Our Mission

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is a not for profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches for residential and commercial construction.

Origin & Non-Profit Status

The Green Building Initiative™ was originally conceived as a way to bring green building into the mainstream by helping local Home Builder Associations (HBAs) develop green building programs modeled after the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines. While developing a strategic partnership with the NAHB, an opportunity emerged to bring a revolutionary learning tool developed in Canada to commercial builders in the United States. Near the end of 2004, the GBI finalized an agreement to bring the Green Globes™ environmental assessment and rating tool into the U.S. market.

The GBI has benefited from the early support of a core group of industries that are committed to advancing the green building movement by creating a variety of credible options for their mainstream builder customers. Organizations like the Wood Promotion Network, as well as interests from such sectors as financial services, retailers, wholesalers, appliance manufacturers and other building material providers have all stepped forward to offer early support for our efforts. The GBI plans to increasingly diversify its financial base with similarly committed companies and organizations.

The GBI is governed by a multi-stakeholder board of 15 directors featuring representatives from industry, NGOs, construction companies, architectural firms and academic institutions. Each board member has one vote, so no single entity or individual has more control than any other. Ultimately, the GBI aims to expand the board to 30 participants, consisting of 10 producers, 10 users (builders, architects, engineers, etc.) and 10 interested parties.

The Internal Revenue Service has determined that the Green Building Initiative is a non-profit organization that is exempt from federal taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. A copy of the IRS Determination Letter can be found here.

Bylaws for the Green Building Initiative were posted following IRS acceptance of our application for 501(c)(3) status as a public charity and can be found here.