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Washtenaw County, MI

The State of the Network, 2025

Claire Maulhardt, SPPC Co-chair

Beatrice Ohene-Okae, SPPC Co-chair

Barbara Hopkins, Exec. Director

May 6, 2025

Seattle, WA

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Game Plan

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1. THE WHY behind our current approach;
2. THE HOW - theory of change
3. THE WHAT – strategic plan initiatives & status; possible new opportunity.

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There is a pressing need for information & technical resources on GSI.

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A recent survey of 643 MS4 permittees across 47 states revealed green infrastructure as one of the greatest areas of need for informational/ technical resources – for the 3^rd year in a row.

~ Water Environment Federation, 2022 MS4 Needs Assessment Survey

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Cross-sector collaboration is essential

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• “Innovators should precisely define the field they have targeted for change or emergence, starting with its basic conceptual frameworks and existing practices.”
• “With such a framework in place, innovators are then able to develop roadmaps for how they will influence the field over the long term.”

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~ P. Plastrik, et. al. Connect, Innovate, Scale-Up: How Networks Create Systems Change., p. 140 (2022).

Scale demands an organizing framework

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Regional coordination is critical

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Pittsburgh, PA

“Coordinating efforts

across a region can be more effective at solving

watershed problems than a fragmented approach ….”

~ New Jersey Future. Regional Stormwater Management: Flood Control at Less Cost.

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Theory of Change

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STRATEGY: Execute a Recruitment Plan to Grow Revenue & Scale

Pittsburgh, PA

Previously limited to local governments, we now proudly serve a diverse range of sectors, including:

• Local Governments and Stormwater Agencies
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Private Sector Entities (e.g., engineer firms)
• Educational, State, and Federal Government Organizations
• Solo practitioners, full-time faculty, and students.

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Membership Has Grown by 69% in the Last 2 Years

~ Exchange Salesforce Database, 4/28/2025

Local Governments & Stormwater Agencies Comprise 66% of the Membership

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STRATEGY: Refine and expand programming based on the Framework of Practice

Pittsburgh, PA

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The Framework of GSI Practice

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FOUNDATIONAL COURSES / PEER LEARNING EXPERIENCES (for beginners)

• GSI Foundations: A survey of the Framework’s core topics.
• GSI & Equity: Organized around the Exchange’s seven Equity Goals and 4 identified types of equity (i.e., identity, power, process, spatial
• Catalyst 1: Designed to help jurisdictions in the early stages of developing a GSI program climb the learning curve more quickly.
• Making Your Case with the GSI Impact Hub: A short course on using GSI Impact Hub to evaluate a project’s co-benefits and make the case for its construction, i.e., “build buy-in” with decision-makers.

REPURPOSING PROGRAMMING CONTENT TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE FRAMEWORK OF GSI PRACTICE & GI LIBRARY

• Establishing/updating principles and best practices.
• Incorporating new case studies.
• Cataloging project images, specifications and details in the GI Library.

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Programming That Aligns with the Framework

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STRATEGY: Strengthen the capacity & programming of RISC to create a transferable model for enhancing regional cooperation.

Pittsburgh, PA

2023-2024:

• 3 member surveys
• 4 meetings w/members to review survey results
• 3 quarterly meetings
• 1 in-person meeting
• 6 professionally facilitated meetings w/regional leaders to review survey results
• CIS Report
• Member recruitment to Exchange and RISC
• Strategic planning

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Great Lakes Orgs = 25% of the Exchange’s Membership

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RISC Includes Members & Non-members

*Scholarship Recipient

SCAN CODE FOR MAP

ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATING IN RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES (RISC), OUR GREAT LAKES-BASED PRACTITIONERS

This is first effort to expand programming regionally.

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Resulting Plans

RISC Priorities for FY 2025

�MISSION:  

To leverage a common network and the shared experiences of climate resilience leaders to scale up green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) in the Great Lakes Region so as to improve water quality, climate resilience, and socio-economic impacts. 

�THEORY OF CHANGE: �The roles of RISC in facilitating the change envisioned in the mission are:

1. REPOSITORY: Serve as a repository for relevant reports, BMPs, and other resources.
2. EDUCATOR: Offer peer learning , webinars, and educational opportunities, regardless of level of familiarity with GSI.
3. ADVOCATE: Identify barriers faced by implementation agencies and develop (or advocate for) solutions.
4. CONNECTOR: Offer opportunities for networking, and communicate and highlight model projects, resources, and funding opportunities.

�PRIORITIES:

• PROJECTS
1. Develop a social map of the key Great Lakes GSI players across the governmental, private, educational, and nonprofit sectors, highlighting their resources, successes, areas of expertise, and plans for the future. Use the results as a basis for ongoing recruitment of new members, development of shared resources, and prioritization of strategies..
2. Create a RISC repository for relevant GSI reports, BMPs, and other resources within the Exchange’s new Aluminati member platform.
3. Update the RISC website.
• PROGRAMMING
• Host bi-monthly, online, peer learning sessions around priority topics (suggested by the RISC-member responses to the 2024 ERN survey)
• Host an in-person meeting to include peer learning and networking.

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THE UPSHOT:

The network is STRONG. We are becoming a more sustainable organization with an increasingly diversified resource base.

Pittsburgh, PA

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From a position of strength, we can contemplate opportunities.

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RATIONALE:

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(1) READINESS

Pittsburgh, PA

IN THE LAST 30 MONTHS WE’VE:

• Substantially improved internal systems.
• Hired staff to manage programs and contractors to support them.
• Refined our business model.
• Developed an organizing GSI framework and programming that aligns with it.
• Created a strategic plan that is both realistic and aspirational and tied our budget to that plan.

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RATIONALE:

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(2) COST

Pittsburgh, PA

WE ARE INCURRING MANY COSTS AS A SPONSORED ORGANIZATION:

• Monetary: Fiscal sponsorship fees & the inability to realize interest on our funds cost us $40-$60k annually.
• Efficiency: Staff are jumping through a lot of hoops owing to having to seek approval from GPP on everything related to grants, contracts, accounting and hiring.
• Opportunity: We’re missing out on opportunities to advance our cause and help our members because we cannot lobby or engage in other types of advocacy as a sponsored organization.

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RATIONALE:

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(3) PERCEPTION

Pittsburgh, PA

Being a sponsored organization can be perceived as being uncertain about the viability of our mission and the sustainability of our organization.

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Draft Plan for Forming a Nonprofit

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Discussion

IN THE TIME REMAINING, PLEASE CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS:

• What do you see as the major advantages of the Exchange becoming a nonprofit?
• What do you see as the major disadvantages?
• What comments or questions come to mind?

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In the Annual Meeting Resources folder accessible from the QR Code at right, there is an FAQ document on forming a nonprofit that we have begun to help with this discussion.