Renew America’s Nonprofits Grant Program

The Renew America’s Nonprofits grant program, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), provides financial assistance to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities. The program aims to reduce operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions while providing community benefits, particularly for nonprofits in rural areas or those led by people of color.

• The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated $50 million to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Renew America’s Nonprofits program. The DOE intends to award between five and 15 grants to "Prime Recipients," who in turn provide up to $200,000 to "Subrecipients" for energy efficiency projects in buildings owned and operated by nonprofits. Grant performance periods are expected to last between 36 and 48 months.
• Eligible energy efficiency measures, referred to in the IIJA as "energy-efficiency material[s]," include systems and equipment that lower energy consumption, such as insulation, wiring, plumbing, lighting systems, roofs, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
• Applications are evaluated based on four weighted criteria: Project Team and Program Plan (40%), Energy-Related Impacts of Portfolios (30%), Leverage and Sustainability (15%), and a Community Benefits Plan (15%). The Community Benefits Plan must align with Justice40 and include SMART goals regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• The program targets nonprofits that face financial and information barriers to energy efficiency, noting that these challenges are more severe for organizations led by people of color and those serving rural areas. Energy costs are identified as the second-highest operational expense for many nonprofits.

APA

Yñez-Barnuevo, M. (2023). Renew America’s Nonprofits Grant Program. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Renew_Americas_Nonprofits_2023.pdf

Chicago

Yñez-Barnuevo, Miguel. Renew America’s Nonprofits Grant Program. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2023. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Renew_Americas_Nonprofits_2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yñez-Barnuevo |first1=Miguel |title=Renew America’s Nonprofits Grant Program |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=June 2023 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Renew_Americas_Nonprofits_2023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yezbarnuevo2023renew, author = {Yñez-Barnuevo, Miguel}, title = {{Renew America’s Nonprofits Grant Program}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Renew_Americas_Nonprofits_2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }