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When it comes to consumption, humans can either be locusts descending on a helpless farmer’s crop, or a gracefully grazing gazelle on an African plain. My point is that we don’t have to devour everything in sight. Mindful consumerism can actually help to heal the planet. We simply have to be more responsible in how we balance commerce and ecology.

The more green digging I do, the more incredible people, organizations, products and businesses I find who are changing the paradigm. So I will begin to feature them in this year-long series of posts: “How Commerce & Ecology Can Coexist.”

Let’s take a look at my first entry: Greenraising.com, Earth Friendly Fundraising, which donates 25% of each online purchase to your cause.

The organization was started by the parents of elementary school children who watched how their PTA struggled each year to raise money. At the same time, they noticed that their children were coming home with concerns about the environment, pollution, global warming and living conditions in the world, and were feeling helpless to change things. Greenraising was created to help solve both problems: Raise money for schools and give children an opportunity to learn that their actions can change the world.

Greenraising found so much success with their school fundraising model that they have expanded their mission to benefit other non-profit organizations.

Register your nonprofit with Greenraising.com, and they will send you 25% of the proceeds from all eco-friendly products purchased from their site, providing the buyer names your organization as the beneficiary. Greenraising.com will also help you with catalog drives and planning fundraising events.

Plus the site offers interesting insights into how commerce & ecology can and DO coexist; like this little ditty about their Guatemalan Peace Coffee.

To me what Greenraising.com is doing is impressive. It’s a “circle-of-life” mechanism to raise funds for non-profit causes, by selling eco-friendly products, that educate site visitors on Earth-friendly consumption, that helps us all to become better stewards of our planet, by raising awareness and funds for programs important to us.

They are examples of the famous quote by Margaret Mead:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Do you know of a cause or organization that is doing a good job of demonstrating how commerce and ecology can coexist? If so, let us know.