Ten nonprofit organizations in Marion County will receive free energy assessments and matching grants of up to $10,000 as part of a new initiative designed to improve building efficiency and reduce utility costs.
The program, called Thriving Nonprofits, is a partnership between the City of Indianapolis’ Office of Sustainability and IFF, a mission-driven lender and real estate consultant. It is funded by the McKinney Family Foundation with additional support from Glick Philanthropies.
The ten organizations selected for the program are:
- Outreach, Inc.
- Second Helpings, Inc.
- Aspire Higher Foundation, Inc.
- HealthNet, Inc.
- B-SIDE Creative Campus
- Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center
- Coburn Place Safe Haven
- Fairview Presbyterian Church
- Community Alliance of the Far Eastside
- Community Action of Greater Indiana
Each organization will receive a comprehensive energy assessment conducted by IFF’s Real Estate Solutions team. The goal is to identify potential building upgrades — from lighting retrofits to HVAC replacements — that will lead to long-term cost savings and improved environmental performance.
“Public-private partnerships like Thriving Nonprofits exemplify the ability of the Indianapolis community to come together to achieve common goals like energy efficiency,” said Mo McReynolds, director of the Office of Sustainability. “We are excited to build upon our existing energy benchmarking program Thriving Buildings by offering new opportunities for our local nonprofits — entities that typically operate on very slim margins — to significantly invest in their physical infrastructure so that they may continue serving our neighbors.”
The assessments will include walk-through evaluations of key building components such as insulation, windows, doors, appliances and mechanical systems. Energy bills, weather conditions and seasonal trends will also be analyzed to help nonprofits understand their current energy use. Organizations will receive a detailed report outlining short- and long-term upgrade options, ranked by complexity and cost.
Amandula Anderson, IFF’s executive director for the Indiana Region, emphasized the practical value of the initiative.
“Relatively small building upgrades can result in significant monthly cost savings, and IFF is excited to begin working with cohort members to identify opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings,” Anderson said. “Based on our experience supporting similar programs elsewhere in the state, we expect Thriving Nonprofits to help local organizations devote more of their funding to programming that benefits Indianapolis residents instead of their utility bills.”
The matching grants provided will support projects such as LED lighting upgrades, weatherization, solar panel installation and the purchase of high-efficiency appliances. Cohort members will also have access to flexible IFF loans to help finance additional improvements as needed. All upgrades are expected to be completed by Dec. 1, 2025.
In addition to the building assessments and grant funding, each participating nonprofit will have the opportunity to engage in educational seminars that encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing and long-term strategic planning for facility improvements.
The initiative also supports the Indianapolis’ larger sustainability goals outlined in Thrive Indianapolis, a citywide climate and resilience action plan. Thriving Nonprofits will advance multiple objectives in the plan, including expanding financing options for energy efficiency and electrification, increasing access to solar power and encouraging water conservation.
By investing in energy upgrades for mission-driven organizations, the city hopes to not only lower operating costs for vital community service providers but also reduce emissions and make Indianapolis more resilient in the face of climate change.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
