What is RENEW?

RENEW is a multiple community partner initiative comprised of key stakeholders in collective impact, community development, housing, lead paint remediation, sustainable heating and cooling, data and analytics, environmental health, and weatherization. We have decades of related experience, successes, and technical expertise and work with income-eligible homeowners throughout Monroe County. We continue to expand our partnership and welcome any and all who are interested in learning how RENEW works, bring expertise to share, and help expand our footprint.

By combining funding sources, leveraging multi-agency expertise, and implementing energy-efficiency upgrades, RENEW not only empowers low-income homeowners to save money but also plays a pivotal role in reducing our area's carbon footprint. Together we help our neighbors make residential improvements including insulation, furnaces, hot water heaters, or emergency health and safety repairs such as sewer lines and electrical panels. This work allows us to make homes more energy-efficient, healthier, and safer. RENEW clients experience a 21% average savings on fuel costs and better physical and mental health outcomes (100% with pre-existing respiratory conditions report reduced symptoms).

RENEW is an initiative of Rochester Area Community Foundation. The Community Foundation is focused on two broad goals: creating an equitable community and strengthening our region’s vitality. Part of strengthen our region’s vitality includes advancing environmental justice and sustainability, work RENEW is proud to be a part of. To learn more about these action areas and RENEW’s alignment with these efforts, visit the Community Foundation website.

What is a Climate Fund?

RENEW has also been positioned as a Climate Fund. Anyone can calculate the daily carbon footprint created by commuting, heating/cooling homes, and traveling. They can offset their carbon footprint by donating to RENEW. All donations stay local and are used to make the homes of our income-eligible neighbors more energy-efficient, healthier, and safer as well as reduce residential greenhouse gas emissions. Offsetting carbon emissions is not new, but investing those donations to help our neighbors, as well as modeling an easy-to-replicate program for other communities to implement, is an innovative approach. We are honored that our innovation was recognized in the 2024 Environmental Innovation Awards from the Seneca Park Zoo. Watch the video below to learn more!