City of Bloomington and Community Foundation Receive Partners for Places Grant to Support Energy Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nov. 24, 2015

For more information, please contact:

Jacqui Bauer, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Bloomington Economic and Sustainable Development Department, 812.349.3837, bauerj@bloomington.in.gov

Tina Peterson, President & CEO, Community Foundation of Bloomington & Monroe County, 812.333.9016, tinapeterson@cfbmc.org

City of Bloomington and Community Foundation Receive Partners for Places Grant to Support Energy Challenge

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington and the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, along with support from the Duke Energy Foundation, have been awarded a grant of $34,936 from Partners for Places - a project of the Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities. The grant - matched by a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation and $9,936 from the Duke Energy Foundation - will help support the Monroe County Energy Challenge.

"This grant represents the best in innovation and collaboration between public, private and nonprofit organizations," said Tina Peterson, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. "It will strengthen both City and Foundation programs that have the potential to impact everyone who calls our community home and also creates an innovative partnership between sustainability and early childhood education."

The funds from the grant will be used to fund a one-year, full-time energy outreach coordinator to support the Monroe County Energy Challenge by creating outreach programs in local workplaces and neighborhoods, and by developing a volunteer program. In addition, the position will work with Monroe Smart Start to engage early childhood home providers and the families they serve for energy efficiency improvements.

"We've been just thrilled at the community support for the Challenge, and this grant helps demonstrate the level of partnership we've seen," said Jacqui Bauer, sustainability coordinator for the City of Bloomington. "We're also excited about working with Monroe Smart Start - it will be a whole new set of partners for us."

The Energy Challenge is a two-year, community-wide competition to save energy in pursuit of the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize. Monroe County is one of 50 communities competing across the country for the prize, which focuses on municipal and residential electrical and natural gas use.

For more information on the Monroe County Energy Challenge, visit www.mocoenergychallenge.org or call 812.349.3837.

For more information on the Community Foundation, visit www.cfbmc.org or call 812.333.9016.

Partners for Places - a project of the Funders' network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities is a successful matching grant program that improves U.S. and Canadian communities by building partnerships between local government sustainability leaders and place-based foundations. National funders invest in local projects developed through these partnerships to promote a healthy environment, a strong economy and well-being for all residents. Through these investments, Partners for Places fosters long-term relationships that make our urban areas more prosperous, livable and vibrant.

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