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Kresge Foundation funds 'green' childcare buildings

Interested in building an environmentally friendly childcare center? Then help may be at hand from The Kresge Foundation's Green Building Initiative, which was created to encourage nonprofit organizations to develop facilities, including childcare centers, that are kind to the environment. Planning grants and bonus grants are available.

The purpose of the The Kresge Foundation's Green Building Initiative is to increase awareness of environmentally friendly building practices and to encourage nonprofits nationwide to develop well-planned facilities that benefit the environment as well as their organizations.

Through the education program, the Initiative will offer grant support to encourage nonprofits, including child care centers, to take advantage of high-performance features in design, construction and green building management practices. Kresge will make special planning grants available, as well as bonus grants to recipients whose building projects become certified through the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program (LEED).

Green buildings - in design, construction and operation - minimize dependency on non-renewable resources. Advocates say this approach respects the environment while contributing to organizational benefits such as building-user health, savings in operating and maintenance costs, and positive public relations.

As part of the educational component of its Green Building Initiative, The Kresge Foundation is making available a series of educational materials designed specifically to help nonprofits understand the green approach and consider it when they build. Information can be downloaded at

www.nonprofitfinancefund.org/location.asp?autoId=43

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