Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund’s Community Responsive Grant program (RFP 3) supports planning and implementation projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resiliency in ways that advance economic, social, and climate justice for the under-resourced communities.
Donor Name: City of Portland
State: Oregon
City: Portland
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/25/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Types of Grants
- Planning Grants
- These grants support organizations in conducting assessments or planning needed to develop a full project proposal. Eligible activities may include:
- Planning grants cannot be used for costs associated with project implementation activities, like training community members on how to reduce their energy usage. Receiving a planning grant does not guarantee future project funding. Planning grants should be completed within two years.
- PCEF expects to award $400,000 – $700,000 in planning grants with the following thresholds:
- Up to $100,000 for project planning and development of known physical improvement that will reduce GHGs and advance climate justice.
- Up to $50,000 for planning, community engagement, and education to identify opportunities for specific communities to benefit from/participate in climate action.
- Implementation Grants
- These grants can be used for projects that advance economic, social, and climate justice. Projects can include physical improvements (e.g., weatherization, solar installations, tree planting, or regenerative agriculture) and/or non-physical activities (e.g., workforce training). Ways that grant funds can be used include:
Categories and Availability of Funding
RFP 3 offers $40-$60 million in grant funds. About 30 grants will be awarded in RFP 3.
- 5 to 10 planning grants
- 10 to 20 small implementation grants
- 10 to 20 large implementation grants
Organizations can apply for multiple grants in the funding cycle and within any, or multiple, funding category(ies). Projects must fall under one or more of the following categories: energy efficiency and renewable energy, transportation decarbonization, regenerative agriculture, green infrastructure, workforce and contractor development, and other projects that reduce GHG emissions.
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy
- Includes renewable energy, storage, and energy efficiency projects on/in residential buildings, nonprofit occupied commercial buildings (can be privately owned), and community solar that benefits low-income Portland residents. All energy efficiency and renewable energy projects must reduce GHG emissions.
- Total expected funding is $20 to $30 million.
- Large grant cap: $10 million
- Small grant cap: $2 million
- Green infrastructure
- Includes planting, establishment, and maintenance of trees; restoration, depaving, planting, and establishing native plants and shrubs; and green roofs. All green infrastructure projects must reduce GHGs.
- Total expected funding is $1 to $3 million.
- Large grant cap: $1 million
- Small grant cap: $200,000
- Regenerative agriculture
- Includes projects that improve access to local food, fibers, and materials using practices that sequester carbon in the soil and support a healthier urban environment.
- Total expected funding is $5 to $9 million.
- Large grant cap: $1 million
- Small grant cap: $200,000
- Workforce and contractor development (WCD)
- There are three general areas of work within the workforce and contractor development funding area:
- Workforce training includes pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and other job training programs that help to diversify the green workforce with a focus on programs with direct job placement and workers in the construction trades involved in building energy efficiency and renewable energy.
- Contractor development includes technical assistance and other support such as business grants to help develop, build, and grow diverse contractors and businesses that provide climate-focused goods and services.
- Youth education and exposure includes youth education and engagement that increases knowledge of, and interest in, careers in climate work.
- Total expected funding is $5 to $7 million.
- Workforce training or contractor development
- Large grant cap: $2 million
- Small grant cap: $500,000
- Youth education and exposure
- Grant cap: $400,000
- Workforce training or contractor development
- There are three general areas of work within the workforce and contractor development funding area:
- Transportation decarbonization
- Includes projects that support transportation electrification, and those that support mode shifting to active transportation. All transportation decarbonization projects must reduce GHGs.
- Total expected funding is $10 to $20 million.
- Large grant cap: $4 million
- Small grant cap: $500,000
Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) Priority Populations
PCEF focuses investments in climate action by giving priority to people that have been historically under-resourced by sustainability, climate action, and clean energy programs. These groups are known as priority populations and include, but are not limited to:
- People with low incomes
- People of color
- People living with disabilities
Priority populations are referenced in application questions and considered in scoring applications. It is important that grant applicants specify the priority populations that relate to their projects. For example, women, transgender people, and others facing gender or sex-based discrimination in the workplace are considered priority populations for workforce development projects because they’ve historically been excluded from workforce opportunities.
Who can apply?
- You must be a qualified nonprofit organization and meet each of the following requirements:
- Designated by the Federal government as a 501(c) or 521(a) nonprofit entity.
- Registered and certified with the Oregon Secretary of State as a nonprofit organization.
- NOT on the Oregon Department of Justice list of Disqualified Charities.
- Qualified nonprofit organizations do not need to be located within the city of Portland but all projects with physical improvements must be located within the city of Portland and workforce and contractor development projects must be located within the Portland Metropolitan Area.
- If you are a new organization and do not meet the 501(c) or 521(a) designation requirement, or are seeking additional administrative capacity, you may apply for a PCEF grant with a fiscal sponsor. A fiscal sponsor is an eligible nonprofit organization that provides support for managing a grant.
For more information, visit City of Portland.
