The Social Capital Project aims to increase public support and engagement in environmental and climate policies and programs. In conjunction with its growing network of practitioners from nonprofits, government, and business, the Social Capital Project develops and promotes best practices in environmental communications and behavior change through research efforts, training program, pilot public engagement projects and by providing technical services.

Creative Social Marketing

 We’re rethinking what it means to be “green.” Communicating about the environment doesn’t mean selling issues to people, it means looking at long-term trends and conveying core concepts that shape values.  With an in-depth understanding of the American public’s social values, we bring knowledge of cognition and behavior change into the program design process to develop robust campaign and communications strategies. Recognizing that the “public” is not all the same is a critical aspect of developing effective public engagement strategies. 

Research-Based Strategies

We've produced some of the largest studies on public engagement in environmental issues and global warming that are being used by more than 400 organizations. Our social values research segments the public into ten distinct groups based on how people think of the environment and their role in protecting it. Our values data is mapped down to the census block level in the Pacific Northwest allowing us to target specific segments of the public based on their social values and environmental views. Our global warming research offers new insights on how to reframe the issue to promote behavior change and fill the gaps in the public’s understanding of global warming and its impacts.

On-the-Ground Campaign Experience

With both research expertise and practitioner experience we offer a full range of services from research design, strategic guidance, as well as production, execution, and evaluation of public engagement campaigns. As a program of TRIG, we bring with us a wide range of resources and networks. 

Click here to find out more about the Social Capital Project.