Partner with IFF to help create a sustainable future for communities across the Midwest.

IFF’s Green Financing and Real Estate Support

IFF is committed to addressing systemic inequities and fostering more vibrant communities. This includes helping nonprofits implement energy efficiency initiatives through community-driven lending and real estate solutions. Climate change disproportionately impacts communities left behind by mainstream finance, where nonprofits often operate. Sustainable measures can help mitigate these impacts and achieve long-term operational cost savings.

Our team can help your organization achieve energy savings and reduce carbon emissions through projects ranging from small building renovations to building design and construction. IFF has helped a variety of nonprofits in the Midwest upgrade their buildings by providing loans and real estate advice for green facility projects, including feasibility assessments and cost estimates. Sustainable initiatives for nonprofits include electric vehicles, geothermal energy, solar energy, window insulation, roof replacements, energy-efficient appliances, and more. Not only do these improvements result in long-term savings and can pay back the initial investment, but they also improve the benefits of your facility for staff and the community while contributing to environmental sustainability.

Energy Efficiency & Nonprofits

Windows and Doors

Poorly insulated windows and doors increase the amount of energy lost via building emissions, which is both damaging to the environment and organizations’ bottom line when utility bills are due. There are several basic steps nonprofits can take to improve building insulation to curb energy loss, including installing weather stripping on windows and gasketing and sweeps on doors. Both measures help create a better seal to reduce the transmission of unconditioned air, reduce the heating and cooling load, and reduce energy consumption.

HVAC Systems and Electrification

Geothermal energy is a renewable resource that can be harnessed to heat and cool facilities using pumps that use the earth as a temperature exchange medium. Because the temperature underground is consistently 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, water can be pumped through pipes below ground level to absorb the heat, then compressed in a heat pump and released through building air ducts. The same is true for cooling during summer months, with the process reversed. Heat from the air is drawn from the building and carried off by the water or other coolant in the pipes and deposited back into the ground. The process does not emit greenhouse gases, and once the system is installed, ongoing operating costs are low since no fuel is involved.

Another way nonprofits can increase the sustainability of their facilities through HVAC modifications is to replace gas/oil-fired systems with electric heat pump systems. Electrification works best in buildings that are both well-insulated and airtight, which can be a complex process to achieve in older buildings, but doing so results in a more energy efficient facility that costs less to operate.

Solar Power

Solar power is a renewable source of energy with significant upfront costs for installation, but those upfront costs can result in long-term cost savings for nonprofits while also drastically increasing the environmental sustainability of their facilities. The installation of solar panels is likely to be easier to accomplish for nonprofits building new facilities, since the structure can be optimized in the design phase to support the infrastructure needed, but it’s entirely possible for organizations renovating their facilities to install solar panels to reduce their energy usage and costs – particularly given the availability of government incentives and grant programs that help subsidize the cost of installation.

Green Building Materials

During construction or renovation, planning to use materials that are eco-friendly and energy efficient can be just as cost-effective as other materials. There is also a significant difference in carbon impact in using higher impacts materials like aluminum and zinc as opposed to plywood or linoleum. The construction material pyramid can give insight into the carbon footprint of various materials.

Electric vehicles

Electric vehicles have a smaller carbon footprint than gas-powered vehicles. If it’s time to purchase a new vehicle for an organization, consider if an electric or hybrid option could work.

Appliances, including Energy Star-certified Appliances

Installing energy efficient appliances is another way nonprofits can reduce their monthly operating costs and help the environment. Energy Star-certified appliances like washing and drying machines, refrigerators, and water heaters – among other examples – reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and dependency on unsustainable fossil fuels. While the cost savings produced by Energy Star-certified appliances are small, the potential for collective impact is large if such appliances become the standard. The EPA estimates that if every appliance purchased in the United States this year were Energy Star-certified, the combined reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be equal to that of 215,000 cars on the road.

Plumbing and Low-Flow Fixtures

Fresh, clean water is one of the world’s most precious resources, and it’s becoming scarcer due to climate change. One way nonprofits can reduce water usage in their facilities without sacrificing performance is to install low-flow plumbing fixtures (e.g., toilets, faucets) that reduce waste. Low-flow fixtures are designed to produce water pressure similar or equal to older fixtures, but with drastically less water used. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), replacing a sink faucet alone saves an average of 11,000 gallons of clean water over the faucet’s lifetime. Tankless hot water heaters won’t change how much water is used, but they are much more energy efficient than tank storage heaters. For nonprofits that install new efficient fixtures throughout their facilities, this can add up to meaningful cost savings over time while contributing to a more sustainable future.  

Smart Thermostats, Occupancy Sensors, and Lighting

Some smaller changes can make buildings both more energy efficient and more comfortable to use. Heating and cooling unused spaces, or maintaining temperatures that are higher or lower than what’s needed for occupants to comfortably use those spaces, contributes to energy inefficiency in facilities and unnecessarily increases carbon emissions. Smart thermostats help mitigate both issues by automatically adjusting heating and cooling temperature settings for optimal performance. This eliminates the need for staff members to manually adjust the temperature and can provide the organization with equipment use and temperature data to continue optimizing settings for peak energy efficiency.   

According to some estimates, lighting accounts for approximately five percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, making installing lights that are as environmentally friendly as possible a high priority. Compared to old incandescent lights, LED lights can achieve energy savings of as much as 75 percent and last 25 times longer, making them an eco-friendly option for nonprofits renovating an existing facility or building new. An added benefit of the long life of LEDs is that they save significantly on labor time spent changing burned out bulbs. 

