The Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Program is an economic development tool administered in certain municipal areas including Portland but not Seattle. This program allows local governments to sell bonds backed by a development’s Tax Increment future taxes, with the bond money helping to pay the developer’s construction costs. TIF proceeds are awarded on a Financing highly competitive basis in qualified areas. TIF can be utilized for pre-development, site/infrastructure, buildings, and energy facilities. TIF awards can range from tens of thousands of dollars to tens of millions of dollars and amounts depend on a complex negotiation process. Grants from organizations with a strong program area in sustainable communities and/or smart growth. It may be necessary to establish a “Friends of …” type non-profit organization, or to work in partnership with an existing nonprofit in order to access some of these grants. Grants are available for pre-development, site/infrastructure, buildings, and energy facilities in amounts ranging from thousands to millions of dollars. Specific award ranges are indicated where possible below. Federal grant assistance
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (www.cfda.gov); Access to grant applications (www.grants.gov)
Association of foundations committed to supporting smart growth developments.
Funder’s Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities (www.fundersnetwork. org)
Enterprise offers grants to help cover the costs of planning and implementing green components of affordable housing developments, as well as tracking their costs and benefits. Planning & Construction Grants Grants up to $50,000 cover planning and construction expenses including additional costs of architectural work, engineering, site surveys and costs associated with items such as a more efficient HVAC system, green materials and energy efficient appliance. Charrettes Grants Grants for up to $5,000 to assist housing developers with integrating green building systems in their developments and engage in a serious discussion of green design possibilities. Enterprise will award planning grants to affordable housing developers to coordinate a green design charrette. Sustainability Training Grants Green Communities offers Sustainability Training Grants up to $5,000 for affordable housing developers. Funding is available to cover the design and distribution of an operations and maintenance manual.
Grants
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Enterprise Green Communities program: Enterprise Community Investment (www. enterprisecommunity. com) and Green Communities (www. greencommunitiesonline .org/tools/funding/ grants)
Home Depot Foundation will be awarding $400 million in grants over the next ten years to non-profit organizations. Preference is given to proposals that include community engagement that result in the production, preservation, or financing of housing units for low- to moderate-income families. The most promising proposals incorporate a number of “green” building design practices.
Home Depot Foundation (www. homedepotfoundation. org)
The Summit Fund’s long-term goal is to ensure that the Anacostia becomes a biologically productive, socially viable river that is a source of pride for the national capital region.
The Summit Fund of Washington (www. summitfdn.org/fund)
This foundation has an emerging program area in Sustainable Design.
The Summit Foundation (www.summitfdn.org/ foundation)