Southface Institute: Blog

Always on the frontline of communities in need, nonprofits are now struggling more than ever to provide for those who depend on them, with competition for donation dollars fierce in the COVID-19 environment. Even so, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County, a grantee of Southface’s GoodUse program, immediately saw the need and partnered with other organizations to help first responders and their families by providing urgently needed childcare in the wake of school and daycare closures. Southface Institute talked with Sara Bealor, Director of Communications for Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County, Florida, to get the details.

For most nonprofits, any opportunity to save money is a welcome one, as those savings can be invested in work which fulfills the organization’s mission. Utility bills represent one area where nonprofits can realize big savings, as inefficient buildings and fixtures can be a large portion of an organization’s operating expenses.

The Grants to Green story began when The Kendeda Fund approached leadership of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta (CFGA) in 2007 with a bright idea. The Kendeda Fund wanted to initiate a grant-making program that would transform the nonprofit sector by encouraging nonprofits to renovate or build healthier workplaces that are energy, water and resource efficient.

How does a building energy audit feed hungry people? Serve at-risk youth? Grow an arts program? Believe it or not, this isn’t a nonsequitur – it’s a demonstrated fact. Nonprofits …

Continue reading "Telling A Different Story: Sustainability As A Means To Increase Mission-Driven Capacity And Strengthen Communities"

The EPA recently announced results from the ENERGY STAR® National Building Competition: BOOTCAMP. The competition “challenged building owners, managers, and occupants to reduce energy and water use, and save money …

Continue reading "Results from the ENERGY STAR National Building Competition: BOOTCAMP"

Grants to Green has been recognized for excellence again! The program won the Community Strong Award at the annual Atlanta E3 Awards on Tuesday, October 4.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America Energy and Water Efficiency Program (BGCA EWEP) leverages our successful local Grants to Green program that has helped more than 155 nonprofits save more than $1 million per year in energy and water costs since 2008.

The Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School celebrated its completion of the recommended retrofits for its campus through the Grants to Green program.