GRANTS TO GREEN GRANTS $1 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS TO LOCAL NONPROFITS
The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque’s (CFGD) Grants to Green (G2G) program has been helping nonprofit organizations become more sustainable for the past three years by granting $1 million to fund energy improvement development projects. Most recently, the program awarded more than $230,000 to 11 nonprofits in its fifth and final round of funding.
The 11 organizations receiving grant funding in the fifth round of support are as follows:
- $27,918 to the Boys & Girls Club of Dubuque
- $25,000 to Clarke University
- $22,467 to Dubuque Museum of Art
- $25,000 to East Central Intergovernmental Association
- $40,044 to Matter Creative
- $4,604 to Mount Pleasant Home
- $35,000 to Mystique Ice Center
- $6,061 Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development
- $6,860 to Opening Doors – Teresa Shelter
- $21,153 to Sacred Heart Maquoketa
- $24,000 to Sacred Heart Monticello
Each recipient developed energy improvement plans that identified areas for improvement in their operations such as lighting upgrades, increased insulation and HVAC system upgrades to save energy. Local contracting companies will do the construction work.
“This program has been able to build the capacity of organizations that received a grant,” said Eric Dregne, vice president of strategic initiatives at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. “The energy savings from the projects are funds that the organization can now direct to meeting their mission in the community.”
The three-year program comes to an end this year after awarding grants to 32 organizations, while leveraging $1,478,660 in match dollars from grantees, and saving nonprofits an estimated $264,000 in annual utility costs.
Sacred Heart School in Maquoketa, a current grantee, is just one example of how G2G will make a positive impact on organizations. Thanks to G2G, the school will be able to install new roofing, windows, and an HVAC system leading directly to natural gas and electricity cost reductions that will make more dollars available for education.
“We’re grateful to have been provided this grant; we know it will benefit our school and, of course, the kids in the long run,” said Principal Jenny Litterer. “By cutting utility costs, we can continue to provide education at a very low rate.”
Since 2014, G2G has been granting up to $50,000 for energy improvements to help nonprofits save money on utility bills and strengthen their operations by becoming more resource efficient. G2G is a strategic partnership between CFGD and several organizations including Trailhead Energy; East Central Intergovernmental Association’s Petal Project; the Iowa Energy Center; and the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta.
# # #
The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque strengthens communities and inspires giving. For more information, visit www.dbqfoundation.org.