The Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) is an independent, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization whose primary work includes finding community-based solutions to reducing climate pollution in the U.S. and China, building the capacity of civil society in the Balkans, and helping communities along the U.S. Gulf Coast and China recover from disasters. ISC provides training, technical assistance and financial support to communities, nonprofits/nongovernmental organizations, businesses and local governments.
Founded in 1991 by Madeleine Kunin, ISC’s early work connected civic participation with environmental management in the countries of the former Soviet Union. ISC has since managed 77 projects in 22 countries, and is funded by private foundations, corporations, individuals and government agencies. Major current programs include the Guangdong Environmental partnership and U.S.-China Partnership for Climate Action in China, the Climate Leadership Academy and Gulf Coast Sustainable Communities Network in the U.S., the Civil Society Advocacy Initiative in Serbia, and the Civil Society Strengthening Program in Kosovo.
Based in Montpelier, Vermont, ISC has offices in Washington, DC, in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 (Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

, Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

 and Guangzhou

Guangzhou

Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

), Serbia (Belgrade

Belgrade

Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...

) and Kosovo (Pristina

Pristina

Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....

). ISC works with local partners to design and implement projects that mobilize communities to bring clean air, water, and land to their communities; adopt energy efficiency measures and conserve resources; reduce the causes and adapt to the local effects of climate disruption strengthen their civil society institutions to become influential partners alongside business and government; or rebuild sustainably after disasters. By combining technical expertise and leadership training with strategic investments in local organizations, ISC's approach ensures solutions emerge from within the community, rather than being imposed from the outside.
ISC has founded and/or mentored organizations in the countries in which it has worked, including the Fund for Sustainable Development in Russia, the Successful Communities Institute in Ukraine, and FOCUS, a new grassroots organization based in Mississippi.
Approximately 83% of ISC's $9 million budget in FY 09 supported programming.