Thriving Nonprofits

Thriving Nonprofits is sponsored by McKinney Family Foundation (administered by IFF and Indianapolis Office of Sustainability). This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

## Applications are currently closed! Please complete this interest form to be notified when applications reopen. Thriving Nonprofits helps Marion County nonprofits improve the energy efficiency of their facilities and reduce their operating costs.

Funded by the McKinney Family Foundation and administered through a partnership between IFF and the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, Thriving Nonprofits provides mission-driven organizations with **energy-focused building assessments of their facilities** and **matching grants up to $10,000** to facilitate building upgrades that reduce energy usage and monthly utility bills.

Thriving Nonprofits provides energy-focused building assessments and matching grants to community organizations to complete energy efficiency upgrades to their facilities. Applications are currently closed. Please complete this interest form to be notified of future opportunities.

Applicants can be headquartered anywhere, but the facility in which the energy assessment is completed must be located in Marion County, IN, and the applicant must own the property or have a long-term lease.

Organizations eligible to apply for Thriving Nonprofits include: * Early childhood education centers * Grocery stores in communities identified as "food deserts" * Houses of worship – Thriving Nonprofits projects must occur outside of any space dedicated to religious activities. Funds can be used for spaces dedicated to charitable, mission-related activities (e.g. food programs, Early Care and Education (ECE), senior care) 1.

**Complete the Thriving Nonprofits application. ** When the application is open, you can find a link at the top of this webpage. 2.

**Sign a letter of commitment. ** If your organization is selected, the Thriving Nonprofits team will reach out for this step. 3.

**Attend orientation. ** The Thriving Nonprofits team will help onboard the cohort and set expectations for the program. 4.

**Receive an energy-focused building assessment. ** IFF conducts this assessment. 5.

**Choose a project(s). ** IFF will review the report of the assessment with you and provide guidance for project selection. 6.

**Select a contractor(s). ** Your organization makes the contractor selection. Examples of building upgrades the matching grants will cover include, but are not limited to: * solar panel installation * HVAC replacements including heat pumps * wall or roof insulation * efficient appliance upgrades (ENERGY STAR) ### Application Resources Click here to view the 2026 Thriving Nonprofits application.

This is for reference only and does not necessarily reflect any future applications. Click here to view/download a list of frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions, please email sustainindy@indy.

gov. Contractor selection happens during the program, with guidance from IFF, and there is no requirement to seek out or select contractors prior to the cohort. These resources are available for reference.

* Office of Minority and Women Business Development: (OMWBD) Directory * AES Indiana: Quality Contractor Network * Indiana Energy Saver Program: Contractor List * National Energy Improvement Fund: NEIF-Approved Contractors * Rewiring America: Find a Qualified Contractor Please note that these resources are not an endorsement. Grant recipients can choose to select a contractor outside of the resources referenced by the City.

Additionally, any outreach your organization may receive from a contractor is completely independent from Thriving Nonprofits. There are no affiliated or partner contractors to the program.

### Past Cohorts & Impact * 10 energy-focused building assessments conducted * ~$300K in total investment * ~$36,550 in total annual utility bill savings * ~240,000 kWh in total energy savings * ~150 metric tons in total reduction of CO2 emissions—_the equivalent of taking 46 gas-powered cars off of the road for an entire year!

_ The following organizations were selected for the 2026 Thriving Nonprofits Cohort: * FaithCares Community Food Pantry * Gennesaret Free Clinics * Indiana Interchurch Center * Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. * Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra * Scott United Methodist Church * Stop the Violence Indianapolis, Inc. Click here to read the press release announcing the 12 selected organizations. To view this map in a new tab, click here.

This program is modeled after the Solar & Energy Efficiency Loan (SEEL) program piloted by the City of Bloomington, IFF, and CDFI Friendly Bloomington in 2021; and after the Energy Assistance & Solar Savings Initiative (EASSI) program of the City of South Bend, IFF, and CDFI Friendly South Bend in 2022.