CSR Press Release

CHICAGO,IL. - March 12, 2009 - As part of their outreach to sustainable organizations, Chicago-based creative design and communication agency, Rogue Element Inc.(TM)(www.rogue-element.com), has selected Research, Advocacy and Communication in Himalayan Areas (RACHNA) as its recipient of the First Annual Green Design Grant. RACHNA is an independent, entrepreneurial NGO with a focus on innovative programs that support community owned and managed green businesses and provide lasting protection of the Himalayan ecosystems.

RACHNA (www.rachnaonline.org), also meaning “creation” in the Sanskrit/Hindi language, is focused on building community owned and conservation dependent tourism enterprises. These enterprises will provide authentic experiences to visitors involving complete accommodations in guest houses in the Himalayas. The innovative program will achieve lasting conservation of these important ecosystems in a way that generates jobs and income for local people as well as sustains and improves their interest in conservation. The community guest houses will also become a small but reliable source of revenue for conservation activities planned by the communities for their area.

"RACHNA has the progressive thought and concept that we felt aligned with the Green Design Grant's mission to help organizations with a commitment to sustainability, preservation, and betterment of the world," said Rob Coleman, co-founder and creative director of Rogue Element.

"The Green Design Grant has made it possible for start-ups like us to work with world class designers to communicate with the stakeholders of their programs in most effective and efficient way," said Manoj Bhatt, director of RACHNA. "This is a large key for our success."

The rural region includes the source of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. This area receives millions of tourists and visitors every year. The growth rate in the number of visitors was 25% year over year in 2004-06 and continues to grow. Despite the growth in number of visitors, the tourism sector is jobless; disconnected from the local agriculture production and handicrafts; and does not provide quality life to its employees.

Each guest house will create full time job for at least five village youths (management, cooking, guiding), supplementary income for 10-12 marginal farmer families (investors, suppliers of food grains; milk and vegetables), and regular revenue (10% of the profit) for Van Panchayat (Hindi for Village Forest Council) – a unique traditional institution of forest management in the region.

The application for the 2010 Green Design Grant will be available in September 2009.

Rogue Element Inc., founded by designers Rob Coleman and Allison Manley, is a small strategic design agency with big project experience that fuses a passion for creative communication with clients who make a difference. Their design and branding work has been recognized by Graphis, PR Week, The Advertising Club of Metropolitan Washington, the Washington Book Publishers Club, and How Magazine. They are members of the American Institute of Graphic Artists, Green America, and the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance.

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