Grants to Green was launched in 2008 as a partnership between The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Southface and The Kendeda Fund. The program provides assessment and implementation awards that evaluate and improve the operations of nonprofit facilities in the 23-county metro Atlanta area. Some of the opportunities identified in the assessment report can be completed immediately without financial or technical assistance. For infrastructure-intensive opportunities, organizations can also apply for an implementation grant to pay for the cost of effective energy and water improvements.
Grants to Green has transformed the operations of 132 of Atlanta’s nonprofits. By shifting dollars away from overhead costs like energy and water bills, these nonprofits are able to use funding to advance their missions. Grants have been awarded to a variety of organizations including the Atlanta International School, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, Children’s Healthcare of Greater Atlanta, Inman Park Cooperative Preschool, the Southern Center for Human Rights and the Woodruff Arts Center.
In a sample of 72 participating nonprofits, each organization realized an average of $10,100 in savings per year and reduced their energy consumption by 11.2 percent. On an annual basis, the efforts of this sample group alone achieve the equivalent energy savings of removing 3,060 cars from the road or preventing three million pounds of coal from being burned. Participants in this program have also realized significant water savings. A sample of 50 participating nonprofits reported a 20.1 percent reduction in water consumption.
