Grant Program
CompletedParsonage Electrification
Faith in action: advancing carbon commitments through high-efficiency electric installations in parsonages across Washington State.
Program overview
At Faith Foundation Northwest, generosity and stewardship transform ministries, communities, and the physical spaces where ministry leaders and their families live. The Parsonage Electrification program completed four rounds of grants delivering 55 high-efficiency electric installations across 22 parsonages in Washington State, at no cost to the churches.
Faith Foundation Northwest received a $519,300 grant through the Washington State Department of Commerce's Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) Program, funded by Washington's Climate Commitment Act. Parsonages were upgraded in communities spanning from Camas to Coupeville, Walla Walla to Ocean Park, covering every corner of Washington State.
Environmental commitments
This program advances the Bishop's Challenge for Ministry that Matters (M.I.L.E. initiative) and supports two key 2023 environmental resolutions:
Reach net-zero carbon emissions across all conference operations
Reduce local church carbon emissions by half
“If it weren't for the Faith Foundation Parsonage Electrification program, Vashon UMC would not have converted its heating system to heat pumps. We now have air conditioning too. With solar power, greenhouse gas reduction is significant.”
Program benefits
FAQs
How were recipients prioritized?
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 had been made yet; were powered by fossil fuels (with the biggest advantage for households whose appliances create the worst indoor air quality); had income at or below 115% of Area Median Income, with the biggest advantage for income under 80% AMI (households above 150% AMI were not eligible); or had one or more members who belong to a vulnerable population.
Wait... it's over?
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.
What did it pay for?
This grant was primarily for heat pumps, but it also paid for smaller Energy Star rated electric appliances as needed, including clothes dryers, water heaters, and induction stovetops. When needed, the grant also paid for electrical panel and wiring updates to parsonages so the electric appliances could be safely installed.
Who could apply?
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. Church trustees were not eligible to fill out the application; only parsonage residents could apply.
Why was this only available for people in Washington?
Washington applied for and won Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates funding from the US Department of Energy. Oregon won the funding too, but distributes it through qualified contractors rather than sub-grantees. Alaska and Idaho have not applied for this federal funding yet.
Read about Oregon's approach →Will there be more grants like this in the future?
Yes, but probably not through the Foundation. This was a unique opportunity because the Washington State Department of Commerce was piloting the program and figuring out what worked, so they were willing to select and work with multiple small administrators. For future rounds, state entities will likely contract with fewer (larger) administrators because it is more efficient. If you search for "Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate" plus the name of your state, you can learn who is administering these awards in your area.
Interested in sustainability initiatives?
While the Parsonage Electrification program has concluded, we continue to support energy efficiency projects. Explore our solar and energy resources or get in touch.