TRIG's Sustainable Governance Program engages in research, education, and technical assistance to help public, private and non-profit organizations modify and update their systems of governance. Every family, organization, community and nation has a governance system. Governance systems---not to be confused with government—determine how power and authority are distributed in a social system.  They can be considered three-legged stools that consists of the way decisions are made and enforced, information is gathered and distributed, and resources such as capital and manpower are allocated.  Each leg of the stool influences the other. By concentrating power and authority among narrowly defined groups, disproportionately diverting wealth to the top, and restricting the type and allocation of information the governance systems of many organizations today produce economically, socially, and environmentally detrimental outcomes.

Building on the background and methods described in TRIG executive director Bob Doppelt’s book Leading Change toward Sustainability: a Change Management Guide for Business, Government, and Civil Society  (Greenleaf Publishing 2003), the Sustainable Governance Program helps organizations of all types understand the structure and implications of their governance systems and adopt new methods that produce more sustainable outcomes.