Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Retrofit Fund - The Alaska Community Foundation

Join the Alaska Community Foundation and Rasmuson Foundation to support energy-efficient, money-saving facility upgrades for Alaska nonprofits that provide critical direct services to Alaskans.

In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy issued $50 million in Renew America’s Nonprofits grants to nine subrecipients nationwide. These grants will support energy efficiency projects at nonprofits, enabling them to create cleaner, healthier community spaces and generate sustainable savings that can be redirected toward mission-focused work. The funding is provided by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Alaska HeatSmart, one of the nine subrecipients, has been awarded $3,805,927 and is partnering with the National Renewable Energy Project – Alaska Campus to sub-award and administer grants to Alaska nonprofits for energy-efficient, money-saving facility upgrades. The unique aspect of this statewide initiative is its focus on improving energy efficiency and lowering annual operating costs for up to twenty-five nonprofit buildings in Alaska that serve lower to middle-income and disadvantaged populations. The portfolio targets nonprofits in the multi-family housing and health and human services sectors, where communities experience a particularly high energy burden in Alaska. For many nonprofits in Alaska, energy is their second-highest expense, after personnel costs.

Apart from those advantages, this program will create and support jobs across Alaska with fair and prevailing wages as well as coordinate workforce training to all team members, partners, and contractors. A minimum of 75% of program benefits will be directed to communities recognized as disadvantaged by the federal government, reducing the cost of living and increasing access to resilient, clean energy for Alaskan households. Potential recipients include domestic violence shelters, senior centers, homeless housing centers, shelters, food banks, childcare, and other community organizations.

The selection committee comprises subject matter and grant-making experts such as The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF), Rasmuson Foundation, and the National Renewable Energy Project – Alaska Campus, among others.

The originating federal award has a match requirement of $952,500. Rather than require each (already time-strapped) nonprofit recipient to fundraise for their portion of the match individually, we’ve created the Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Retrofit Fund so that funding partners can pool funds for matching dollars upfront. Your contribution is crucial in helping facilitate grant awards to nonprofits statewide that serve lower to middle-income and disadvantaged populations. By supporting this initiative, you are reducing the need for them to apply to multiple grantors on different cycles, making the process more efficient and effective.

Ways to Give

Mail a Check

For the security of our donors and to avoid banking complications, all checks must be made payable to The Alaska Community Foundation or ACF with the fund name you wish to donate to in the memo field. Checks not made payable to The Alaska Community Foundation or ACF will be stamped “void” and returned to the donor. Mail to 3201 C Street, Suite 110, Anchorage, AK 99503.

Give a Secure Gift Online

The Alaska Community Foundation accepts secure credit card gifts online. By clicking the Donate Now button above, you can donate directly to the Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Retrofit Fund.

Give from Your IRA

If you are 70 ½ or older, you can donate up to $105,000* annually via a Qualified Charitable Distribution from a traditional IRA to a charity such as ACF without incurring taxes today or estate and income taxes in the future. If you are 73 or older, you can donate all or part of your required minimum distribution and save on taxes.

*The amount that donors can give to charity via a QCD will increase by a percentage in 2025 to account for inflation.

Make a Gift Though Stocks or Mutual Funds

You can transfer appreciated stock directly from your account to ours, saving you capital gains taxes. Please get in touch with ACF at info@alaskacf.org or call us at (907) 334.6700 for instructions.

Ways to Give

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