HOOSIER INTERFAITH POWER & LIGHT 2014 Challenge grant report
2014 Challenge Grant Report
Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light,
The HIVE @ CTS /1000 W. 42nd Street / Indianapolis, IN 46208
2014 Challenge Grant Report
General Operating Funds
Grant awarded effective December 1, 2013
Larry Kleiman, Executive Director
Report completed December 23, 2015
H-IPL In the News:
H-IPL's 2015 Promotional handout
Advocacy
Advocacy: Indiana Beyond Coal
H-IPL worked with the Sierra Club and a coalition of partners to influence the decision of Indianapolis Power and Light to stop burning coal during 2016 at all three of their Harding Street units.
This was accomplished through H-IPL's leadership in organizing an interfaith prayer service, securing resolutions from faith communities calling for the closure, and sharing in strategy meetings and rallies with our partners. H-IPL's advocacy leadership also worked directly in the recruitment of 18 City-County Council members to support a resolution asking for IPL to stop burning coal.
With the success of the Harding Street closure, our advocacy focus turned to the Rockport plant, the 11th ranked dirtiest coal plant in the country. We have begun to develop a coalition of faith communities in the Ft. Wayne area to raise the moral and ethical issues surrounding the pollution created through high carbon emissions. While the Rockport plant in located in southwestern Indiana, the energy produced is utilized by Indiana Michigan Power in the northeastern part of the state. We wish to work in both locales to give clarity to the issues.
Advocacy: Indiana Statehouse
During the Indiana legislative session, H-IPL advocated to oppose a bill that ultimately killed the state's successful energy efficiency program. As a result of this legislative defeat, H-IPL has begun to focus on working with local utilities to support and enhance their own energy efficiency programs, striving to persuade them to maintain the standards of the previous statewide program.
As the state legislature discusses possible mass transit programs for the region, H-IPL plans to support these utilizing the coalition of partners created by our Harding Street work.
H-IPL's advocacy leadership has worked hard to promote the EPA's clean air proposal for Indiana. Contacting Washington representatives and state officials, we have encouraged numerous individual letter writing campaigns, as well as circulating several petitions. We have also promoted prayer vigils to raise awareness of faith communities regarding the details of the proposal. As part of this campaign we are encouraging the development of solar, wind and energy efficient programs through the legislature and within local faith communities. Our solar regrant program through the state Office of Energy Development has assisted in the approved installation of solar arrays in 24 congregations throughout Indiana. Our Task of the Month program reaches additional faith communities with energy efficiency opportunities.
Through the enhancement of our website, and the addition of contacts at events, we have grown our database to 2500 entries. This combination of clergy and lay advocates is increasing our strength and ability to mobilize, as well as influence, energy decisions within the state. Our newsletter has likewise become more effective through the improved website. We are now capable of sending email blasts with relevant information from IPL and other partners in a quick turn around manner.
H-IPL was active in the 2015 legislative session to encourage opposition to a bill that would have weakened net metering. We plan to continue to work aggressively to strengthen opportunities for legislation that will encourage and support solar and wind. Our executive director has been invited by Indianapolis Power and Light to participate on a panel that will explore with the utility ways to utilize locally produced green energy.
Education
Education:
As H-IPL’s programming has strengthened, there has been increased involvement from a variety of faith communities throughout the state. These include Muslim, Jewish, Christian Protestant and Catholic communities. At the beginning of 2014, there were six regional affiliates. As new ones have formed, and are in the process of forming, we have thirteen identifiable groups to date. We have learned through this development phase that one mold will not be appropriate for all interested groups. As a result, we have written new guidelines for windows of connection to H-IPL: individual, congregational, and regional. Our focus has expanded to include a variety of ways in which interested parties can establish meaningful connections with H-IPL.
We have strengthened existing affiliates, as well as drawn in new contacts, through offering Using Energy Prudently workshops and making available our Task of the Month energy efficiency suggestions. A pilot program, “Climate Boot Camp,” offers a day-long educational session for clergy and lay leadership led by an environmental scientist, a congregational pastor, and a theologian. This has been designed to encourage and empower climate change preaching from local pulpits. We have also begun to link local affiliate newsletters with the H-IPL website, and offer technical support to affiliates as they develop their local communication tools.
