capital projects to reduce emissions at cultural institutions – Mar 31

Posted by Frankenthaler Climate Initiative on February 28, 2023

Frankenthaler Climate Initiative invites applications from cultural institutions for capital projects to reduce emissions

The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative is an energy and climate granting program launched by Helen Frankenthaler Foundation in partnership with RMI and Environment and Culture Partners, and is the first program of its kind in the United States for the visual arts and the most extensive private national grantmaking program to address climate change through cultural institutions.

To that end, grants will be awarded to support the planning or implementation of capital projects that reduce emissions by improving efficiency in building energy use. Institutions must have visual arts as a key part of their mission and programming, including collecting and non-collecting institutes and visual arts schools. Grants will be awarded in the following categories:

Scoping Grants: Intended to help museums understand their energy efficiency needs and clean energy options by assessing with an independent environmental engineer. This work might include professional fees and monitoring or testing for energy and systems audits, recommendations on initial no/low-cost actions, and areas for planning larger interventions to increase efficiency, reduce total consumption, and access renewable sources. These grants will range from $10,000 to $25,000 over one to two years. They will benefit institutions that are getting started reducing their emissions footprint while reducing their reliance on fossil fuels to heat, cool, and power their buildings.

Technical Assistance Grants: Intended to help an institution specify and accurately budget a project for which the initial inquiries are complete. This may include providing designs, specifications, and connections to energy services companies (ESCOs) skilled at project support and third-party financing. These grants will range from $25,000 to $50,000 over one to two years.

Implementation Grants: This will directly address institutions’ climate impact by supporting lower costs and higher payback items. These can also serve as seed money leading to matches for a larger capital project. These grants range from $50,000 to $100,000 and may take up to two years or more.

To be eligible, the institution must be physically located in the U.S. or its territories. There are no institutional or budget size limitations or preferences, and museums of all sizes are encouraged to apply.

An information session will be held on March 1, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. ET. Full proposals for Scoping Grants and Technical Assistance Grants are due March 31, 2023. Letters of interest for the Implementation Grants are due March 31, 2023, and upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit full applications by June 2, 2023.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions and to register for the information session, see the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative website.

Deadline: March 31, 2023