Tribal Residential Solar Projects provides grant to bring solar energy to low-income single-family homes or small multi-family complexes on tribal land to reduce and stabilize energy costs for low-income tribal members to serve tribal members with high energy needs and costs.
Donor Name: Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund (TSAF)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/31/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The TSAF supports tribes in asserting control over their energy resources and focuses on making project implementation feasible by leveraging state and federal programs, philanthropic dollars, and partnerships with other tribes across Indian County while working in alignment to identify, develop, finance and implement solar power projects that meet community needs, including education, hands-on training, and energy cost reductions for tribal members.
TSAF Funding Areas
- Tribal Facility Solar Project Funding can include rooftop, carport or groundmount solar installations that meet the energy needs of the tribal community.
- Tribal Residential Solar Project Funding is designated for solar energy installed on a low-income single-family home or small multi-family complex to significantly reduce the financial burden spent on electricity costs.
TSAF Funding Priorities
- The TSAF supports and encourages solar education, training, and workforce development in tribal communities through leadership programs and industry related opportunities
- Provides access to funding to support the development of renewable energy projects and the development of long-term energy plans to increase tribal energy security and resiliency
- Ensures that equity is a driving principle in the national transition to a clean energy economy through learning from TSAF community and generating awareness in the climate action arena
- The TSAF, in collaboration with tribes and tribal leaders, aims to address challenges and opportunities related to energy sovereignty, climate resilience and resource sustainability
- The TSAF team is excited to share mission, vision, and goals through grantmaking with tribal communities across Indian Country by engagement and communication, advocacy, technical help, collaboration, and a commitment to build capacity in tribal energy sovereignty.
Funding Information
Tribes are eligible to apply for up to $200,000 total.
Grant Period
June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- The TSAF is committed to serving, supporting, and strengthening American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribal communities by investing in renewable energy development and sustainability
- The TSAF eligibility criteria is as follows:
- Federally recognized tribal governments in the lower forty-eight states and Alaska (tribal government programs, such as tribal housing authority, cultural departments, economic development entities, etc.)
- Tribally-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (fiscally-sponsored tribal community organizations, tribal community organizations without a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status may submit an application through a sponsoring organization if the sponsor has IRS 501(c)(3) status and can provide written authorization confirming its willingness to act as the fiscal sponsor
- Schools that are tribally controlled 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and schools that are tribally-operated such as tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), any public or Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools
- The definition of “tribal led” is an organization in which a majority (>51%) of the board of directors and leadership team are American Indian or Alaska Native. Organizations that are not tribal led are not eligible to apply (with or without a fiscal sponsor)
- For tribal facility projects, the community served must be designated low-to-moderate income (LMI) as proven by eligibility for federal, state, or tribal low-income programs, or with Census data. For tribal household or multi-family projects, the resident households must be 80% or below the area median income as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or another LMI-serving program.
For more information, visit TSAF.
