I just opened the email with my monthly Austin CarShare invoice and learned that the organization ceased operations as of Thursday, July 22. As a founding board member and long-time chair/spokesperson for the nonprofit I initially had had a range of feelings about reading this news.

Does the end of the organization mean that it was a failure? What is success? Defining success is subjective and up to each of us. In the nonprofit world, the ultimate success CAN mean putting yourself out of business. Isn’t the mission of every homeless program to eliminate the sources of homelessness and need for their services?

In that vein, I declare that Austin CarShare was a success. In just 44 months it admirably accomplished several things that made a difference in the transportation landscape of Austin (and beyond), laid the groundwork for a for-profit program to launch rather easily, and had numerous positive environmental impacts.