The
21st century has seen the rise of interest in renewable energy. As the world has become more knowledgeable of
the limited nature of many of Earth’s resources, the understanding of the importance
of clean energy has expanded. This lends
itself to the promotion of new methods of generating power by many
organizations and philanthropists in the current day. One such organization is GRID Alternatives, a
nonprofit organization based in California that was created in 2001. This nonprofit organization focuses its work
on both the availability of renewable energy and the efficiency of energy.
The
mission of GRID Alternatives is to “make renewable energy technology and job
training accessible to underserved communities”. This mission is significant to me for a number
of reasons. I appreciate that the nonprofit
seeks to work toward long term goals. The
necessity of renewable energy is something that I believe will only increase in
importance as time progresses. The
mission statement of this organization also concerns underprivileged
communities. By training people in these
communities, GRID Alternatives provides opportunity to people with very little. I find this nonprofit organization
particularly appealing because of its multi-faceted nature. GRID Alternatives works to supply people with
clean energy, provide job training and experience for members of underprivileged
communities, and increase the use of renewable energy in the country. These qualities of the nonprofit demonstrate
its commitment to the people and to the Earth and this is very admirable to me.
GRID
Alternatives provides communities with free solar installation services. The nonprofit organization serves low income
households and locations by setting up solar panels on buildings in target
regions. This is part of the Energy for
All program. This program benefits
communities by lessening the economic burden on families with lower incomes. The organization also trains individuals in
these target communities in the field of solar energy. This expands job opportunities for people in struggling
communities. It also encourages the
increase of renewable energy in the United States which I believe to be an
important direction for the country. In
addition to supporting those struggling economically and supporting better
energy methods, GRID Alternatives pushes for clean energy legislation. The efforts of the nonprofit in government have
contributed to change in the form of bills, research initiatives, and program
development focused on clean energy to combat climate change.
I
believe that this nonprofit organization should be considered for a donation
because of its potential and because of its previous accomplishments. This establishment encourages and facilitates
the use of renewable energy. This is
necessary for the future of the planet and by implementing systems now, GRID
Alternatives sets an example for each of the communities in the nation. The organization also works to benefit people
in low income areas by lowering energy costs.
The combination of increasing renewable energy usage and decreasing energy
expenses for people in need of assistance makes GRID Alternatives incredible to
me. In addition to these benefits, this
establishment promotes jobs in the field of sustainable energy through job
training. Interest is also fostered
through the presence of solar panels in communities. The final aspect of GRID Alternatives that I believe
solidifies it as a respectable nonprofit organization is its presence in legislation
in the United States. I find it
incredibly important that this organization is using its influence to shift the
nation towards clean energy. The
successes of GRID Alternatives, its future potential, and its alignment with my
values in regard to energy lead me to support this organization.
Julia,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, allow me to congratulate you on a very well written and informative blog post. I had no idea that a charity like this existed. I have to say I am very intrigued in their work. I really do think it is a great idea.
Back home, I do not have solar panels on my house. However I have asked my dad why we do not, since they are supposed to save money. He responded with a statement that boiled down to the idea that he would love to do it, but the upfront cost was simply impractical. Hopefully as the years have passed this price has come down a bit, but the fact that people have to pay to be more energy efficient and clean seems preposterous to me.
As we all know, climate change is becoming a bigger and bigger threat to all of humankind as the years pass. As the temperature and seas rise, the conditions of living become much more difficult. Scientists have implored us to take care of the Earth and be as energy efficient as possible. I feel that solar panels on houses and in residential areas that generate power to be used by the inhabitants of that area is a great idea, and I love that the charity you chose conducts this service for free.
On another note, I am in the Smart Energy stream of the Freshman Research Immersion Program here and Binghamton. We are conducting research on what are known as perovskite nanocrystals. These are so interesting because they excite electrons very easily. When applied to solar cells, they are able to generate the same amount of power, if not more, than a standard Silicon based solar cell that is used today. However the perovskite cells are much cheaper to produce. If the stability issues are fixed, perovskite based solar cells would become able to be commercialized and the prices to install solar cells would drop substantially. I wonder how a scientific development such as this would affect the nonprofit sector, especially now that I know that a charity like this is out there.
Finally, I also very much enjoy the fact that the charity doesn’t stop at simply installing the cells. Rather, they also fight for legislation to benefit those who are energy efficient and try to help save the world. I feel that the two-pronged approach is extremely smart and effective.
