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Dear Friend and Colleague,

The Natural Building Movement is not new, but it is growing to meet the needs of our planet, nature and society. Become a co-creator of an organization moving the mission of our movement forward in the world.  Become a member of NBN.

The Natural Building Network is a not-for-profit membership association promoting natural building principles, materials and practitioners worldwide. We support ecological regeneration, social justice, the building of community and economic opportunity, and the recognition of indigenous wisdom as essential in creating healthy, beautiful, and spiritually-uplifting habitation for everyone.

   We have accomplished a lot since our founding in 2006 and with your membership we are poised to do much more in 2008. NBN is already becoming a valued resource in promoting natural building and natural builders to the world, and your input (monetary, intellectual and spiritual) can play an important part in defining the movement. At the same time, we have been continually working to add value to the benefits we provide to NBN members, and we think you’ll be pleased to hear the latest news.

There is a clear need globally for education (and re-education) about building safe, beautiful shelter from locally available natural materials, and lowering the ecological footprint of our housing. Clearing the pathway for builders, owner-builders and regulatory authorities to come into partnership with regenerative and durable practices in building is an essential component to moving our vision forward in the world. We are working with partner organizations to gather research, educate and inform code officials, and share what has been successfully built with those who are experiencing resistance to ecological design. We need your input to do this work, and will do all we can to keep our community informed and effective.

We are a not-for-profit organization with a structure that requires sustainable practices. In 2007 NBN restructured as a member-benefit non-profit organization. This reflects the fact that while we are educating the public about the Natural Building Movement, our members benefit directly from of our work. Through our website, education and outreach lectures, local presentations, and representation at local, regional, national and international events, NBN promotes the work of our members. This leads to more business opportunities, participants in workshops, etc. There is also more visibility for natural building in the media, the public domain, and within the conventional and green building communities. Our new structure also supports our mission.

In June of 2007 our new board of directors was appointed for one-year terms.  Board members Candace Vanderhoff, Dafyd Rawlings, Chris McClellan, Carolyn Hernandez, Carrie Campbell and I met at the Lama Foundation near Taos, New Mexico to develop the organization into our highest potential.  New committees have been organized with a board member on each committee. The committees are Education, Communication, Events, Membership and Affiliation, and Resource Laboratory. More information can be found here: http://www.naturalbuildingnetwork.org/committees.htm  

             As a member-benefit non-profit, we are not eligible for grant funding or other traditional non-profit fundraising strategies. Our income comes from our membership fees, donations at presentations, and potentially, from book sales and event hosting. Organizing and maintaining this work requires time, energy, love and money.  Our administrative work has been primarily voluntary with income supporting our website hosting, postage, printing costs, office costs, etc. Member will receive our annual report in early 2008.

If you choose to become  a member, your work will be promoted widely through the NBN website www.naturalbuildingnetwork.org. If you offer services or events, these will be broadcast through our extensive email network and information service, and through the many conversations our members carry on with people from all social strata who are hungry to know more about your work. NBN can magnify access to your work making it available to many more people, who may then connect with you to support their dreams and your livelihood.

If you are not a professional and would like to demonstrate your affiliation with NBN and our community, you can provide inspiration to many people as we share your interest with others. NBN and our members have been recently featured in USA Today, the New York Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Mother Earth News and regional newspapers around the US. Interest and excitement is building!

In the coming year NBN will continue to grow into our role as the umbrella organization for projects, research and campaigns that support our collective efforts.  Our website will continue to work as a clearinghouse for current and accurate information important to our movement. With your help, we will continually add high value content to aid and educate natural building practitioners and consumers, as well as news media, public policy planners, code officials and insurance and loan providers.  Soon our web development team will unveil our new interactive website designed to make our work more effective, and to increase your access to NBN community resources locally and around the world.

We are continuing to explore ways to be more supportive of our members. In 2008 NBN will continue to pursue organizing a group health and dental insurance plan to our US members that can reduce insurance fees by up to 40%.

Our members contribute to the organization through many ways, and there are many opportunities to help: technical support in website development, administrative assistance, providing content for the website in the form of useful articles about Natural Building and supporting systems, inviting cooperative alliances with other organizations working in social and environmental justice, or volunteering on a committee. Any contribution made to NBN, including your membership, can be accounted for as a marketing or advertising expense for your business or organization.

NBN has been invited to have a presence at Terre 2008 in Bamako, Mali in February, and the International Eco Building Meeting in São Paulo, Brazil in May. In October NBN will organize and host the International Colloquium at Orella Ranch near Santa Barbara, California. More information will be coming about this long-awaited event shortly. 

I am proud to be your director and look forward to another year of joyfully supporting the Natural Building movement. I would like to thank our associate director, Carrie Campbell, for her diligent support of visioning and administering NBN, and our board members Chris McClellan, Carolyn Hernandez, Dafyd Rawlins, and Candy Vanderhoff for their valuable input, guidance, vision and promotion. Thanks also to our informal advisory board for their sage advice.  Additionally, we continue to seek and act on the valued input of all of our members.

If you are already a natural builder, thank you! for the valuable support and interest you provide to Natural Building and regenerative/sustainable living. Your efforts support all of us working in the movement. Thanks in advance for becoming a member:

Our Membership Options are: (funds shown in US dollars, but other currencies are accepted)

Professional Member: $47-500 sliding scale based on income (suggested 2% of gross income) This level of membership Includes: NBN e-newsletter, a full bio in the NBN directory, a link to your website, access to membership directory in your area to promote and network your work/workshops/NBN products, invitation to NBN sponsored Colloquia

Organization or Institution: $47-500 (sliding scale based on ability) This level of membership includes: NBN e-newsletter, a bio in the NBN directory and links on each others’ web site. 

Supporting Member: $27 to the level of support desired includes: NBN e-newsletter, Discount on NBN sponsored events, and name in the NBN directory.

 Student Member: $22 per year includes: NBN e-newsletter, Discount on NBN sponsored events, and name in directory.

All memberships above will receive a Membership Certificate and for Professional Members we will send a laminated membership card. Also available will be Natural Building Professional placards that can be posted at job sites.

For those members able to support NBN’s efforts towards the Natural Building Movement above the base membership NBN offers a special thanks you by designating the following on the directory and your certificate:

Sustainable Supporter (up to 2x fee)

Regenerative Supporter (up to 4x fee)

Inspiring Supporter(abundantly unlimited)

Just follow the link at www.naturalbuildingnetwork.org/support.

 In Community,

Jack Stephens
Executive Director

P.S. A gift of $50, $100, or even $200 will directly fund innovative tools, unbiased research, and smart solutions that help people, improve the effectiveness of the natural building movement, and protect the environment. Please consider a gift to the Natural Building Network as part of your annual tax strategy. In the US all contributions can be accounted for as a business marketing expense.

photos of contemporary natural buildings courtesy of Catherine Wanek