Baltimore

Proposal for Local Sustainability Matching Fund

Fall 2013

Project Title: Expanding Groundswell’s Community Power Program in Baltimore

Purpose:

Expanding Groundswell’s Community Power Program in Baltimore, to help community institutions and low-income families access sustainable power, build connections, and saving money on electricity bills.

Brief description of project goals, strategy, and key activities (250 words or less):

Groundswell’s Community Power Program partners with faith, housing, education and labor institutions to help them purchase clean electricity at a reduced price. It guides organizations through the process, from requesting bids, to interviewing providers, to negotiating on their behalf. Participants save money which they reinvest into their community work, and reduce their environmental impact by buying 100 percent Green-e Certified wind power.

Groundswell is confident it can dramatically increase the number of low-income Baltimore residents who benefit from this work if it invests additional resources in supporting institutions in intensively engaging their members. Organizations serving low-income constituencies tend to have less capacity to take on new projects like this, and lower income constituent members require more outreach, education and support from staff before they enroll.

Aligned with the Fund's focus on using sustainability measurements to drive collaboration and progress, this project advances three of the Baltimore Sustainability Office’s priorities and performance indicators:

·  Increasing renewable energy generation in Baltimore City;

·  Utilizing existing community centers to distribute sustainability information; and

·  Engaging membership organizations to develop and disseminate targeted sustainability information.

Moreover, given the Abell Foundation’s Community Development priorities of improving the quality of life for people and businesses in Baltimore, and its leadership in the local clean energy sector, it has committed $50,000 to the project. Matching funds from LSMF will support the expansion of Groundswell’s Community Power Program with the goal of alleviating energy costs for substantially more low-income residents and institutions throughout the city.

Primary Contact Person

Name: / Elizabeth Lindsey
Title: / Chief Operating Officer
Organization: / Groundswell
Mailing address: / 1156 15th Street NW, #840
City: / Washington / State: / DC / Zip: / 20005
Email: /
Telephone: / 202.670.5130 / Ext: