Program Purpose
"Grants to Green" is a program of Southface Energy Institute, The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta and Enterprise Community Partners, undertaken with private funding from the Kendeda Fund. Its purpose is to help non-profit organizations in the 23-county Atlanta region to assess their facilities, identify energy-, water- and resource-efficiency upgrades and adopt best management practices in sustainability. The program funds Assessments by Southface and Implementation Grants by The Community Foundation for actual green upgrades.
Counties served by the Grants to Green program include: Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Hall, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton.
Program Overview
Approximately half of all energy generated in the U.S. is used to power buildings and other aspects of the built environment. With recent increases in the cost of petroleum, the threat of climate change and the drought in North Georgia, managers of non-profit organizations in the Atlanta region are acutely aware of the need to operate buildings that use natural resources efficiently and in environmentally sustainable ways.
The Grants to Green program originated from the recognition that non-profit staff members who are planning new buildings, major renovations and overall sustainability plans for their organizations often lack the expertise and funding to evaluate opportunities for ecologically-, socially- and economically-sound decisions. Few non-profits have the in-house capacity to set environmental performance goals and assess potential energy and water efficiency upgrades, to select skilled design and construction professionals that are committed to achieving these goals and to engage their staff in creating a plan for comprehensive organizational sustainability. The Grants to Green program funds assessments to address these constraints.
Assessments: Southface Provides Technical and Planning Assistance to Non-Profits Looking to “Green” Facilities and Business Practices
Southface provides expert technical assistance, facilitation of planning, and education of staff members to assist non-profit organizations in need of this support. The funding covers Southface Assessments such as:
- Energy and Water Audits with Prioritized Recommendations
- Green Design Reviews and Guidance
- Goal-setting Charrettes
- Green Business Practice Analysis and Recommendations
For a full list of services and eligibility requirements, please see the Grants to Green Program Guidelines. To apply for an Assessment, please see the Assessment Application. Also, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Implementation Grants: The Community Foundation Provides Grants to Assist Non-profits with the Capital Costs of Upgrading New or Existing Buildings to Green Standards
Non-profits who meet the program eligibility requirements and who have received an Energy and Water Audit or Design Review can apply for an Implementation Grant. The Implementation grant is a cash grant used to pay for the cost of executing recommendations identified in a recent Energy and Water Audit or in the case of new construction, for a portion of the difference in cost between code-compliant design and green design. Priority for Implementation Grants will be given to organizations with the vision and capacity to implement and complete green upgrades within a 12-24 month period of time. For a more detailed explanation and eligibility requirements, please see the Grants to Green Program Guidelines. To apply for an Implementation Grant, please see the Implementation Application. Also, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page.
In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements, successful applicants will be able to demonstrate commitment and capacity to influence successful, long-term change toward sustainability within and without their organizations.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend an Orientation to the Grants to Green program on April 23, 2008. Click here to download the registration form.
Applications for the current funding cycle are due May 12, 2008. Announcements of Assessment Awards and Implementation Grants will be made in mid-July. For more information, see the Forms and Services page.
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