The Regeneration Project
A Religious Response to Global Warming
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Climate change is the most urgent, overarching issue facing our planet and its inhabitants. Because the impacts are taking a toll both on Gods creation and poor and vulnerable communities, it taps into values that are shared by all major faith traditions. We serve people of all faith traditions, primarily in the United States, through educational and inspirational programs that encourage personal and collective action to reduce carbon emissions through energy stewardship, sustainable food and lands, and public policy advocacy.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Faith Climate Action Week
Faith Climate Action Week is ten days in April during Earth Month when IPL congregations focus on how we can all take action to protect our climate. This events-based program encourages all faith groups to discuss the spiritual side of climate change at services, while also pushing for greater support from local and national policymakers. At FaithClimateActionWeek.org, groups have access to downloadable sermons, postcards and other resources.
Cool Congregations
People of faith across the country are doing their part to prevent global warming in their own homes and places of worship through the Cool Congregations program, and saving hundreds of dollars in the process. Cool Congregations is a stewardship program designed to help congregations engage their members in caring for Creation by reducing their individual greenhouse gas emissions.
Cool Harvest
Cool Harvest is a food, faith, and climate program for congregations brought to you by Interfaith Power & Light. The "Enjoy a Cool Harvest" guide will help you plan and host a potluck gathering. As you will learn, the foods that are healthier for the planet are also healthier for our bodies. You will also be able to download the spring "Sow a Cool Harvest" guide for planning and creating sustainable vegetable gardens.
Carbon Covenant
Carbon Covenant is Interfaith Power & Light’s program to support faith communities on the front lines of climate change. The number one source of carbon emissions in the developing world is deforestation, and faith communities from Cambodia to the slopes of Kilimanjaro are taking proactive steps to protect their forests and build sustainable communities. Buddhist monks patrol forests to ward off illegal logging and poaching, and African faith communities are teaching sustainable livelihoods and reforesting degraded lands. U.S. faith communities can become sister congregations and support these conservation efforts, building interfaith and international solidarity and promoting justice. Individuals can support them by making donations or “gifts of trees” in honor of a friend or loved one. See https://www.co2covenant.org.
Faith Climate Justice Voter Campaign
The Faith Climate Justice Voter Campaign is a nonpartisan Interfaith Power & Light-led campaign and includes several faith and climate partners. This campaign is focused on engaging and mobilizing faith voters to communicate their values of caring for Creation and loving our neighbors through voting. Together, we can express our values of ensuring a livable planet for our children and that everyone is cared for. See https://www.faithclimatejusticevoter.org.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of advocacy messages
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of congregations engaged in reducing carbon emissions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of Congregations Participating in Faith Climate Action Week
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Faith Climate Action Week
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
1. Maintain a vibrant grassroots network of state organizations that are working independently and collectively to build a religious response to climate change and achieve concrete results, such as lowering carbon emissions, impacting public policy, and educating congregants and clergy.
2. To increase the public's awareness of climate change and to help congregational leaders develop concrete solutions for how they and their congregants can address the issue
3. To ensure that the voice of the religious community is heard in policy-making and to leverage our grassroots base to support clean energy and climate protection policies
4.To increase the long-term sustainability of the state affiliates and our larger IPL network.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. Maintain the excellence of the IPL Affiliated Network and strengthen existing state IPLs
2. Focus on building a 50-state presence through our affiliates.
3. Increase national office staff dedicated to supporting the Affiliated IPL Network
4. Continue to carry out our work in coalition with strategic partners, recognizing that solving climate change will take all members of society
5. Strengthen the message of why a religious response to climate change is important and broaden the understanding of the role that the IPL plays by reaching people of faith and conscience directly and mobilizing them to act boldly on climate change.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
1. IPL has a network of more than 22,000 congregations across the country, reaching nearly 500,000 people of faith and conscience and mobilizing them to act boldly on climate change through our educational programs
2. With over 36 state affiliates, IPL is able to tackle national issues as well as local issues.
3. With 22 years of experience, is the leading faith-based organization addressing climate change in the United States. With this experience, we have developed strong relationships with elected officials, other environmental organizations, and thousands of faith leaders.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since the year 2000, IPL has partnered with millions of people of faith and thousands of congregations to address climate change. Our mission is simple: IPL inspires and mobilizes people of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on climate change.
IPLs members are taking action in their communities
We reached nearly 420,000 people for total engagement in Faith Climate Action Week in 2022
Around 11,292 voters received IPL's multi-issue Faithful Voter Reflection Guide
Supported 475 screenings across the country of Youth v. Gov to inspire congregations to take action on climate change
Host estimates of audience comes to 13,000 viewers in 2022
Mobilized 12,954 grassroots action takers
People of faith and conscience providing testimony at EPA rule hearings - 26
Coordinated the submission of over 7,000 comments on federal rule-making processes
Supported 2117 solar congregations nationwide collectively preventing tons of CO2 annually
Religious voters texted and encouraged to vote in GA, MI, and PA - 519,000, with an additional 200,940 texted in the GA runoff
IPL volunteers reached out to 730,000 faith voters
Hundreds attended or viewed six digital campaign events before and after the election.
In 2022, Cool Congregations engagement exceeded expectations of a 10% increase and increased by 79% from 2021. One congregation of color was chosen as the Cool Congregation Planner Winner. Kidane Mehret Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Tucson, Arizona. Another congregation that was certified is the Lutheran Church of Honolulu. We had three program-related webinars in 2022. Due to the popularity of our Faith Climate Action Week feature film, we hosted a webinar with youth activities and had 609 participants register. This past summer, we also hosted our Summer Solstice webinar on solar financing and had 417 participants register for the webinar. Lastly, with the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we have been able to access even more information about energy efficiency funding for congregations and hosted an introductory webinar in Dec 2022.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
The Regeneration Project
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2024
Melissa Gavin
Rev. Dr. Gerald L. Durley
Board Emeritus - Providence Missionary Baptist Church
Rev. Susan Hendershot
President, Interfaith Power & Light
Fred Scherlinder Dobb
Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation
Melissa Gavin
RE-AMP Network
Sam Schuchat
California Coastal Conservancy
Gregory Lopez
Social and Environmental Impact Consultant
Rev. Melanine B. Mullen
The Episcopal Church
Rev. Vy Nguyen
Week of Compassion
Codi Norred
Georgia Interfaith Power & Light
Gopal Patel
Bhumi Global
Sarah Spengeman
Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology, LLC
Joshua Low
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Not applicable -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
The organization's co-leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/22/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.