Climate Smart Missoula, a local non-profit dedicated to finding equitable solutions to climate change, was recently awarded $50,000 to continue its work.
The Lightship Prize award was a surprise to the non-profit, as it was merit-based and did not require an application.
The money came from a private Midwestern organization called the JFF Foundation.
"I was floored. I just read the letter over and over again to see if this was real, if this was a dream," said Climate Smart Missoula executive director Amy Cilimburg. "I think I walked around just pinching myself for a couple of days with my colleague because you know, it was completely out of the blue and also extremely welcomed. Yeah, we have lots of exciting things we want to do."
The money was awarded without any strings attached, meaning Cilimburg and her organization can spend it how they deem fit.
The money will help the non-profit with day-to-day costs like salary and allow them to hire more interns.
A large part of the money will also be used towards Climate Smart Missoula's Electrify Missoula campaign. This is a collaborative initiative with Missoula County and the City of Missoula to design buildings more sustainably.
Electrify Missoula aims to decarbonize infrastructure by converting buildings and homes from gas-powered to all electrical appliances.
However the money is used, Cilimburg says they are grateful and will use the funds wisely.
“We’ll be careful and make sure that money expands beyond a year or two and just keeps us going," she says.
Climate Smart Missoula was awarded this Lightship Prize money for their “committed work on the urgent problem of climate change," a representative from the JFF Foundation wrote to the organization. “We feel Climate Smart Missoula really stands out in the nation as a community climate organization."
This is the second prize Climate Smart Missoula has been awarded already this year.
The organization is part of a collaboration awarded the U.S. Department of Energy’s Community Clean Energy Coalition Prize of $30,000. This money was specifically awarded to be used to help bring more women into the workforce.
Cilimburg is excited to start Climate Smart Missoula's 2023 year with two awards.
“They are actually very different, one was no strings attached and the other was directed at a coalition-building project," Cilimburg says. "One was just for us, the other was for our collaboration. But they will actually work really well together because it’s all driving the same kind of programmatic work."
To learn more about Climate Smart Missoula, visit their website.
