Designed for Impact
The Evergreen was built with an engrained social mission at its core
Using Business as A Force for Good
The Evergreen Lodge is a new type of company called a social enterprise, which has social and environmental goals in addition to its business goals. While the Evergreen seeks to offer the richest, most memorable all-around hospitality experience in Yosemite, it is our non-business goals – our desire for positive, long-term impact on our society and environment – that most set us apart.
Youth Program
Behind the scenes at the lodge, we operate and fully self-fund an innovative employment program serving high-potential young adults.
The youth in our program learn a specific trade while living in a supportive community and enjoy outdoor experiences that challenge, motivate and inspire them. During their non-work hours, they receive assistance from our full-time program staff in planning their next career and educational steps and developing the tools to for independence and self-sufficiency.
Our Youth Program is foundational to what we do at the Evergreen, and we are proud to have operated the program since we acquired the Lodge in 2002.
Environmental Practices
We are proud to be stewards of this special property and of the Yosemite area, and we have established a variety of environmental initiatives in support of this stewardship:
- Local Sourcing – purchasing from local farms and artisans, hiring local staff, landscaping with native plants
- Energy Conservation – using solar power, recycling gray water, using low flow fixtures and high efficiency lighting
- Waste Reduction – implementing a grass roots recycling program, using eco-friendly packaging/cleaning products
- Environmental Education – educating guests, staff and the community about environmental issues/conservation
We have made significant investments in support of our environmental goals, including developing the county’s first commercial greywater system, which allows us to reuse over one million gallons of shower and laundry water each year.
Certified B Corporation
As a result of our balanced priorities, the Evergreen was certified as a founding B Corporation in 2007. B Corps use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. They are designed for long term sustainability, putting the health of local communities, environment and staff on the same level as the health of the bottom line.
B Corps are certified to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. B Corp certification is to sustainable business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee or USDA Organic certification is to milk. Today, there is a growing community of thousands of Certified B Corps throughout the world, including familiar names such as Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Method and Revolution Foods.
