Energy Communities IWG Resources

Getting Started Guide and Navigator
Updated: 
February 28, 2024
2
min read
Reusable Resource

The Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization (Energy Communities IWG) recently launched two new resources in their ongoing effort to breakdown barriers to accessing federal funding and resources.

Getting Started Guide

The Getting Started Guide is a step-by-step guide intended to help communities and workers start the process of planning or responding to economic and social changes resulting from the energy transition or any major economic shift.

The guide has 10 steps, divided into the categories of Planning, Executing, and Managing. The guide covers everything from how to form a team, how to develop an effective strategy for economic development, how to prepare a strong application for federal funding, how to manage your grant, and more.

Navigator

The IWG Navigator is a dedicated team of experts who can answer questions and direct energy community stakeholders to the federal agency partners or resources best positioned to support their needs, including grant assistance, infrastructure, workforce development, and more.

The Navigator is a team of real people who understand the challenges community leaders and workers face as their communities transition to clean energy.

To contact the Navigator, visit https://energycommunities.gov/contact/

Featured Resources

Technical Assistance Resources in Kentucky

Looking for TA resources? Start here! While there are many resources available, they can be difficult to find. This is our first in a series of articles on valuable TA resources available to KY nonprofits and communities. Here we cover common terminology, and major general TA resources with a focus on planning, developing, or managing grant-funded projects.
March 6, 2024
10
min read
Information

Federal Grant Match Requirements 101

Federal grants often require grant recipients to match a percentage of the federal award with other sources of cash or in-kind (non-cash) resources. A majority of Kentucky nonprofits surveyed by Grant Ready Kentucky find match requirements to be a significant barrier to applying for public funds. In this article, we outline the basics of federal grant match requirements and how to meet them.
February 28, 2024
10
min read
How to

FREE IRS On-Demand Tax Exempt Organization Workshop

The IRS's free, on-demand, 10-course workshop to help small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations stay tax-exempt.
February 28, 2024
2
min read
Reusable Resource

READY Appalachia - READY Nonprofits

If you’re an organization in Appalachia looking for resources to build your capacity, the READY Nonprofits program offers training, technical assistance, funding, and more.
February 14, 2024
3
min read
Funding , Technical Assistance

How To Access Foundation Directory Online for Free in Kentucky

Foundation Directory Online is one of the most extensive databases of grant resources available today. Here's how you can access it for FREE at some Kentucky public libraries.
January 25, 2024
8
min read
Finding Funding

USDA Resource Guide for Rural Workforce Development

The USDA Resource Guide for Rural Workforce Development is a great tool for planning workforce development projects. The guide covers 4 major assistance areas and includes recommended practices, sample success stories, and a list of USDA resources, including grants, for each. Additionally, the guide includes a list of resources in other federal agency programs and contact information for the USDA departments.
December 4, 2023
1
min read
Reusable resource

Unlock Federal Grants

A Step-by-Step Guide to Registering with SAM and Obtaining a UEI Number
If you are planning to apply for federal funding, one of the very first things you need to do is register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and obtain a Unique Entity Identification Number (UEI). Here's our guide to getting started.
June 13, 2023
5
min read
How To

SAM Registration - Dealing with Entity Validation Hurdles

Organization wishing to pursue federal grant funding must first complete SAM Registration. We've found that some rural organizations run into challenges with the registration process regarding their entity validation. Here is a guide to dealing with some of the most frequent issues.
June 13, 2023
5
min read
How To

Finding Supporting Statistics for Grant Proposals: KY STATS Webinar

Trouble finding data to support your grant application? Watch this demonstration webinar and learn how to access Kentucky-specific data from the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS). In this special webinar, Jessica Fletcher, MPA, shares how KYSTATS data and research can be useful in developing grant applications.
February 28, 2024
5
min read
Webinar Recording

Problem Properties: Funding and TA for Blighted and Underutilized Sites (Brownfields)

If your organization is working to address a brownfield site in your community, the federal government has an unprecedented amount of grant funding available for brownfield related projects through the EPA. Additionally, the state of Kentucky has a wealth of training and technical assistance as well as funding available to brownfield projects.
October 9, 2023
7
min read
How to

The Energy Communities Clearinghouse

Your Coal and Power Plant Community Funding Resource
The Energy Communities Clearinghouse is a database of federal funding relevant to coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities across the country. Learn how to use this tool to tap into $Billions of federal funding.
April 7, 2023
3
min read
Finding Funding