ILSR Mission

The Institute’s mission is to provide innovative strategies, working models and timely information to support environmentally sound and equitable community development. To this end, ILSR works with citizens, activists, policymakers and entrepreneurs to design systems, policies and enterprises that meet local or regional needs; to maximize human, material, natural and financial resources; and to ensure that the benefits of these systems and resources accrue to all local citizens.

Since 1974, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance has been working to enable communities with tools to increase economic effectiveness, reduce wastes, decrease environmental impacts and provide for local ownership of the infrastructure and resources essential for community well-being.  

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Activities Reports

ILSR Activities Report - 2009
Like many nonprofits, ILSR was at once buffeted and bolstered by the economic downtown of 2009. Looking back on the year, it is gratifying to note the significant accomplishments we made and the obstacles we overcame. We celebrated our 35th year of operations and we continue to work with communities across the country to strengthen their local economies across a range of sectors. From telecommunications and retail to energy and solid waste, communities are adopting our perspective that we can build a more sustainable future if we work from the bottom up. [see also our 2009 Program Update Report]

ILSR Activities Report - 2008
The dramatic events of 2008 have made ILSR's philosophical and strategic framework all the more relevant. Localism has been discovered as the logical and equitable answer to the energy, agricultural, natural resource and environmental challenges that we face. The more energy and food we produce locally, the more raw materials we mine from discarded materials, the more green jobs and small businesses we create. Localism reduces government and private sector outlays as it expands the local tax base. Local self-reliance is moving to prime time and ILSR continues to develop cutting edge solutions to the problems facing communities around the globe. [see also our 2008 Program Update Report]

New Rules Project - 2007 Year End Report
Learn about our accomplishments in three sectors of targeted focus:
1. Hometown Advantage - expanding, developing and protecting locally owned retail businesses
2. Democratic Energy - dispersed energy generation and local ownership
3. Telecommunications As Commons - building strong, publicly owned telecommunications networks

Waste to Wealth - 2007 Year End Report
For 33 years ILSR’s “Waste to Wealth” program has helped to convert wastes from environmental and economic liabilities into valuable resources that contribute to community development. In 2007, our work has focused on the following:
(1) encouraging sustainable biomaterials to replace fossil-fuel-based plastics
(2) developing green industrial parks
(3) salvaging building materials through deconstruction
(4) deterring waste incineration projects and promoting in their stead zero waste planning and recycling-based economic development
(5) establishing a composting program in our home city of Washington, DC.