Funding Energy & Sustainability Projects

1. Funding Energy & Sustainability Projects APA Training - Grant Programs Session Lisa Dulude Energy & Sustainable Development Analyst Snohomish County Office of Energy and Sustainability

2. Agenda • Grant Application Best Practices • Snohomish County examples • Potential partners • Grant resources • Other funding resources

3. Grant Application Best Practices • Know your application timeline! • Federal Grants/Grants.gov • You need a CCR and a DUNS • Executive and Council approval process is typically 6-8 weeks • Who else needs to review the application? • Finance (Budget) • Department or Division Director (Additional positions and or job duties proposed) • Letters of support • Provide a template • Allow time for supports to review, make edits, etc. • Grants.gov on-line submittal – beware of last minute shut-downs!

4. Grant Application Best Practices • Application Outline • The 5W’s • Format & Logistics • Narrative • Abstract • Statement of Need • Approach • Outcomes Generated/Method of Evaluation • Project Timeline • Credentials • The ‘Hook’ Sources: http://www.cpb.org/grants/grantwriting.html, http://nonprofit.about.com/od/foundationfundinggrants/a/needstatement.htm

5. Grant Application Best Practices • Format & Logistics • Proposal order, numbering, and formatting should match application/RFP • Statement of Need • Be clear on your organization’s mission and purpose. • Focus on those people you serve, rather than your organization's needs. • Substantiate, your organization's ability to respond to that need. • Keep it Simple • The HOOK • There are many ways to represent the same idea. But The HOOK: • Tailors the description of the idea to the interest of a particular funder. • Aligns the project with the purpose, and goals of the funding source. Sources: http://www.cpb.org/grants/grantwriting.html, http://nonprofit.about.com/od/foundationfundinggrants/a/needstatement.htm

6. Grant Application Best Practices • Use DATA! • Use statistics to show a need, target population or benefactors, etc. • Use comparative statistics for a community that did a similar program • Document where your stats came from • Measurable Outcomes • Estimated energy savings, greenhouse gas emissions savings, job creation • Education and outreach – how many people will you reach? • Assumptions used to calculate outcomes • Replicable Model • Leveraged Funds

7. Snohomish County Examples • Residential Energy Loan Program • Use Data: New program compliments PUD’s existing loan program • Measurable Outcomes: # loans made, $ loans made, estimated energy savings, etc. • Replicable Model: Slightly different than some other existing EECBG funded programs – home energy assessment encouraged but not required • Leveraged Funds: Loan loss reserve model – instead of making $644,000 in loans we can make approximately $12,000,000

8. Snohomish County Examples • Community Power! • Use Data: Program targets hard-to-reach markets for energy efficiency (i.e. small biz and MF) • Measurable Outcomes: Estimated energy savings, job creation,# homes signed-up for assessment, building characteristics, potential measures, follow-up on # of retro-fit projects • Replicable Model: • Two different service delivery approaches – invitation and selection. • Relatively new ‘social marketing’ strategy - Team Up and Save! • Leveraged Funds: Snohomish County, City of Everett, PSE, and community volunteers

9. Snohomish County Examples • SnoPUD’s Planet Power Grant • Use Data: County employs over 2,500 and gets 300-400 visitors per day • Measurable Outcomes: Estimated number of people reached through new solar kiosk • Replicable Model: Real time data and interactive education makes renewable energy more tangible • Leveraged Funds: Snohomish County in-kind time & $$

10. Examples Of Potential Partners It ain’t easy being green! • Utilities • Snohomish PUD, PSE, City Light, etc. • Transit agencies • Community Transit, Everett Transit • Local Governments • Educational Institutions • Everett CC • Edmonds CC Energy Program • University of Washington • WSU Extension • Private Sector • Cedar Grove Compost • Local Agencies & Organizations • Puget Sound Clean Air Agency • WA State Department of Ecology • Sustainable Development Task Force of Snohomish County

11. Grant Resources • MRSC • http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/finance/grants/grants.aspx • http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/transpo/statefedloans.aspx • NACO • http://www.naco.org/Pages/VerifyAccount.aspx • WA State Department of Commerce • 2012 EE grants for Local Govt’s & Higher Ed and Public • EPA list serve (Funding announcements for various federal gov’t agencies) EPA-State-Local-Climate-Energy@icfi.com • DOE’s email announcements list serve eere@service.govdelivery.com • WSU Extension Energy Program – RCM newsletter & legislative tracking tool

12. Other Funding Resources • Federal and State Incentives • DSIRE http://www.dsireusa.org/ • ESCOs & Energy Savings Performance Contracting http://www.ga.wa.gov/EAS/epc/ESPCGuidelines.pdf • QECBs http://dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=US51F&re=1&ee=1 • NEEA (Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance) • NEEC (Northwest Energy Efficiency Council) • ACEEE (American Council for Energy Efficient Economy) • New White Paper: “Keeping It In The Community: Sustainable Funding for Local Energy Efficiency Initiatives”, Report Number E124

13. THANK YOU! Lisa Dulude Energy & Sustainable Development Analyst Snohomish County Office of Energy & Sustainability lisa.dulude@snoco.org 425-388-3965 Snohomish County Energy & Sustainability Website: http://www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/County_Services/Climate_Energy