Located in Northwest DC, the Organization of American States (OAS) boasts the title of being the world’s largest regional organization. OAS represents the unified governments, community partners, and humanitarian organizations across all 35 independent states of the Americas, all the way from Canada to Argentina. To embody their mission of helping others and helping the environment, OAS works towards a sustainable future, protecting the livability of all people who share the land, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, and status.
Connecting with goDCgo
OAS partnered with goDCgo for the first time in 2024 to participate in the annual Commuter Challenge, a friendly competition to promote sustainable commuting. Their Corporate Sustainability Program (CSP) found out about the Challenge through their sister organization, the Inter American Development Bank (IDB). The IDB staff connected the OAS CSP to goDCgo’s Employer Outreach Coordinators, who invited OAS to participate.
All employees were eligible to join OAS’ team to log their sustainable commute trips, win gift cards, and boost OAS’ ranks among District employers in the leaderboard. goDCgo ran the whole program – including communications and promotions – making it completely cost-free for OAS and all other participating employers.
Over the course of the Challenge, goDCgo worked directly with OAS’ CSP to host tabling events at the OAS office. At these events, OAS’ CSP and the goDCgo team jointly promoted the Commuter Challenge and the sustainable commuter benefits available to staff, including pre-tax savings when riding Metro.
Internal Engagement with Employees
In addition to sharing goDCgo's promotional materials, OAS’ Corporate Sustainability Program went above and beyond to promote the program, posting about it on OAS' intranet platform. To support their staff in learning how to commute sustainably, OAS embedded the goDCgo Interactive Map on their intranet and created supplemental promotional graphics in both Spanish and English. Furthermore, OAS worked with goDCgo to promote the Commuter Challenge through additional TDM strategies, such as giving away two bikes to the company's top participants, inviting a Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) representative to their Earth Day event, and participating in Bike to Work Day.
OAS’ Corporate Sustainability Program also encouraged his peers at neighboring District companies to participate in the Challenge. Working with goDCgo to partner with the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and combine the PADF team with the OAS team. Additionally, thanks to their promotion among the Sustainability Managers Round Table, goDCgo was able to reach the World Resources Institute and several other District organizations who expressed interest in signing up early next year to get organized and participate.
Creating Measurable Impact
OAS finished the Challenge in second place. Their impact included:
- 79 participants actively logged trips
- 8,120 trips logged over three months
- 504,300 calories burned
- 32 tons of CO2 saved
- 94,500 miles travelled
- $43,700 dollars saved by taking sustainable trips
Telework was the most common sustainable mode, comprising approximately one-third of all trips logged. 28% of trips logged were taken by Metrorail. About 15% of trips logged were walking, and 13% of trips logged were taken by carpool.
According to one of the leaders of the OAS’ Corporate Sustainability Program, the Challenge helped activate excitement among OAS employees about sustainable commuting. ""Thank you goDCgo for all the support and this great initiative," he said. "The Commuter Challenge has helped us create engagement and awareness and given new energy to our commuter services. We have received lots of positive feedback and people are excited to continue with the program."
Beyond the Challenge
OAS' work with goDCgo didn't stop with the Commuter Challenge. After completing the Challenge, OAS signed up for a full Capital Bikeshare Corporate membership, meaning their employees can receive a fully subsidized annual membership to bikeshare for their commutes. OAS also worked with goDCgo to achieve a Platinum Transportation All-Star designation for their robust commuter benefits programs. This means that goDCgo will cover, for free, a one-year membership to Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC). BWC is a company recognition program which provides resources and staff trainings to members. OAS will receive their crystal award for becoming a Platinum Transportation All-Star at the next All-Star Awards Ceremony in April 2025, joining the ranks of a few of their sister organizations.
Join the Challenge
In 2025, the Commuter Challenge will become the goDMV Commuter Competition and include employers from DC, Maryland, and Virginia. If you're interested in participating as an employer and would like more information, reach out to info@godcgo.com!
