FAQs about NGE's Green Project Listing Site

Here are some frequently asked questions about NGE’s Green Project Listing Site. This is a constant work in progress so if you have any additional questions, please email strzelczyk@newgenerationenergy.org.

What is the Green Project Listing Site?

New Generation Energy's Green Project Listing Site (GPLS) allows the public to donate to green energy projects at nonprofits nationwide. It is similar to a microfinance site but support is in the form of a donation rather than a loan. Emphasis is placed on project metrics like energy savings and carbon emissions reduction. You can read more about the site here.

What are the benefits of being listed on the Green Project Listings Site?

Some of the great things about having your project listed are:

  • We match a percentage of the donations made to your project, helping you fund your project faster.
  • We help market your project so your organization can reach a large national audience.
  • We host virtual donation match events where we increase your match percentage.
  • A project listing can serve as a billboard for your organization’s effort to become greener
  • An increasing number of green-focused foundations check our site for project-grant award considerations
  • Your project becomes a reference for other organizations: You’re helping others be green.
  • We keep your project supporters up-to-date on your project’s progress and connected to your organization.
  • It’s free. Every dollar that’s donated to your project is yours. NGE does not take a donation percentage.

How do I apply?

You can request an application here, and then send it to NGE by email, fax, or mail. Once we receive your application, we'll review it and give respond within 10 business days.

I have a question about my application. Who do I call?

Please call 617-624-3688 x303 to talk to our digital marketing manager, Bianca Strzelczyk, about your application.

Are there any forms I need to sign? 

If NGE approves your project, you will need to agree to the terms and conditions in the Green Project Listing Site Agreement before we can list your project on GPLS. Once funding is complete, in order to receive your funds, you need to sign NGE's Award Agreement.

You can see a sample .pdf of the Green Project Listing Site agreement here and of the Award Agreement here.

How long will my project be listed on the Green Project Listing Site?

We will list your project until it’s fully funded.

If you decide you no longer want your project on the listing site, we will remove your project. Any donations your project received will go into the general NGE donation pool. NGE does not allot partial funds.

What are the different project stages?

All projects on the listing site go through a minimum of five phases:

  • In funding:  A project is actively accepting donations on the Green Project Listing Site.
  • Funding completed:  A project has reached its funding goal on the listing site. 
  • Funding received: The organization has received the check for the funded amount.
  • In construction:  The green project is under construction.
  • Completed: The project is finished!

In addition, several organizations also hold ground-breaking ceremonies and ribbon-cutting ceremonies for their projects. This is a great way to not only promote your green efforts but to also recognize your supporters.

What type of marketing materials does NGE provide?

One of the benefits of having a project listed on the GPLS is the promotional help you get.

There are several things we do to notify the green community about your organization’s green project – and get you donations.

These things include (but are in not limited to):

  • Local media outreach. Green projects help more than just the specific organization that they’re located at – they make the entire community a healthier, more sustainable place to live. To get people outside your organization excited about your green project, we send out press releases regarding your project to local newspapers, news websites, etc. In addition, we also contact national trade publications that might be interested in your local project.
  • Virtual donation match events. Held every 4 to 6 weeks, these virtual donation match events are an excellent way to generate excitement about a project -- and to bring in a lot of donors in a short amount of time.
  • Blog posts. We do several posts about your project, the first being an announcement of the listing, which includes a photo slideshow.
  • Tweets and Facebooks. We post on NGE’s accounts about our ongoing projects. We also directly message organizations and individuals that might be interested in your specific project. Often times, these larger organizations retweet – or repost – our project link.
  • Carbon promotion. We educate the public on how a donation lowers their carbon footprint. Our research has found people are interested in supporting a project they can see happening versus simply buying carbon offsets. With NGE, they know exactly where there donation dollars are going – to YOUR green project.

What are virtual donation match events?

Virtual donation match events are online events where we increase a project’s match amount for several hours. For example, we will match 100 percent of all donations up to $2,500 between noon and 5 p.m. on a given date. Afterwards, we will return to the pre-determined match amount.

Match caps for all events vary per project and they are decided in advance.

How often do you hold virtual match events?

It depends on the amount of funding we receive for such events, however, on average, they are held every 4 to 6 weeks.

Where does NGE get its matching funds?

NGE relies on foundation support for its match events. It also looks to businesses to offer donor incentives. In addition, individual projects can increase their donation caps by getting a local business involved. Read more about getting businesses involved below.

My organization’s green project has been accepted! Now what?

Congratulations! We’re very excited to help your organization go green!

Now let’s get you donations.

Within a week of receiving your organization’s signed Green Project Listing Site Agreement, we will post your project to the Green Project Listing Site. Once it is live, we will email you a link to the project page for approval.

Then it’s promotion time!

Include the project page link in your organization’s newsletter, link to it on your website, post it to your social media pages, and share it anywhere else you can think of. And make sure you encourage others in your organization to do the same. The most successful projects on our site – i.e. the ones that get funded the quickest – are the ones at organizations who take an active part in the promotion process.

A business wants to help our organization. What can they do?

They can join our local + GREEN program, which connects businesses with green projects at nonprofits in their communities.  You can learn more about local + GREEN and the various ways businesses can participate here.

What happens when someone donates?

When an individual donates to your green project, they receive an automatic email confirming their donation. In the next few days, NGE sends them a second email personally thanking them for their specific donation and notifying them of the savings. (For example, when an individual donates $25 to your project, they’re saving your organization $x and y lbs of CO2.) We also list them as a project supporter (unless they opt out). From there, the individual will receive a monthly email update on the status of the project’s funding.

We do not share any personal information about any donor -- including email, phone number, address, etc.

What if someone prefers to mail a project donation?top

That's great! For all check and cash donations the following information MUST be included with the donation:

  • Donor's full name
  • Donor's address
  • Donor's phone number
  • Donor's email (if not applicable, please make note)
  • Amount of the donation
  • Which project the donor is supporting

We do NOT accept anonymous project donations via mail.

Please mail all donations to:

New Generation Energy

Attn: {Your project's name}

98 N. Washington St., Suite 305

Boston, MA 02114

What if we receive funding from an outside source (e.g, grant)?

You are required to immediately notify NGE of any additional funding you receive for the listed project. We will adjust the project "thermometer" accordingly.

What happens once our project is funded?

First, we send you an excited email congratulating you on your success! Then, we compose an email to all your donors announcing the wonderful news. This email is often a joint letter from NGE and the organization, and it links to a more details blog post about the completion of funding.

From there, before we can send you a check, we have you sign a Award Agreement form, a copy which we provide at the start of each project. Once we receive your agreement form – either by fax or email – we will send you your check within one week.

When you receive your check, we send an email to your donors notifying them that the green project has begun. We have you update us monthly on the status of the project and we update your donors about the status of the project!

What happens when our project is completed?

We celebrate! We send your donors an email with photos of the completed project -- and if possible, we hold a ribbon cutting ceremony.

 From there, you fill out a Project Completion questionnaire, which asks you about your experience with this particular green project – any complications you experienced, what you learned, etc. Your answers will be extremely beneficial to other organizations planning green projects.