Best Energy Efficiency Grants for Nonprofits in Louisiana

Southern U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations active for over three years can seek single-year support for programs such as poverty relief, education, medical assistance, disaster response, and conservation. Focused on humanitarian and community needs, Robinson Foundation invites Louisiana nonprofits, including those with energy efficiency or conservation components, to demonstrate tangible, meaningful impact for their key audiences.

About

The Greater New Orleans Foundation is the philanthropic institution dedicated to driving positive impact through philanthropy, leadership, and action in the Greater New Orleans Region.

Our roots extend back to the Community Chest of New Orleans established in 1923. For 100 years, we’ve connected our donors and fundholders with causes that they’re passionate about to affect transformational change. It’s how we help people make the most of their investment, while helping the members of our communities that need it most.

New Orleans Youth Climate Action Fund

The Youth Climate Action Fund provides funding to engage youth aged 15 through 24 in designing, implementing, and overseeing urgent climate solutions, from tree planting to policy making.

The City of New Orleans, in partnership with the Greater New Orleans Foundation, has been selected for Round 1 (2026-27) of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF), reinforcing the City’s commitment to empowering young people as leaders in climate resilience. Through this initiative, New Orleans will receive $50,000 in grant funding to support at least 8 youth-led climate projects to be completed between November 2026 – March 2027. 

Goal 

To activate youth-led initiatives and address urgent climate challenges in the City of New Orleans. All projects must fit within one or more of the following New Orleans Climate Action Plan priorities: 

• Energy Efficiency 
• Transportation 
• Adaptation & Nature-Based Solutions 
• Circular Economy & Waste Reduction 

This program is a key step in embedding youth participation in the City’s climate action strategy by:  

• Providing youth with resources, mentorship, and funding to implement high-impact climate projects that align with the City’s Climate Action Plan.  
• Creating a platform for young leaders to co-govern climate initiatives and partner with city officials on long-term sustainability goals.  
• Develop a selection committee that includes City officials and community leaders to review applications and ensure an equitable grant process.  
• Sustaining successful projects beyond initial funding, allowing for long-term integration into City programs.  

Helen Frankenthaler Foundation

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports the artist’s legacy through a variety of initiatives, including exhibitions, loans of artworks, research and publications, conservation, grants, educational programs for the public and the scholarly community, and the publishing of a catalogue raisonné. It is dedicated to promoting greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts.

Established and endowed by the artist during her lifetime (1928-2011), the Foundation became active in 2013, on the closing of Frankenthaler’s estate. As the principal beneficiary of Frankenthaler’s estate, the Foundation maintains an extensive collection of her work in a variety of mediums, as well as her collection of works by other artists and original papers and materials pertaining to her life and work.

Frankenthaler Climate Initiative

The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI) is a pioneering grantmaking program established by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. Since its inception in 2021, FCI has distinguished itself as the foremost private national initiative in the United States dedicated to combating climate change specifically within the visual arts sector.

FCI provides visual arts institutions with up to $100,000 to undertake ambitious sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives that directly address carbon reduction and energy efficiency. The scope of its support is broad, encompassing everything from modest, rapid-response projects to comprehensive efficiency audits and feasibility studies, and extending to financial contributions for significant infrastructural renovations and strategic planning for new buildings and major initiatives.

Building on the core values of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the initiative aligns a commitment to environmental stewardship with a belief in the vital importance of the visual arts and arts education. Through strategic funding and partnerships focused on tangible infrastructure, FCI aims to catalyze a sector-wide shift toward zero carbon operations, promoting a future where the visual arts thrive—while contributing to a more sustainable and ecologically conscious world.

Who We Fund

FCI funds nonprofit institutions in the United States and its territories whose primary focus rests in the visual arts. The visual arts includes but is not limited to painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installations in clay, glass, metal, wood, fiber, paper, film, and mixed media.

Most of our grantees are art museums, nonprofit galleries, archives, noncollecting institutions, art schools, university museums, and artist-endowed foundations.

What We Fund

FCI funds energy efficiency and clean energy generation projects.

