We PUT heat pumps IN parsonages!
Faith Foundation Northwest was selected by the Washington State Department of Commerce to receive a $519,300 grant through the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program. The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov. This funding allowed Washington churches to install heat pumps in their parsonages at no cost.
To qualify, the gross family income of parsonage occupants had to be at or below 150% of the 2024 Area Median Income as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban development. Funding was prioritized to benefit households with the lowest income and/or most vulnerable populations, along with those located in communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
FAQs
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People who live in church-owned residences in the state of Washington were eligible to apply.
About 50% of Washington parsonages house pastors, and the other 50% are rented out to community members. Pastors and renters were all eligible to apply.
Church trustees were not eligible to fill out the application; only parsonage resident(s) could apply.
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This grant was primarily for heat pumps, but it also paid for the following smaller energy-star rated electric appliances as needed:
clothes dryers
water heaters
induction stovetops
And, when needed, the grant paid for electrical panel/wiring updates to parsonages so that the electric appliances could be safely installed.
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The application's scoring system created an advantage for applicants who:
Were located in communities that are overburdened and highly impacted, as identified by the Justice40 Initiative’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool;
Were located in counties where no award has been made through this program yet;
Were powered by fossil fuels (with the biggest advantage for households with appliances that create the worst indoor air quality);
Had income at or below 115% AMI, with the biggest advantage for income under 80% AMI (households above 150% AMI were not eligible);
Had one or more members who belong to a vulnerable population (racial or ethnic minority).
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Washington applied for and won Home Electrification and Appliances Rebates funding from the US Department of Energy. Oregon won the funding, too, but will distribute funds through qualified contractors rather than sub-grantees. Alaska and Idaho have not applied for this federal funding yet.
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Awards were made on a rolling basis from the fall of 2024 through the spring of 2025. We disbursed the final funds in June 2025.
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Yes, but probably not through the Foundation. This was a unique opportunity because the WA State Department of Commerce was piloting this program and trying to figure out what worked, so they were willing to select and work with multiple small administrators. For subsequent rounds of funding, state entities will contract with fewer (larger) administrators because it will probably be more efficient. If you search for the “Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate” plus the name of your state, you can learn who is administering these types of awards in your area in the future.