Brightside Community Solar Initiative

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Executive Summary

Brightside Community Solar Initiative is a nonprofit in Colorado that brings the savings of community solar to low-income households and small nonprofits. Outreach specialists help households confirm eligibility, enroll in a partner developer's project with a subsidy that lowers or removes their cost and understand the bill credits, and connect them with weatherization and small repairs.

Low-income households spend a larger share of income on energy than anyone else, and most cannot install solar because they rent or cannot afford it. Many do not know community solar exists or are wary of contracts.

With this grant we will enroll about 100 households in Year 1 in 1 community. We do not build solar projects, do not guarantee savings and never charge enrollment fees. We promise plain-language agreements, help reading credits and honest records.

Our Year 1 budget is about $234,000, growing to about $303,500 by Year 5 as we add sites, coaches and participants. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 4 staff in Year 1 (an Executive Director, a Program Manager and two part-time specialists) and 7 by Year 5.

We are asking the Front Range Clean Energy Foundation for $70,000 for the Program Manager and community solar subscription support. Our other income and startup support cover the rest. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this proposal, and we do not promise any result beyond what we describe.

Company Description

Brightside Community Solar Initiative is a nonprofit organization in Colorado. We are a registered charity with a volunteer board of directors, a written conflict-of-interest policy and a yearly budget the board reviews.

Our mission. Clean, affordable energy should not be only for people who own a roof, and low-income households should share in its savings.

What we do.
- Enroll low-income households in a community solar project through partner developers and utilities, with a subsidy that lowers or removes their subscription cost.
- Help households understand their bill credits and how the program works.
- Connect households with weatherization, small repairs and bill assistance.
- Offer energy education and workshops in English and Spanish.
- Help nonprofits, churches and schools subscribe to community solar.
- Track enrollment, bill credits and savings for each household.

Our values. Respect for every participant, honesty with families and partners, safety first and a place for everyone who wants to belong.

What we do not do. We do not build or own solar projects; our developer partners do. We do not guarantee savings, since bill credits depend on the utility and the project. We do not give legal or financial advice. We follow the state's rules for community solar. We never charge enrollment fees. We follow the rules of our partner sites and our insurer.

How we got here. A group of energy advisors, a church leader and a utility liaison began helping neighbors understand a new community solar project and how to subscribe. Many were interested and few could navigate the paperwork. We kept simple records of who enrolled and what they saved. This proposal asks for support to move from information sessions to a steady program with paid, trained staff and the materials to match.

Problem & Opportunity

Low-income households spend a larger share of income on energy than anyone else, and most cannot install solar because they rent or cannot afford it.

Cost. Rooftop solar costs thousands of dollars, and even community solar can require credit checks and deposits.

Access. Many households do not know community solar exists or how to subscribe, and are wary of contracts.

Safety and trust. Households want a fair, clear agreement without hidden fees, and funders want to see that savings are real.

Missed benefits. Households that cannot access savings may fall behind on bills or cut back on food and medicine in winter and summer.

What we hear.
- A mother says she chooses between the electric bill and groceries in July.
- A renter says she cannot put panels on a roof she does not own.
- A church leader says the church's bill is higher than the pastor's salary.
- A utility advisor says many eligible households never sign up.

We do not claim that a program can solve every challenge. We believe that a clear agreement, a subsidy and a guide can bring solar savings to households that were left out.

Products & Services

Brightside Community Solar Initiative gives low-income households that rent or cannot install solar a safe, welcoming place to share in solar savings.

How the program works.
1. Outreach. Specialists share information at community events and through trusted partners.
2. Eligibility. A specialist helps each household confirm income and utility account details.
3. Enrollment. Households sign a plain-language subscription with a partner developer and we cover or lower any cost.
4. Credits. The utility applies bill credits, and we help households read their bills.
5. Weatherization. We refer households to weatherization and small repair programs.
6. Nonprofit subscribers. We help nonprofits and churches subscribe and share savings with their missions.
7. Follow-up. We check in at three and twelve months and fix problems with credits.

What a typical session looks like. Participants arrive and check in with a staff member, settle in together, work on the day's activity in small groups and finish with a short talk about what went well. Staff praise effort, correct mistakes kindly and make sure no one is left out.

Staff. Our outreach specialists are trained in energy programs, pass a background check, complete our training and are paid for their time.

Access and fairness. Programs are free. Services are free. We welcome every eligible household and organization, and we offer help in English and Spanish.

Market Analysis

Who we serve. Low-income households and small nonprofits in our service area that can subscribe to community solar. Eligibility is based on income guidelines our board sets and a utility account, and no household is turned away without information about other help.

How we estimate need. We cannot count every young person who could benefit, so we plan from what we can see. In our information sessions we reached more interested households than we could enroll and kept a waiting list. Utility staff told us that many eligible households have not yet subscribed. For Year 1 we plan to serve about 100 participants at 1 communities. By Year 5, with more staff and sites, we plan to serve about 340.

