We recently renewed our 1% for the Planet certification, and it’s exciting to see this global alliance of businesses that give one percent of their yearly revenues to environmental nonprofits continue to grow: when we joined in early 2010 total giving (2002 to 2009) had just surpassed $50 million; now it’s surpassed $100 million.

We loved the idea of 1% for the Planet from the moment we found out about it. We wanted to give to environmental organizations and thought that we should; the opportunity to join a movement at the same time was irresistible. Why?

Becoming a 1% for the Planet member holds us to our commitment—the yearly certification requirement (members have to submit tax documents and proof of donations) ensures that we act on our good intentions. Just as important, it allows us to make a public statement, along with fellow members, that businesses should make a contribution to preserving and restoring the resources that contribute to our success. Just as important, it shows they can afford to do so—regardless of their size.

Size is something we considered with our donation—we wanted to give to a smaller organization so our support would feel meaningful. We also wanted to give to an organization working in our community and doing advocacy work that challenges the status quo. San Francisco Baykeeper, a scrappy organization that makes an outsized impact with a lean budget, fit our criteria so well we’ve been happy to support them year after year. (See more on our selection process here.)

Naturally, we also thought we might get a marketing boost from adding the blue 1% globe to our website and other materials. We wanted to gain a slight edge with prospective clients in our sustainability-focused target market, make current clients feel that much better about working with us and attract creative people to work for us.

Honestly, though, our greatest hope is that so many other businesses join the 1% alliance that the logo ceases to be a differentiator. That would mean we’re making real progress on achieving the 1% for the Planet call to action: “Keep earth in business.”

Today is Thinkshift’s fifth anniversary! And we do indeed feel old enough for kindergarten. Rather than do something dangerous or wasteful with wood (the prescribed gift), we compiled this list of things from Thinkshift land that exist in fives (or multiples of five):

1. Thinkshift hallmarks: sustainability, credibility, storytelling, business smarts, creativity
2. Minutes x 9 that Sandra can keep her hoop up
3. Minimum number of B Corps within five blocks of TS HQ (just off the top of our head…)
4. Number of Thinkshift tattoos that fit on one average forearm
5. Messaging projects completed last year
6. Number of science fiction/fantasy writing conferences Olivia plans to attend this year
7. Habits that guard against greenwashing: accuracy, specificity, relevant comparisons, third-party confirmation, walking the talk
8. Number x 3 of customer stories told for clients last year
9. Minutes x 2 it takes Carolyn to pitch a tent (if she hurries)
10. Ingredients of successful messaging: memorability, authenticity, flexibility, simplicity, connection
11. Number x 2 of bylined articles and reports written for clients last year
12. Number of times Melissa has run the Marine Corps Marathon
13. Number x 4 (at least!) of media placements the Thinkshift team initiated for PR clients in 2012
14. Number of Strategy>Shift reports we plan to publish this year
15. Favorite partners: Pounce PR, David Kerr Design, Metaphorial, Midnight Oil Design, 2M Creative

TEDx Marin, held at the Osher Marin JCC last Friday, was light, humorous and hopeful—and perhaps that’s a good sign, since the theme was “Designing Tomorrow: The Emerging Future.”

Gary Lauder, a venture capitalist and managing partner at Lauder Partners LLC, started off the evening by speed-reading a PowerPoint sentence by sentence. Far from being a terrible speaker, Lauder had a point to make—time is precious and much of our world, from poorly planned road signs to DMV lines, is not designed as though our time matters. “If mortals made it, mortals can change it,” he said, encouragingly.

Following Lauder’s rushed speech was the calm and soothing Lynn Twist, co-founder of The Pachamama Alliance and author of The Soul of Money. We have to change our collective dreams, Lynn said, if we are to change our habits.

NASA astronaut Ed Lu, many people’s favorite speaker of the night, started off with, “All of us here are citizens of Earth…well, hopefully.” Dr. Lu spoke about his work on creating a technology for mapping asteroids and using gravity to tow away those that are headed too close to Earth. We can rest assured, he said, knowing that “the hairless monkeys from the third planet” can prevent asteroids from hitting us.

Rachel Minard, CEO of Minard Capital, spoke to something that we at Thinkshift completely identify with—the use of certain words in American business that are either obsolete or have evolved in meaning. (See Sandra’s rant on the word consumer.)

Agreement wasn’t part of the evening—no surprise, given the topic itself, but there was an overall feeling that as long as we care enough to redesign and redefine ourselves and our world, there’s hope for the future.