HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 6/23/2020 - Memorandum From Katy Mclaren Re: Results From Innovate Fort Collins Challenge Grant ProgramEnvironmental Services
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MEMORANDUM
Date: June 17, 2020
To: Mayor and City Council
Thru: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jackie Kozak Thiel, Chief Sustainability Officer
Lucinda Smith, Environmental Services Director
From: Katy McLaren, Lead Climate Specialist
Re: Results from Innovate Fort Collins Challenge Grant Program
The purpose of this memo is to inform City Council of the results from the City funded Innovate Fort
Collins Challenge (IFCC), a two-year grant program between 2018 and 2019 that supported pilot
projects, which fostered community engagement, innovation and advanced the achievement of the
Climate Action Plan goals.
Bottom Line
Through 17 projects, the IFCC partners achieved an estimated 5,700 Metric Ton Carbon Dioxide
equivalent (MTCO2e) reduced, equivalent to approximately 650 homes’ energy use in one year. Staff
estimates potential for an additional 16,000 MTCO2e reduced over time if all the projects scale up as
planned, which would contribute an additional 1% reduction from the 2005 greenhouse gas emissions
baseline. Project participants and partners leveraged a 12:1 ratio in private investment ($1.3M)
increasing their project’s impact. Project partners engaged a diverse group of community members and
businesses across the Fort Collins region. Only 1 of 17 projects failed during their pilot year and many
models have scaled up, increasing their positive impacts over time. Most of the projects experienced
delays and challenges, requiring flexibility and adjustments. As these projects were being piloted for the
first time, many project partners gained valuable information through trial and error, allowing them to
improve and strengthen their business and service models. Overall, there is a strong desire and need to
support and fund community innovation and community members and project participants valued the
opportunities and benefits these projects provided.
Background
Project Partners and Project Highlights
The Innovate Fort Collins Challenge (IFCC) hosted three competitive rounds administering $436,000 to
17 pilot projects that benefited and advanced the Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals, community
engagement and partnerships, City services and operations and long-term sustainability objectives.
Projects primarily focused on energy, transportation, waste reduction and behavior change.
IFCC project partners included educational institutions, local businesses, entrepreneurs, and non-profits,
Fort Collins neighborhoods and City departments:
Colorado State University Renewablue
Front Range Community College Solar United Neighbors
Poudre School District City of Fort Collins Depts.: Fort Collins Utilities,
Spring Back Colorado Planning, Development and Transportation,
Insecticycle, LLC Environmental Services and the City Manager’s
Pretty Brainy Office
Colorado Clean Energy and Empowerment
EcoThrift
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IFCC Project Highlights
Over two years, the funded projects produced many results in addition to their estimated 5,700 MTCO2e
reduced. These triple bottom line benefits included:
Seven full time, four part-time jobs and six internships were created.
Project partners leveraged private investments and in-kind donations to increase their project’s
impact on a scale of 12:1 per City dollar invested.
Invaluable skills were developed and built upon such as redemptive employment for men in
recovery, STEM education and mentorship for young women, leadership and environmental
education for PSD students and increased safety and use of alternative transportation on the
CSU campus.
Added 403 kW in solar generation resources to the Fort Collins community.
Examples of Lessons Learned
Between the two project years, the competition application process garnered over $5M in funding
requests, demonstrating a strong need for funding support and a desire for community
involvement in advancing climate solutions.
Most of the projects overestimated the pace and ability to meet their milestones.
There is inherent risk involved in developing and testing new and creative projects and failures
are part of that process. All projects benefited from their setbacks to assist in refining their project
plans and final outcomes.
Testimonials
Poudre Schools Mobile Composter (2018 project)
“At Kinard, we believe the compost project is much more than a utility service. The addition of the on-site
composter at our school has acted as a vehicle for student leadership and it has taken learning to a new
level.” Chris Bergman, Kinard Middle School
Spring Back CO (SBC) Mattress Set Recycling project (2018 project)
“When I started with SBC I was fresh out of recovery and unsure of my future. The Innovate Grant has
not only changed my life, but it has changed the lives of the men I lead.” Roberto Valdez
Pretty Brainy: MISSion Innovation Project (2019 project)
"I am most proud of the work that I have done with Pretty Brainy on planning MISSion Innovation and
building the MISSion Innovation App . . . I am proud of these accomplishments because I feel like I am
making an impact instead of just sitting back and watching other people fix the problems that I am most
passionate about. Working with Pretty Brainy has been one of the most beneficial experiences in my life.
. .” Emma Younger, senior, Windsor High School, Boettcher Scholarship semifinalist
EcoThrift: Eco Tool Lending Library Project (2019 project)
“EcoThrift and the Eco Tool library have become invaluable partners in helping us serve our clientele as
well as maintain and improve our garden and facilities. We rely often on using tools from the tool library
to carry out projects around the cafe and allow our volunteers to complete useful tasks for us. Our
homeless customers also often benefit from access to the Eco Tool Library tools through our
membership to repair their bicycles and vehicles, helping them maintain their mobility and dignity.”
Landa Parten, Operations Manager, FoCo Cafe
For more information and details about this program, visit www.fcgov.com/innovate.
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