Where participants come from.
- Utility assistance programs and social service agencies.
- Churches, schools and neighborhood groups.
- Housing providers and landlords.
- Households who tell a neighbor.

Who else benefits. Households save money. Utilities gain steadier payments. The community gains clean energy.

What the numbers mean. Every number here is a household that saw a lower bill. We keep our early counts modest and honest so we can do the work well.

Competitive Landscape

What young people can find today, and how we are different.

1. Rooftop solar installers. Strong, mostly for homeowners with credit. We reach renters and low-income homes.

2. Utility bill assistance programs. Help pay bills and do not lower them over time. We add savings.

3. Community solar developers. Build projects and often market to higher-income customers. We reach low-income households.

4. Weatherization programs. Reduce energy use with long waits. We refer and coordinate.

5. Do-nothing. The most common outcome.

What makes us different.
- Subsidized or free enrollment.
- Plain-language agreements.
- Help reading credits on bills.
- Weatherization referrals.
- Support for nonprofits and churches.

Why this gap matters. Existing programs do good work, and most serve people who can already pay or who live close to them. The people we serve are the ones left over: they live in the wrong neighborhood, have the wrong schedule or have no one to ask. We are built to reach them.

We have spoken with utilities, community solar developers and other energy assistance programs to make sure we are filling a gap and not duplicating services. Their letters of support are in the attachments.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How young people and partners will find us.

Reaching young people.
- Utility assistance programs and social service agencies. We will give staff a short referral form and a named contact.
- Churches, schools and neighborhood groups. We will hold information sessions.
- Housing providers. We will share information with landlords and tenants.
- Local radio and social media. We will share clear information.
- Word of mouth. Households tell neighbors.
- A simple website and a phone line with a text option.

Reaching staff and sponsors.
- Recruit outreach specialists through energy agencies, community groups and colleges.
- Offer an orientation, a background check and training in safety, privacy and respectful practice.
- Give partners a short report each quarter with counts of participants and what they said.

How we decide who joins. We use a simple sign-up form and enroll participants in the order received, with priority for those with the greatest need and for people new to the program. We keep a waiting list when the program is full.

What we watch. Sign-ups, attendance, households enrolled, bill credits received and how many participants return for a second season.

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 and 2 (July and August): Hire the staff, buy equipment and materials, finalize the waiver, consent form and privacy policy with our attorney and sign site agreements.
- Month 3 (September): Sign agreements with partner developers and begin enrollment.
- Months 4 to 10: Enroll households and nonprofits, verify credits and refer for weatherization.
- Months 11 and 12: Survey households and partners, report to funders and plan Year 2.

Space. We work from a small office and hold sessions at community centers and churches.

Safety and privacy.
- We never ask for bank details, charge fees or sell contracts, and we explain every agreement in plain language.
- Specialists follow a written privacy policy for income and utility information.
- Every staff member and volunteer passes a background check and completes safety training.
- Staff work in pairs or in view of others whenever participants are minors or in a vulnerable situation.
- We keep an emergency plan at every site, and participants complete an emergency contact form.
- We keep records private, share them only with a participant's permission or as the law requires and follow a written policy.

Equipment. We buy about $6,000 of equipment once at the start: laptops and tablets for enrollment ($3,000), portable displays and workshop equipment ($1,500), locking file storage and printer ($1,500). Later years replace or add a few items.

Staffing. In Year 1 I serve as Executive Director. The Program Manager, paid $46,000 a year, manages partners and enrollment. Two part-time energy outreach specialists, each paid $22,000 a year, work with households. We add specialists as we add communities.

Management & Organization

Jenna Park, Executive Director. I lead the organization, report to the board and am responsible for budgets, partnerships and reporting. I came to this work as an energy advisor who watched eligible families miss out on savings. I will complete the training we require of our specialists so I understand the program from the inside. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Staff. The Program Manager manages partners and enrollment, and part-time energy outreach specialists work with households. Each passes a background check. These positions are part of our grant request.

Board of directors. Our volunteer board includes an energy advisor, a utility liaison, a renter, a banker who serves as treasurer, an attorney and a pastor. The board meets every other month, approves our budget and reviews our safety plan. No board member is paid, and members with a conflict of interest step out of related decisions.

Advisory partners. A state energy office staff member, a solar developer and a weatherization director give guidance twice a year.

Staffing and pay in this plan: Executive Director, paid $52,000 a year; program Manager, paid $46,000 a year; energy Outreach Specialist (part-time), paid $22,000 a year.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals, how we will measure them and when we plan to reach them.

Year 1 outcomes (July 2027 through June 2028):
- Serve about 100 participants at 1 communities.
- Run at least two full seasons and a summer session.
- Have at least 85 percent of participants attend most sessions.
- Have at least 80 percent of participants return for a second season.
- Receive positive feedback from at least 90 percent of families who answer our short survey.

What we count and how.
- Participants enrolled, sessions and games attended, from our records.
- Skills learned and goals met, from the coach's checklist.
- Equipment issued and returned, from our log.
- Participant and family feedback, from a short, confidential form.
We report what we find, including what did not work, and use it to improve.