FCI meets arts institutions at every stage of the work, through four kinds of grants:

• Catalyst — first actions and stand-alone projects with a quick turnaround
• Scoping — energy audits and assessments that establish a baseline
• Technical Assistance — detailed planning for technically demanding projects
• Implementation — comprehensive capital work addressing a building's environmental impact at multiple levels

Technical Assistance Grants

Technical Assistance grants support projects that have finished initial assessments, and need procurement and financing support for an identified efficiency project. This may include providing designs, specifications, or fees for working with energy services companies (ESCOs) for project support. These grants also support more complex studies or analysis required for pursuing major implementation projects. At the conclusion of a Technical Assistance grant, the applicant should be sufficiently informed to implement a project.

U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofits offering skilled trades training or capacity-building, including those serving Louisiana, can apply for Blackrock Foundation’s BlackRock Future Builders grants of US $500,000 - US $1,000,000. Funding supports high-quality workforce development, such as pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, wraparound supports, or systems-level projects that may include energy efficiency and conservation-related trades.

Louisiana nonprofit organizations installing solar or other clean energy projects can access funding through Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation for capital costs, with awards up to US $25,000. Projects with additional funding, near-term installation plans, locations in Communities of Concern, or that serve youth and schools may be especially competitive.

Focused on energy efficiency and community sustainability, Enbridge invites Louisiana nonprofits near its operations to apply for US $1,000 - US $10,000 in community grant support. Eligible projects include safe, vibrant, and sustainable community initiatives, such as environmental education, energy conservation, youth services, social services, and Indigenous or culturally focused programs within designated Enbridge communities.

Nonprofit and other eligible organizations developing industrial energy storage technologies can receive up to US $700,000 to design, prototype, and validate thermal or electric storage systems that improve facility efficiency in Louisiana and nationwide. The U.S. Department of Energy supports concepts for industrial cooling, high-temperature storage, and hybrid thermal systems through this three-phase prize competition.

Low-income households in Louisiana and other U.S. locations can receive weatherization services to improve home energy efficiency through the Weatherization Assistance Program, administered locally. Grants from the U.S. Department of Energy help reduce energy use and costs; eligible applicants work through state or local weatherization providers to complete the application process.

Organizations commercializing ARPA-E-funded energy technologies can receive U.S.-wide support for scaling subject inventions, including energy efficiency and conservation advances. The United States Department of Energy provides Louisiana and other eligible applicants with US $5,000,000 - US $20,000,000 for high-risk, transformative applied R&D to move patented innovations from early-stage discovery toward disruptive market deployment.

Nonprofit visual arts institutions in Louisiana and across the U.S. can receive up to US $20,000 for clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability projects through the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative’s Catalyst Grants. Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports first-step upgrades, audits, and building improvements that reduce energy use and carbon emissions in art-focused spaces and programs.

Visual arts museums and cultural institutions in Louisiana can seek funding to implement energy efficiency and clean energy capital projects that reduce building emissions. Focused on energy efficiency and conservation, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s Frankenthaler Climate Initiative offers implementation grants up to US $100,000 for holistic, transformative projects at U.S.-based visual arts-focused organizations.

Visual arts museums and cultural institutions in Louisiana and across the U.S. can apply for Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s Frankenthaler Climate Initiative scoping grants, awarding up to US $25,000 for energy assessments and planning. Funding supports audits and consultant-led studies to identify energy efficiency, clean energy, and emissions-reduction opportunities in museum facilities.

Louisiana energy efficiency and conservation nonprofits can access funding through the Laird Norton Family Foundation for programs in renewable energy, carbon reduction, and environmental stewardship. U.S.-based organizations, excluding individuals and for-profits, may be considered if invited to connect and if their work aligns with the foundation’s arts in education, climate, human services, or watershed priorities.

Nonprofit and community organizations in Louisiana running arts, education, environment, or health and wellness projects or events may be eligible for Stantec’s Community Engagement Grant to support local initiatives. Programs that advance energy efficiency and conservation, environmental stewardship, air quality, or climate change resilience in areas near Stantec offices are especially relevant.

Nonprofit charities, public education institutions, and government entities working on energy efficiency, conservation, and related community needs in Louisiana and other Weyerhaeuser communities can seek project support of more than US $1,000. Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund backs local initiatives in areas like environmental stewardship, affordable housing, youth development, and workforce development across eligible U.S. and Canadian locations.

