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March 15, 2022

Thinking Green: Grant Funding for Sustainability

Grants Plus CEO Dana Textoris sits down with Laura E. Steinbrink, Managing Member of Emerald Built Environments, to discuss how nonprofits should prioritize environmental sustainability initiatives to unlock new potential grant funding.

Key Takeaways

Grantees should be ready to address sustainability requirements: Organizations that don’t proactively address their sustainability impact may find themselves unprepared or ineligible for some funding. Some funders require grantees to explain how they are reducing their carbon footprint/climate impact, even if the grant request is not for building or sustainability. This includes The George Gund Foundation, which requires ALL grantees to submit a climate change statement. We anticipate that such requirements will only increase, as problems mount/pressure builds for corporations and other institutions to be good environmental citizens.

The stakes are even higher for capital grant requests. Funders that make capital grants may require that grantees demonstrate LEED Certification or other green building practices. Organizations planning to build or renovate property can make many choices to green their design, which may increase their eligibility and options for funding.

People care about the environment, so organizations should too: Just as many consumers will spend more to buy environmentally-friendly products, we can expect donors will be happier to support nonprofits that share their sustainability values. Nonprofits simply can’t go wrong by being vocal to make sure donors and funders know about the steps they’re taking to go green–that could involve describing sustainability practices in grant proposals and other fundraising materials even when not required.

Helpful Links

Emerald Gives Grant Opportunity

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Guide

More information on 179D

Watch the full video here:


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