Partnerships and Resources

Building strong partnerships is crucial for success.

Building strong partnerships is crucial for success. It allows us to leverage each other’s strengths, resources, and expertise, and achieve more significant results than working alone. Furthermore, funding applications are generally more competitive when strong partnerships are in place, and some sources and resources don’t even allow organizations to apply without partners. See our best practice with NeighborWorks Toledo on page 62 to learn more about partnerships to help train potential and existing contractors.

One of the other benefits of building partnerships is that they can also function as a referral source. As noted in other sections of the toolkit, a Navigator isn’t intended to be a whole new job responsibility. It’s okay for the Navigator to identify trusted referral partners and help connect consumers to those resources.

Worksheets

Ongoing Recommendation: Schedule some time to complete this worksheet (below) to create a full list of resources, partnership and funding opportunities. Since the landscape is always changing, plan to do a scan and update the list regularly. Test all links during that update to keep your worksheet current.

COMMUNITY ENERGY NAVIGATOR RESOURCES

Take some time to think about the resources available in your community. That could include funders, government entities, nonprofit programs, education opportunities and so on.

POTENTIAL PARTNERS

Some connections offer deeper opportunities for partnership. Use the worksheet below to list ongoing partnerships.

Questions to Ask

Below are a few places to search for local resources, partnerships and funding opportunities as well as some important questions to ask. We’ve provided a couple of worksheets to help you track what you find.

To identify potential resources and partnerships, contact the following agencies: 
Office of State and Community Energy Programs
National Association of State Energy Officials
State Department of Environmental Conservation or Department of Environmental Quality
Local HUD Housing Counseling Agency
Other organizations with a similar and complementary mission
County Government Offices
Town Board / Planning Department / Town Clerk
City government / Department of City Planning / City Clerk
Local Solar Companies
Local energy, heating, and utility companies
Other local assistance programs such as SNAP, LIHEAP, WAP, regional alternative energy hubs
Social Service Offices such as Office of the Aging
Local Cooperative Extension
Local community colleges, colleges, and universities – contact departments in environmental conservation, environmental technology, energy resources, sustainability and resilience, etc.

Questions to ask prospective partners:  

  • Do you have any special programs, resources or expertise to help with energy efficiency or electrification?
  • What is the full name of that program(s)?
  • Who is the best contact and what is their email?
  • Is there a weblink or app for more information or to apply?
  • Are there eligibility criteria and what are they?
  • What sort of documentation is needed?
  • Are there timeframes or deadlines to be aware of?
  • How do we help clients take advantage of this option – what are the next steps?
  • Do you charge for any services or are they all offered at no cost?
  • What partnership opportunities or opportunities for collaboration exist? (webinars, marketing, guest presenters, etc.)

Funding-related questions:  

  • Do you have funding resources to help with energy efficiency or electrification?
  • Are funds in the form of loans or grants?
  • What can funds be used for?
  • Is there a maximum loan or grant amount allowed?
  • What is the interest rate, terms, etc.
  • Is there a geographic requirement?
  • What are the eligibility requirements for the household (income limits, etc.)?
  • How do potential customers apply?
  • Can funds be paired with other resources?

Community Energy Navigators do not need to know the intricacies of all funding sources but should have some basic knowledge of various community lenders in their area. Use the ‘Resources’ tracking form to notate options in your area.