With a mission to support community development and sustainability, Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation provides Louisiana nonprofits and U.S. 501(c)(3) schools with funding for energy efficiency, STEM education, sustainable construction, workforce development, and affordable housing projects. Organizations in eligible Louisiana parishes may benefit, especially those open to long-term partnerships and employee volunteer engagement.

Nonprofit organizations running energy efficiency, conservation, or environmental education programs in Louisiana communities may be eligible for this funding, especially those serving low- to moderate-income residents. Focused on community vitality, Centerpoint Energy Foundation supports initiatives that expand access to energy-efficient housing and promote sustainable, thriving neighborhoods in its Louisiana service areas.

Nonprofit organizations working on community safety, STEM education, sustainability, or energy efficiency and conservation, including those in Louisiana, may be eligible for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s community support grants. Grants support programs that promote safe mobility, inspire student success, and address environmental and societal needs like public spaces, hunger relief, and community leadership.

Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, qualifying public institutions, and certain government or veterans groups in Louisiana can seek support for education, poverty solutions, and environmental initiatives, including energy efficiency and conservation projects. Entergy Charitable Foundation supports programs that build thriving, resilient communities, with priority for projects in parishes where the company operates.

The Nordstrom Community Grant focuses on supporting youth and families by providing over $1 million in grants annually. It aims to assist grassroots organizations that address essential community needs such as food, shelter, and clothing, as well as creating opportunities for economic mobility through mentorship and workforce development. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits located in areas where Nordstrom operates. Applications are encouraged for those meeting these criteria.

The Bank of America Foundation Sponsorship Program aims to enhance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities through partnerships with nonprofit organizations. This initiative focuses on critical areas such as workforce education, basic needs like food and housing, and community development. The Foundation invested $350 million last year and encourages employee volunteerism and giving, supporting nonprofits in various sectors, including arts, culture, and diversity initiatives.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Grant supports charitable, scientific, medical, and educational organizations that are 501(c)(3) certified. This private funder emphasizes impactful service to diverse populations without discrimination. Grants must be utilized within the United States and cannot be awarded to individuals, political candidates, or lobbying efforts. The Trust is dedicated to enhancing the general welfare through soundly-managed initiatives that contribute significantly to community needs.

The O'Reilly Automotive Foundation Grant focuses on enhancing community welfare through philanthropic initiatives that support economic stability, workforce development, health services, and disaster relief. Established in 2020, the Foundation seeks to empower underrepresented individuals and organizations in the U.S. by addressing vital community needs. It particularly aims to provide assistance to nonprofits that foster positive change and improve quality of life for those in need, ensuring a lasting impact in local communities.

The Spark Good: Strengthening Community Local Grants program by the Wal-Mart Foundation empowers local organizations through grants ranging from $250 to $5000. This initiative aims to enhance community welfare by supporting diverse projects, including animal shelters and educational programs. Eligible organizations must have a verified Spark Good account, ensuring funds are allocated effectively to meet local needs and foster community development. Together, we can create lasting impacts through small yet significant actions.

The J.W. Couch Foundation Grant focuses on supporting Wildlife Conservation nonprofit organizations that align with their mission of community betterment and environmental protection. The foundation seeks partnerships with organizations that promote animal wellbeing, early childhood education, teacher support, and outdoor activities. Eligible applicants must be registered 501(c)3 nonprofits or for-profit entities aligned with their charitable programs. This grant emphasizes collaboration and community engagement to create lasting impacts.

The Hearst Foundation's Social Service Grant focuses on tackling chronic poverty by funding direct-service organizations that implement effective solutions for economic independence and family strengthening. With a mission to support diverse nonprofits in the U.S., the Foundation allocates approximately 15% of its total funding to social services, prioritizing scalable programs that serve significant populations. The minimum grant size is $100,000, and special consideration is given to organizations addressing affordable housing, domestic violence, and youth development.

The Costco Wholesale Charitable Contributions program prioritizes support for children, education, and health services within local communities. Nonprofit organizations seeking assistance must be 501(c)(3) certified and focus on monetary requests. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, factoring in community needs and collaboration. However, Costco limits grants to 10% of the program budget and typically restricts organizations to one request per fiscal year. They do not fund individuals or direct aid for various specific purposes.