Growth over five years.
- Year 2: About 160 participants at 2 communities.
- Year 3: About 220 participants at 2 communities.
- Year 4: About 280 participants at 3 communities.
- Year 5: About 340 participants at 3 communities.

Learning along the way. At the end of each quarter, the director and the board review the numbers and decide whether we are on track. If we are behind, we will adjust our outreach, our sites or our schedule before asking for more money.

After the grant. By Year 5, grants make up about 49 percent of our budget, down from about 64 percent in Year 1, as partners and donors give more. We will keep building those relationships every year.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $70,000 from the Front Range Clean Energy Foundation for the Program Manager and community solar subscription support, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: Program Manager salary, $46,000.
- Other: Community solar subscription support paid to developers, $24,000.

Other money in the program. This request is about 47% of our Year 1 grant income. Other grants and the income lines below pay for everything it does not cover.

Year 1 budget: about $234,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $9,800 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: Grant Revenue $150,000; state Energy Office Funding $50,000; utility and Corporate Partners $26,000; individual Donors $8,000. Year 1 costs: executive Director $52,000; program Manager $46,000; energy Outreach Specialist (part-time) $22,000; community Solar Subscription Support Fund about $50,000; energy Education and Outreach about $6,000; weatherization Referral and Small Repairs about $8,000; utility Compliance and Legal about $5,000; training about $3,000; administration and Insurance about $9,000; about $2,800 a year for the wear on equipment.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $14,000 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $3,000 for laptops and tablets for enrollment; $1,500 for portable displays and workshop equipment; $1,500 for locking file storage and printer; $2,500 for attorney review of the subscription agreement, outreach policy and privacy policy; $1,800 for multilingual flyers and a simple website; $1,700 for specialist training and background checks; $2,000 for first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($14,000), the cash the program uses before it balances (about $0) and a cash cushion of about $55,800, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. In all, that comes to $70,000. We start with $6,000 from our founding board and $66,000 in startup support from a community foundation and a solar company, $72,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $234,000 in Year 1 to about $303,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $150,000, $160,000, $148,000, $159,000 and $147,500 in Years 1 to 5. Other income grows: state Energy Office Funding from $50,000 to $82,000; utility and Corporate Partners from $26,000 to $50,000; individual Donors from $8,000 to $24,000. Our surplus is planned at about $9,800 in Year 1, about $11,200 in Year 2, about $12,200 in Year 3, about $14,000 in Year 4 and about $14,900 in Year 5. We grow from 1 communities to 3 by Year 5, adding a part-time coach for each new site.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $67,600, at the end of Year 1. Some grant payments and partner payments arrive after we bill, so we plan for about $9,360 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

Cost per household. In Year 1, our total costs are about $2,242 per household served, which includes setting up the program. By Year 5, with more household served and a trained team in place, that falls to about $849 per household.

After the grant. State energy office funding, corporate sponsors and individual donors grow every year, so grants become a smaller share of our budget. Participants and families share their stories, and businesses can sponsor a team or a season by name. We will look for partnerships with schools and the city that want a safe, free community solar option for every child.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- An injury. Certified coaches, proper equipment, groups matched by age and skill, a written emergency plan and insurance.
- A site is no longer available. We keep agreements with more than one site and a plan for bad weather.
- A coach leaves. We keep a list of trained backup coaches and share lesson plans.
- Low attendance. We adjust sites, times and rides based on family feedback.
- A privacy problem. We follow a written policy, use secure systems and train every staff member and volunteer.
- A grant ends. We keep savings and grow partner and donor support each year.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: one neighborhood, a handful of households and a small team, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Signed letters of support from partner schools, agencies and sites.
- Your site agreements and your insurance certificate.
- Your consent, waiver and privacy policy.
- Your safety plan and background check policy.
- Your program outline and schedule.
- Quotes for equipment and materials.
- Resumes for your Executive Director and key staff.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $150,000 in Year 1, growing to $147,500 in Year 5.
- State Energy Office Funding: $50,000 in Year 1, growing to $82,000 in Year 5.
- Utility and Corporate Partners: $26,000 in Year 1, growing to $50,000 in Year 5.
- Individual Donors: $8,000 in Year 1, growing to $24,000 in Year 5.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): executive Director $52,000; program Manager $46,000; energy Outreach Specialist (part-time) $22,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: community Solar Subscription Support Fund $50,000; energy Education and Outreach $6,000; weatherization Referral and Small Repairs $8,000; utility Compliance and Legal $5,000; training $3,000; administration and Insurance $9,000. These grow between 4% and 6% a year.
- Equipment: $6,000 at the start, then $1,500 to $2,500 a year.
- Startup costs: $14,000, paid once from $72,000 in startup money.
- Participants served: about 100 in Year 1, growing to about 340 in Year 5. Sites: 1 in Year 1, growing to 3 by Year 5. Enrollment is open year-round, with credits appearing on bills each month.
- About 4% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs