irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $885KFinger Lakes Regional Clean Energy Hub (AMPED)/Color Your Organization Green:The Finger Lakes Clean Energy Hub (AMPED) is a NYSERDA-funded initiative to ensure that historically underserved communities and populations participate in and benefit from the transition to clean energy. The Hub's services currently include residential and commercial energy advisement, referrals to vetted contractors, and community education and outreach-in collaboration with community partners-to promote beneficial electrification and encourage residents and organizational leaders to electrify their homes, buildings and vehicles. (Continued on Schedule O)Color Your Organization Green (CYOG) is a year-long course, during which participating organizations form internal "Green Teams and through monthly guided learning sessions have the opportunity to develop a Climate Action Plan for their organization. During the course, participants 1) develop an understanding of the obstacles and opportunities that climate change poses for our region, through an intersectional, equity-focused lens; 2) identify how they currently contribute to the climate crisis, and corresponding quick wins and high-impact solutions that will mitigate their impact; 3) create a strategy and vision to guide their organization in addressing the climate crisis over the long term; 4) connect to relevant resources and a network of like-minded organizations; and 5) begin moving toward their vision, implementing strategy, and measuring progress.
named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Color Your County Green
Initiative mobilizing residents across the nine-county region to form local climate action teams that advocate for equitable, high-impact climate solutions in their municipalities.
Color Your Organization Green
Year-long program guiding organizations to form internal "Green Teams," develop Climate Action Plans, and implement strategies to reduce emissions through monthly learning sessions and resource connections.
Finger Lakes Regional Clean Energy Hub (AMPED)
NYSERDA-funded initiative providing residential and commercial energy advisement, referrals to vetted contractors, and community outreach to promote electrification and energy efficiency, with a focus on underserved communities.
Go All Electric
Initiative educating homeowners on eliminating fossil fuels from buildings through insulation, air sealing, and all-electric heat pumps and appliances.
Heat Smart Monroe
Community education campaign promoting adoption of heat pumps and building envelope improvements by connecting homeowners with vetted installers and incentives.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Global Sustainability Convenings & Forums 2 activities
- Convenes regional climate collaboration across sectorsActs as a backbone organization to convene diverse organizations, coordinate climate initiatives, and facilitate collaboration through cross-sector partnerships, including a Steering Committee of 26 organizations. Supports alignment and effectiveness of the regional climate movement.
- Hosts events and community spaces for climate learning and actionOrganizes the annual Climate Solutions Summit, Green Drinks networking events, and operates the Regenerative Futures Lab as a community space for reflection and collective action. Supports event planning and on-site volunteering.
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Climate Change Public Awareness & Advocacy 2 activities
- Engages communities and youth in climate action initiativesImplements outreach programs such as Color Your Community Green and Color Your School Green to mobilize residents and youth. Hosts events, distributes educational materials, and supports local climate action projects through community engagement.
- Supports organizational climate action through capacity-building programsOffers a year-long program for organizations to form Green Teams, develop Climate Action Plans, and reduce climate impact. Provides data and resources to support grant writing and alignment with regional climate goals.
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Environmental Policy Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Advocates for equitable climate policy at local and state levelsEngages in climate advocacy through lobbying, public comments, letters, and direct coordination with elected officials. Intervenes in regulatory proceedings, organizes climate marches, and supports volunteer advocacy efforts to advance equitable climate and energy policies in New York.
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Flexible Grants to Grassroots Organizations 1 activity
- Awards grants to support local climate action projectsFunds local climate initiatives by awarding grants to community teams. Provided $6,633 in grants to 11 Color Your Community Green teams to implement climate action projects.
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Community Environmental Monitoring and Research 1 activity
- Conducts research and data analysis for climate decision-makingCollects, analyzes, and shares locally relevant climate data, including commissioning a regional greenhouse gas emissions inventory and conducting a Regional Assessment and Barriers Analysis (RABA). Produces fact sheets and maintains a repository of climate-related resources to inform policy and action.
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Local Clean Energy Adoption & Education 1 activity
- Provides direct clean energy advisement and outreachDelivers residential and commercial energy advisement, contractor referrals, and community education to promote clean heating and cooling technologies and electrification. Conducted outreach events, fielded resident inquiries, and supported clean energy installations, particularly in underserved communities.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.61M
Contributions & grants$1.59M99%
Program service revenue$10K1%
Investment income$2K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$1.96M
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$1.34M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$441K
Cash$116K
Investments$0
Liabilities$214K
Net assets$227K
Liquid reserves0.7 mo
4 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +32.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abigail McHugh-Grifa PhD | Executive Director | 37 | $70K |
board members · 17
- Akilah Banister — Chair (Through 12/24)/Director
- Alyssa Horng — Director (Starting 01/25)
- Chris Carpenter — Director (Starting 01/25)
- David Beinetti — Director/Secretary (Starting 01/25)
- Deepa Premnath — Secretary (Through 12/24)/Director
- Jamila Smith — Director (Starting 01/25)
- Jane van Dis — Director (Starting 01/25)
- Janielle Crocker — Director
- Katie Rygg — Director (Starting 01/25)
- Kyle Rosenthal — Treasurer
- Mark Stone — Director (Starting 01/25)
- Niraj Lama — Director
- Sara Stockwell — Vice Chair (Through 12/24)
- Sarah Mittiga — Director (Through 12/24)
- Shannon Ealy — Director/Vice Chair (Starting 01/25)
- Tracy Schleyer — Director/Chair (Starting 01/25)
- Valerie Lou — Director (Through 12/24)
relationships · 32
Who they work with
- AMPED: Go All Electric Partner — Steering committee collaboration to launch and promote a regional campaign for beneficial electrification.
