‘Buy local’ theme behind groups’ new campaign

BOULDER – Three Boulder institutions are joining forces to convince Boulder Valley businesses and residents it’s smart to spend their money locally.

The Boulder Going Local campaign, which launched March 15, is a collaboration between the Boulder Independent Business Alliance, Boulder County Farmers’ Market and Boulder Valley Relocalization.

It isn’t so much an organization as a way of life, explained Michael Brownlee, co-founder of Boulder Valley Relocalization, a group devoted to achieving community self-sufficiency in energy, food and economy.

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“Boulder Going Local is not a membership organization; it’s a communitywide effort. One of the themes will be the ‘buy local first’ theme, so we will be doing a lot of public education around that issue and encouraging people to buy local,” Brownlee said.

From a purely business perspective, Boulder Going Local is a corporation, and Brownlee is one of its full-time employees. “We are a for-profit social venture. Our financial mission is to provide the financial support needed for BVL (Boulder Valley Relocalization) and BIBA (Boulder Independent Business Alliance) to be sustainable. So our profits are devoted to those organizations and others that we may be partnering with.”

Boulder Going Local is looking for sponsors to contribute between $1,250 and $25,000 to support its efforts which include:

_ A three-day expo in September.

_ “Buy Local First” coupon book featuring local independent businesses

_ Monthly public awareness events and classes, workshops and seminars on the ecological and economical aspects of a sustainable, community-centric lifestyle.

_ A bimonthly newspaper.

Brownlee said the coupon book is under development. It will be based on a similar coupon book available in Fort Collins.

The Fort Collins “Be Local” coupon book, spearheaded by Fort Collins community organizer Gailmarie Kimmel, debuted last September at the annual Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair.

“The idea is to promote independently owned local businesses,” Kimmel said. “It includes the obvious ones like the merchants and restaurants, but also the farmers’ market, trades people and health practitioners. We threw the net very wide the first year so it would be very inclusive.”

Kimmel attracted 75 businesses to purchase 117 coupons for $95 a piece. The book sells for $10 at area businesses, and “there are more than $2,000 in savings” in it, she said. Local nonprofits use book sales as fundraisers as well.

“This is about value in all the senses of that word,´ said Kimmel, who is voluntarily organizing the Fort Collins effort. “We want to build community value so people understand when they spend their money with local business your economic multiplier is about 75 percent,” meaning it generates jobs and tax revenues locally.

Boulder Going Local Inc.

2415 19th St.

Boulder, CO 80304

303-494-1521

www.bouldergoinglocal.com

Michael Brownlee, co-founder

Employees: two full time, two part time

Primary service: Educating public on value of supporting local businesses

Founded: 2007