations and sponsorships 4%
Other income 4%
Foundations 3%
Provincial 3%
Pie chart 2: Expenses by program
Program Percentage
ClimateActionWR 19%
Admin and Management 17%
Stormwater Management and Depave Paradise 17%
Home Energy Efficiency 13%
Tree Stewardship 10%
Community Engagement and Program Development 9%
Project Neutral 7%
Water Conservation 5%
Reep House for Sustainable Living 3%

Thank You To Our Partners!

Core Funders

Partners and Funders

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Township of Wellesley logo
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KWCF and Investment Readiness program logos
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Logo contains the text Project Neutral
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