As an employee-owned cooperative, our co-owners voted to set aside a percentage of profits each to share with our community stakeholder. These funds are shared with non-profit organizations that align with Namaste Solar’s mission, emphasize climate or environmental justice, are women-led or BIPOC-led, and with priority given to organizations that work in our local communities.
In 2022, Namaste Solar shared profits with the following organizations:
Dance to be Free | Denver Community Fridges | Lockwood Foundation | Longmont Community Justice | Red Cloud Renewable Energy
Click the links to learn more about these organizations and the amazing work they do.
In 2020, Namaste Solar launched the Keep the Lights on Colorado campaign to support Energy Outreach Colorado, a not-for-profit that utilizes community solar subscriptions and emergency bill assistance for local families. Since then we have over $284,000 to support Colorado families with community solar subscriptions. Each community solar subscription reduces a family’s monthly bill while harnessing the cost savings and environmental benefits of solar energy.
According to Energy Outreach Colorado, one in four households struggle with a high energy burden. These households are spending a disproportionate amount of their income on energy bills. The energy burden on low-income households is 3x that of higher-income households. The community solar subscriptions address an immediate need by taking a cost burden away from families and giving them the freedom to invest in other needs.
A group of Namastaliens helped build tiny houses with Veterans Community Project (VCP) in Longmont, which is a tiny home community designed to help homeless veterans get off the street and into permanent housing. VCP also takes a holistic approach to their work by providing support services through an onsite community center that offers mentoring, case management, counseling, and connections to other programs and resources.
As CareerConnect mentors to a group of students from JFK High School, Namastaliens act as a support system for students, and help them navigate college preparation. With the internship-based CareerCoach program, Namaste Solar has hosted 3 different interns over 3 semesters, and they’ve been doing real-life solar PV designs for Sunstreet communities across the nation.
12 Namastaliens spent another full day at Habitat for Humanity’s Harmony Cottages community in Fort Collins. Volunteers dedicated their time to reinforcing siding, painting, and working to level the ground around two homes in the community.
14 Namastaliens volunteered 62 hours altogether at Thorne Nature Experience to help them prepare for their wonderful summer camp programming (we’d like to formally request a set of our own coloring materials and plant ID books!). We also helped weed their gardens so they’re free of invasive plants and ready for what seems to be a constant stream of eager learners.
8 Namastaliens dedicated a full day to painting a home and building a deck at the Habitat for Humanity Harmony Cottages community in Fort Collins. As part of our ongoing partnership with Habitat for Humanity and our other partners in Fort Collins, we’ve also committed to $10,000 in annual donations for 5 years to help the Harmony Cottages community be all solar homes.
What better place to get involved in your community than right in your neighborhood? Spring brought a neighborhood cleanup at both of our Colorado offices. 10 volunteers dedicated a total of over 20 hours one afternoon to pick up trash in the neighborhood areas around our offices in Denver and Boulder.
In July 2017, Namaste Solar participated in Hunger Free Colorado’s Hike to End Hunger. In total, Namastaliens logged 895 miles in just one month! This came from 61 logged hikes, including 2 group hikes with a total of 16 hikers and some long-distance Namastalien hikers crushing major miles to help out. Each of those miles was equivalent to a $5 donation, so with a little extra to round of the donation, we donated $5,000 to help our neighbors in need.
18 Namastaliens spent the afternoon sorting and packing food for distribution by the Food Bank of the Rockies. This translated to over 73 volunteer hours, but even more important was the impact that afternoon had outside of Namaste Solar: out volunteers were able to process over 11,300 lbs of food, equal to 9,040 meals for those in need.
Namaste Solar worked with Denver Public Schools to fund the winning project from the Rock the Earth Green Challenge. This project was a green action plan developed by “The Reusables,” a team of 20 Godsman Elementary School fourth graders, to address the nearly 1,000 milk containers thrown away by their cafeteria every day.
8 Namastaliens spent an afternoon volunteering a total of 32 hours with Growing Gardens, a Boulder-based nonprofit that promotes sustainable urban agriculture. This volunteer opportunity was organized through the Colorado B Corp community as a “B of Service” day. Growing Gardens donates both produce and plants to our community, as well as offering classes and youth programs.
9 Namastaliens spent almost 50 hours total volunteering with the greater Colorado B Corp community at the Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver. This awesome volunteer group spent the afternoon assembling meals that went to low-income families and individuals. The Food Bank distributes the equivalent of 134,169 meals every day to children, seniors, and families in need in our community.
9 Namastaliens volunteered a total of 58 hours at the Community Food Share in Louisville, helping to sort incoming food donations and restock pantry shelves. Community Food Share distributes enough food for 22,500 meals every day to our Boulder and Broomfield county neighbors in need.
3 Namastaliens spent a day with the amazing kids of the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver. Boys & Girls Clubs provide youth with a supportive community after school, in the summer, and sometimes even during the school day. Photo credit: Boys & Girls Club.
A small group from the Colorado B Corp community, including Namaste Solar’s co-founder Blake Jones helped GRID Alternatives to install a solar PV system for a low-income Denver homeowner.
8 Namastaliens spent an afternoon volunteering with Growing Gardens, a Boulder-based nonprofit that promotes sustainable urban agriculture. We were excited to work with an organization that does so much for our community, including organizing youth programs, donating produce and plants, and educating gardeners of all ages. Photo credit: Growing Gardens.
Namastaliens banded together with fellow B Corp in town for the annual B Corp Champions Retreat to join the cleanup effort in Lyons following the devastating floods in 2013.
Between 2005 and 2011, Namaste Solar’s primary form of community giving was donated solar PV systems. During that time, Namaste Solar donated 28 solar systems totaling over 178 kW to organizations along the Front Range. This photo is from the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Logan School in Denver, which received a donated 6 kW solar system in 2009.