H-IPL’s Program Director (15 hours/week) provides comprehensive follow-up and nurture to affiliates, introduces tools for tracking measurable results of energy conservation in faith buildings and households, and offers support to affiliate leadership through regular conference calls. A statewide Energizing Creation Care workshop was offered (50 in attendance), and a new Be the (Energy Efficient) Light Statewide Virtual Workday was organized from September 2014 through the weekend of the 2015 preach-in.
Education: Cool Congregations:/ Seventh Day
This program was initially developed with six congregations to achieve dramatic energy efficiency usage in both faith community buildings as well as individual congregational homes. The goal was for a 25% decrease in the congregational building and a 14% reduction in the homes of one-third of the membership. Currently, there are 24 congregations that have been designated Seventh Day. Through solar re-grants received from the Indiana Office of Energy Development and a settlement with AED, H-IPL has been able to assist these faith communities in the installation of solar arrays. Additionally, we have provided the educational base for teaching congregational members about creation care, energy efficiency and demand reduction. This has generated press coverage in each of the areas where congregations have participated.
We have faced major challenges in the last year as a result of conflict within the leadership of this program. The individual primarily responsible for development and management of Seventh Day decided that it should move to become a separate 501 (c) (3) organization. The Board of Directors chose not to allow this separation after several months of discussion. With the resignation of the Seventh Day director from the board, and ultimately from the program, we have re-examined the vision of what H-IPL’s energy efficiency program might become.
We are optimistic that it can be developed in ways far beyond what was originally conceived. To that end, we will be proposing a strategy for a 2016 challenge grant that will engage a broader group of congregations throughout the state. During the past months, the board and staff have shared in the development of a Constancy of Purpose document outlining with clarity a vision for the future of H-IPL and its energy efficiency programming.
Reflective of our confidence in moving forward, we received word in December 2015 of another award from the Office of Energy Development that will allow four more congregations to install solar through the supervision of H-IPL. These are pass through grants which we administer and provide the educational components for the congregational recipients.
Organizational Development
Following the successful development of a fundraising committee (combination of board members and development volunteers) in fall 2014, several initiatives to generate new funding were launched:
email blasts soliciting smaller donations, on-line giving options, letters to affiliated congregations asking for major support, matching donation challenge opportunity, and creation of a major donor circle. An energizing special event hosted in a newly-built green home was offered to major donors in August 2015. Carrie Newcomer provided music and inspiration for the donors. Nearly $25k was raised, much of that from first time donors. We are focusing on increasing the number of congregations that include H-IPL in their annual budgets, as well as developing regular donors at a variety of levels. A sound financial base has allowed the organization to lease shared community office space at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, employ three part-time staff (Executive Director, Program Director, Organizing Director), and initiate new programming in education and advocacy.
Board membership has transitioned with the departure of three of the founding members. New persons joining the board include an Episcopal priest, a Church of the Brethren pastor from Ft. Wayne, and an educator and political activist: all of these are women, and one is African-American. This is noted as an intentional result of the board’s desire to become more diverse. Currently, there is a prospect of bringing into board membership a Muslim doctor from the Evansville area. We are eager to have a broad geographical representation on the board.
Board members joined with staff through the last half of 2015 to share in a Constancy of Purpose exercise led by a consultant with the goal of gaining clarity for the organization’s vision of the future. This is expected to be completed by early 2016. The board also participated in a half-day retreat preceding the above event in order to rehearse history and purpose for both long-time and new directors.
The board members have shown deep commitment to H-IPL through their annual giving, many contributing at least $1k to the mission. Following two staff sharing in the national conference in Washington D.C. last April, several new fund-raising components were introduced. The relationship with IPL continues to strengthen through use of materials and participation in national conference calls.
H-IPL officially detached from its sponsoring organization, Disciples Home Missions, in January 2015. Just prior to that financial independence, a shared office space was leased at Christian Theological Seminary. With the expertise of a volunteer treasurer, all of our books and financial systems have been updated and coordinated. We have also begun to bring order to all documents accumulated in Dropbox since the organization’s inception.
Overall assessment
With the generous support of IPL, Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light has been empowered to make significant growth and progress towards its identified mission. Given that transitioning from an all-volunteer organization to one that shares leadership with staff is very difficult, H-IPL shows evidence of successfully making that transition. Much creative energy from board and staff is evident for expanding our ability to serve and nurture the Indiana faith response to climate change and global warming. For that we express hopeful gratitude.