Happy New Year! This post is part four in a monthly series called Living our Values: first-hand accounts written by Grow Pittsburgh staff members illustrating the centrality of our organizational values in guiding our daily work. 
As is common for most people at the start of a new year, here at Grow Pittsburgh we’re assessing our current habits and making sure that we are operating in a sustainable, transparent and responsible manner in the coming year. Thus in January, we’re highlighting our value of fiscal integrity, which dictates that we are “making responsible and effective use of available resources”.
Read more from Rebekah Jenkins, our Director of Operations, on how she witnesses fiscal integrity being practiced in our workplace every day and stay tuned in the coming months as we continue to feature how we’re #LivingOurValues:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Most individuals don’t enjoy parting with their money. Whether it’s a couple of dollars from your wallet to buy that nonfat soy latte or deciding how much to have automatically deducted to contribute to your 401K, it can still be an uncomfortable but necessary choice that many of us make several times a day. At Grow Pittsburgh, we understand that there’s value in discussing money and taking a close look at our resources to make sure they are being used responsibly and effectively.
As the Director of Operations, I cannot go a day or even a minute without thinking about any of our resources. I’m involved in discussions about benefits when it comes to human resources as well as meetings regarding our monthly spending or the current year’s budget on the operations end. It is my duty, along with the Executive Director and staff, to make sure we are upholding our fiscal integrity value by using our resources effectively. We meet often to discuss our monthly spending and what the projection will look like in the next quarter and at the end of the year.
Our staff does their part to contribute to this work. Departments have regular discussions about supplies needed for gardens or farms and they find ways to share resources. We keep our office doors closed during the winter and summer months to keep heating and cooling costs low. We recycle regularly and compost and find ways to reuse items or donate them so they can find a second life in the home of someone who can use them. There is also interdepartmental planning to guarantee essential resources are purchased but in a way that is efficient and minimizes the necessity for several deliveries.
As an organization, Grow Pittsburgh cannot uphold its mission without taking a close look at the daily work of our staff and holding each other accountable for the responsible and effective use of our resources. Given the state of the nonprofit climate in Pittsburgh and beyond, we owe it to ourselves, and the friends of this organization to continue to uphold this value.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Does this value resonate with you? Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, tag @growpittsburgh and #LivingOurValues and let us know what fiscal integrity means to you!