Energy Trust’s Working Together Grants

Energy Trust’s Working Together Grants are a competitive funding opportunity designed to help nonprofit organizations in Oregon and Washington reach and serve their communities with clean energy solutions. The grants aim to extend the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy to more customers, particularly communities of color, customers with low incomes, and rural communities. Through these awards, Energy Trust seeks to increase awareness of its programs and services and build organizational capacity to support clean energy initiatives. The current application window runs from July 10 to August 15, 2025, with awards announced in September 2025. There are two levels of funding available. Level One grants offer up to $5,000 to support activities such as outreach, exploring Energy Trust offers, and building capacity through education and training. Eligible costs include printing and design of materials, translation and interpretation services, event costs, meeting facilitation, staff time for hosting trainings and workshops, and costs to meet with Energy Trust or to write grants that leverage Energy Trust programs. Level Two grants offer up to $10,000 to support program or project activities that supplement existing or developing programs aimed at increasing participation in Energy Trust offers among priority customers. Allowable expenses for Level Two include purchasing goods or services, staff or contractor time, and costs for training, workshops, or education. Grant funds cannot be used for purchasing or installing home repairs, energy efficiency, or renewable energy equipment, nor for activities already covered through Energy Trust programs and incentives. They may not be used for changing existing fuel sources or for lobbying or political activities. Eligible applicants must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Oregon or Washington, or be in the process of obtaining 501(c)(3) status with a qualified fiscal sponsor. Applicants or fiscal sponsors must not be on the Oregon Department of Justice list of Disqualified Charities. Activities must benefit customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas, or Avista, and must serve one or more of the grant’s priority communities. Only one grant application (either Level One or Level Two) is allowed per funding cycle. Organizations that already receive other Energy Trust funds may apply if the proposed grant activities are outside the scope of those funds. Past recipients are eligible to apply again. The Level One selection process uses a tiered system to prioritize organizations that most strongly align with priority communities, are based in rural areas, have smaller staff sizes, and have not received prior funding. If there are more applications than funds available within a tier, awards will be made through random selection. The Level Two selection process involves scoring applications on their alignment with grant objectives, ability to implement activities, community impact, and service to priority customers, with consideration for geographic distribution and whether organizations have received previous grants. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on August 15, 2025. Energy Trust staff are available to answer eligibility and application questions at workingtogethergrants@energytrust.org. An informational webinar will be held on July 21, 2025, with the recording available afterward. Grant recipients will be assigned an Energy Trust staff member for support and must submit a final report by August 1, 2026. Energy Trust reserves the right to decline funding for any applicant.