Great work!
-Thomas Houghton
Julia:
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post and hearing your charity pitch. As an Envi major, I listed one of my core values as environmentalism, so when you chose GRID alternatives as your charity to pitch to the class, I was delighted. What I particularly like about GRID Alternatives is that it introduces renewable energy to communities at no cost, which is extremely important, as the cost is usually a deciding factor concerning the implementation of renewables. I additionally like how GRID Alternatives creates jobs and trains members of underprivileged communities. Teaching someone a specific skill set can be largely beneficial in more economically depressed areas where traditional schooling doesn't provide this sort of experience.
As much as I liked GRID Alternatives and am very much an environmentalist, I didn't vote for GRID alternatives in class on Tuesday, even though I 100% support what they do as a non-profit. I ended up choosing camp good grief instead, which surprised me as I wrote my core value paper on environmentalism as I believed that sustainability was what I cared about most. Your charity pitch made me realize that I have a variety of different values and that this course has really changed the way I look at philanthropy. While I didn't vote for GRID Alternatives, I still support what they do, however, I now realize that environmentalism may not be at the top of my priorities when it comes to philanthropy.
-Chloe
Julia,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your charity pitch in class and I love the idea of this organization. While I ultimately didn't end up voting for GRID alternatives, it was very close because this organization aligns closely with my core beliefs. One thing that I find especially impressive about this charity is that it manages to tackle two separate problems at once: It both helps people in low income areas while also working on improving the environment. This allows people to benefit both in the short term and in the long term, which is something that most organizations are unable to do.
One of the questions that I have been struggling throughout our philanthropic process is how much we should focus on short term charity vs. long term solutions. For example, welfare is vital for making sure that everyone can afford to feed their families, but a common complaint is that it is only a bandaid that is patching up systemic problems. After reading and hearing about GRID alternatives, I wonder if the approach of "killing two birds with one stone" is more effective and how many other organization are attempting the same thing.
I believe that the environment is one of the most pressing issues of our time and I think that GRID alternatives' method for lessening the issue is effective and unique. Thank you for sharing this charity with us!
-Adiel Felsen
Julia,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to commend you on your well-written charity pitch and your bravery in pitching to the class a charity that you had only found out about recently. Although you did not necessarily have a personal connection to GRID Alternatives, you definitely conveyed your passion for their cause.
I appreciate the approach GRID Alternatives takes in tackling the issue of climate change by attempting to overcome one of its largest factors: the energy crisis. I am a proud environmentalist and I am actually currently researching the effects of climate change on evolution in an on-campus lab. One of the the most frightening aspects of climate change is that it affects all aspects of society: the economy, social hierarchy, and the obvious, the environment. I've attached an article recently published by the EPA that summarizes each individual effect of climate change. The article mentions how the effects of a changing climate are predicted to be more burdening on the lower-income bracket of the United States. As the finite amount of fossil fuels gradually run out beneath the Earth's surface, it will become significantly more expensive for those still relying on the coal or oil option for energy to sustain themselves. This places these lower-income citizens "between a rock and a hard-place", as it is often too expensive for them to commit to the large financial cost of installing solar panels so that they no longer need to rely on fossil fuels. Fortunately, GRID Alternatives tackles this issue!
I support this organization for its ability to both understand the complexity of climate change in its social and societal implications, and to work in an effort to relieve the many factors of the issue. As for its implications in the sphere of philanthropy, I am very impressed by the this nonprofit. As I recently posted on the blog , it is often difficult for donors to commit to long-term causes, because of their frustration in not seeing immediate results. The issue of climate change is one of the largest examples of this issue, as philanthropists most times cannot see the change they are making with the long-term nature of the issue. GRID Alternatives has managed to bring a solution to this problem. By focusing on the small-scale facets of climate change in allowing those who would not normally be able to afford solar panels free installation, the 501c3 allows for their donors to see clearly the strides they are making. As for large scale change, increasing reliance on alternative energy sources instead of dependence on depleting, environmentally-harmful resources such as fossil fuels will make large-scale change in reducing climate change as CO2 emissions, toxic byproducts, and environmental destruction at drilling sites are reduced, as long as more and more make the change. GRID alternatives is a vehicle in reversing climate change, and reducing the frustration that follows donating to climate change efforts. This is the type of organization the world needs more of!
Link to EPA article: https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-society_.html