- Alliance for Clean Energy New York Partner — Partner organization providing information on clean energy policy and renewable energy development.
- Black Agenda Group Partner — Supports the Black Agenda Group’s declaration that racism is a public health crisis and incorporates its pillars into local climate justice efforts.
- Brighton High School Climate Club Partner — Youth climate initiative founded by a former Climate Solutions Accelerator board member.
- City of Rochester Partner — Partner in the Sustainable Homes Rochester initiative to educate homeowners about clean heating and cooling technologies.
- Cornell Cooperative Extension offices Partner — Local extension offices providing support and education on climate-smart agriculture.
- Cornell’s Climate Smart Farming program Partner — Partner organization providing technical resources on climate-smart farming practices.
- Finger Lakes Clean Energy Hub Network — Climate Solutions Accelerator is part of the Finger Lakes Clean Energy Hub, which produced the RABA report.
- Garth Fagan Dance Partner — Provided performance at the 2025 Climate Solutions Summit.
- Genesee Transportation Council Partner — Partner organization providing information on regional transportation planning and infrastructure.
- Genesee-FLX Climate Collective Coalition — Collaborative body that developed the Genesee-FLX Climate Action Strategy in partnership with the Climate Solutions Accelerator.
- Genesee-Finger Lakes Climate Collective Network — Hosts and collaborates on the Community Progress Monitor to advance a shared regional climate vision.
- Greater Rochester Clean Cities Partner — Partner organization providing information on local green transportation and clean energy vehicle adoption.
- MK Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence Partner — Featured Kit Miller, Director Emeritus, as a keynote speaker at the 2025 Climate Solutions Summit.
- NY Renews Coalition — Collaborates in coalition to advance clean energy and building decarbonization policies in New York State.
- NY Renews Coalition — Works with NY Renews as part of a statewide coalition advancing climate policy.
- NY Youth Climate Leaders Partner — Youth-led climate organization founded by a former Climate Solutions Accelerator board member.
- NYSERDA Funder — Funds the Finger Lakes Clean Energy Hub (AMPED) initiative
- NYSERDA Funder — Primary funder of the Finger Lakes Clean Energy Hub (AMPED), HeatSmart Monroe, and Sustainable Homes Rochester initiatives.
- NYSERDA Energy Hub Partner — Collaborates with the Accelerator to deliver clean heating and cooling education to the public.
- Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York Partner — Partner organization providing resources on climate-smart agriculture.
- PathStone Partner — Partner in the Sustainable Homes Rochester initiative to connect residents with clean energy technologies and incentives.
- Public Service Commission (PSC) Government — Engages with the PSC through interventions in utility rate cases as part of regulatory advocacy.
- Reconnect Rochester Partner — Partner organization providing information on local green transportation initiatives.
- Renewable Heat Now Coalition — Collaborates in coalition to advocate for renewable heating and fair climate investment programs.
- Renewable Heat Now Partner — Collaborates with Renewable Heat Now on policy work related to climate solutions.
- Rochester Area Interfaith Climate Action Partner — Collaborates with the Climate Solutions Accelerator on local climate action and knowledge sharing.
- Rochester Youth Climate Leaders Partner — Partner organization engaging youth in climate action, supported by former board member involvement.
- Stockholm Environment Institute Partner — Collaborated to produce sector-specific fact sheets on regional climate change impacts and solutions.
- United Solar Energy Supporters of New York Partner — Partner organization providing information on renewable energy generation and solar access.
+ 2 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collective Impact for Regional Climate Goalsmethodology: collective_impactBy convening diverse stakeholders to co-create a shared regional vision and coordinated action plan, we accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy because aligned, cross-sector collaboration generates greater momentum and impact than isolated efforts.
- Community-Led, Place-Based Solutionsmethodology: community-led_local_actionBy grounding climate action in local knowledge, values, and emissions data, and empowering decentralized community teams to lead initiatives, we increase relevance and buy-in because effective solutions emerge from within communities rather than being imposed externally.
- Dual-Pathway Systems Changemethodology: systemic-change-through-organizational-and-individual-actionBy simultaneously building grassroots citizen power and advancing organizational climate action through leadership development, we produce systemic change because lasting transformation requires both bottom-up movement energy and top-down institutional reform.
- Equity-Centered Climate Actionmethodology: equity-centered-climate-actionBy applying an equity lens to all climate initiatives and prioritizing solutions that reduce emissions while advancing community health, safety, and economic prosperity, we ensure that climate action does not replicate historical injustices and instead generates co-benefits for frontline communities.
- Plug-and-Play Advocacy Modelmethodology: plug-and-play advocacyBy providing accessible tools, training, and coordination, we enable individuals and organizations to engage in policy advocacy at their capacity because lowering barriers to participation increases the scale and diversity of voices influencing climate policy.