Another related modification organizations can make to increase the environmental sustainability of their facility is to replace light switches with room occupancy sensors to prevent lights from remaining on when rooms or other spaces within the facility are not in use. Similarly, exterior lights can be placed on digital timers or photo sensors to minimize their use when unneeded. 

Roof replacement

Replacing a roof is a sizable investment, but it’s one that’s absolutely critical to extending the lifespan of facilities by preventing water damage, rotted wood, and more. Nonprofits should periodically have the roof assessed, and, if it’s determined that repairs or a total replacement is necessary, prioritize the project to avoid more costly issues later on due to deferred maintenance.

There are several options for membrane roof replacement (commonly called “flat” roofs). Materials such as TPO, PVC, and EPDM vary in cost, lifespan, and carbon/chemical content, but the most important aspect for environmental impact is color: the roof should be white or as light as possible, to reflect solar gain and keep the building cooler in summer heat. Membrane roofs are compatible with rooftop solar panels and “ green roofs ” that reduce groundwater runoff, improve thermal insulation, and lessen the effect of heat islands .

Insulation

When thinking about replacing a roof, take a look at how much insulation exists and consider adding more. Most buildings lose more heat from their roof (35%) than from walls (25%), windows (10%), or doors (15%), so investing in good insulation, either during a remodel or a new build, can add up to real savings.  

Insulation strength is measured in R-value, with a higher number providing the most protection from heat loss or gain. Buildings with attics usually have insulation installed on the ceiling (the floor of the attic). Check the attic: if the building has loose or blanket (batt) insulation but the ceiling structure (joists) are visible above it, more is needed. Insulation should cover the tops of the joists and be R-40 minimum.   

Buildings with flat roofs will typically have insulation directly under the roof membrane, usually rigid foam boards. If a roof replacement or installation is imminent, consider the opportunity to add more insulation to raise the R-value to R-30 or even more, if possible. Adding a few inches of foam board during a roof replacement is a small cost in terms of the overall project and can significantly save on both heating and cooling costs. It’s also a good idea to install a white or light roof.

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Green projects supported by IFF

We are committed to working with nonprofits to provide them with capital and real estate services to finance, design and implement green projects and initiatives. Below are examples of clean energy projects supported by IFF across the Midwest.

Client Spotlight · Michigan

Samaritas

IFF provided a $2.3 million loan to support to finance the construction of 53 affordable housing units in Spring Lake, MI to house residents earning between 30-80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), including eight apartments reserved for tribal members or descendants of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. The project is one of the first Passive House (PHIUS) projects to be certified in the state, following design practices that meet a high level of energy efficient criteria, while also providing a comfortable indoor living space. The criteria include thermal control, high-performance enclosure, air control, moisture control, and more. The mission of Passive House aims to address the climate crisis through passive/zero energy ready buildings that can both mitigate and adapt to climate change. It represents the best option to cost optimize buildings on the path to zero emissions to make high-performance passive building commonplace.

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Client Spotlight · Indiana

Energy Assistance & Savings Initiative (EASSI)

Launched in 2022, EASSI is a collaboration involving the City of South Bend’s Office of Sustainability, CDFI Friendly South Bend, and IFF’s real estate team in Indiana to provide energy assessments for local nonprofits. Now the project also includes local businesses to support South Bend’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The Energy Assistance and Solar Savings Initiative is designed to reduce participating organizations’ utility costs by facilitating energy-efficient building upgrades that also contribute to environmental sustainability. Examples of the types of projects facilitated by EASSI include solar panel and geothermal installations, HVAC replacements, ENERGY STAR appliance upgrades, lighting improvements, insulation/weatherization updates, window replacement, and more.

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Client Spotlight · Illinois

Academy for Global Citizenship

This K-8 charter school in Chicago anchors a six-acre learning, wellness, and sustainability hub that is on track to become the first project in the Midwest and just the 25th project in the world to achieve certification through the Living Building Challenge – the most rigorous environmental sustainability standards on the planet. The new campus, supported by IFF with a $9 million New Markets Tax Credit allocation, features 50 geothermal wells, more than 500 kW of solar panels, rain capture, natural water purification, water recycling, and more. This sustainability hub will achieve net energy positivity by generating 105 percent of its energy needs, as well as net water positivity.

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Client Spotlight · Wisconsin

Walnut Way

The Walnut Way Conservation Corp. in Milwaukee used an IFF loan to acquire a facility for its environmentally friendly Blue Skies Landscaping Company and offers green infrastructure programs, residential and commercial energy efficiency assessments and job training focused on creating a more sustainable environment. The site showcases a wide range of green infrastructure and sustainable urban greening, further cementing the status of Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights neighborhood as a model for climate resilience in the region.

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Client Spotlight · Ohio

Maple Meadows

Maple Meadows, developed by Columbus Housing Partnership in Columbus, Ohio, is an affordable housing project built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and energy efficiency standards. This project, with an IFF loan, transformed a single lot into a 56-unit complex, addressing the local housing shortage while ensuring long-term environmental sustainability. The homes also incorporate universal design features to enhance accessibility for all residents.

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Get In Touch

IFF’s products and services are uniquely designed to meet the moment. If you’re interested in learning more, contact our local team and someone will reach out to discuss how IFF can help your facility become more sustainable.

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