INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and IFF have announced the inaugural cohort of Thriving Nonprofits, a new initiative funded by the McKinney Family Foundation designed to help Marion County nonprofits improve the energy efficiency of their facilities and reduce operating costs. The Office of Sustainability and IFF selected ten organizations to participate in the initiative. Each will receive a free energy assessment of their facility and matching grants of up to $10,000 to facilitate building upgrades that reduce energy usage and monthly utility bills.
Organizations selected to participate in Thriving Nonprofits include:
• Outreach, Inc.
• Second Helpings, Inc.
• Aspire Higher Foundation, Inc.
• HealthNet, Inc.
• B-SIDE Creative Campus
• Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center Incorporated
• Coburn Place Safe Haven
• Fairview Presbyterian Church
• Community Alliance of Far Eastside
• Community Action of Greater Indiana
Energy assessments of their facilities will be conducted by IFF’s Real Estate Solutions team with additional funding support from Glick Philanthropies helping with the assessments. Assessments are expected to be completed by the end of summer.
Each energy assessment provided through Thriving Nonprofits will include a walk-through of the organization’s facility to examining features like exterior walls, roof, windows, and doors Interior elements, appliances, heating and cooling systems, light fixtures, and more will also be examined to pinpoint specific upgrades or replacements. Organizations will also receive recommendations about which building upgrades to complete in the short- and long-term based on estimated cost and complexity.
Matching grants provided to Thriving Nonprofits organizations will help to facilitate building upgrades like LED lighting retrofits, HVAC replacements, roof repairs or replacements, weatherization, solar panel installations, and the purchase of more efficient appliances, among other examples. IFF will also provide cohort members with access to flexible loans to supplement project budgets, as needed. All building upgrades enabled by Thriving Nonprofits are expected to be completed by December 1.