DGA has worked with non-profit organizations of all kinds, from small advocacy organizations to large foundations.

• DGA works with the Energy Future Coalition (EFC), a non-partisan public policy initiative of the United Nations Foundation, on its National Clean Energy Smart Grid initiative, which focuses on developing new grid policies to facilitate the grid integration of low-cost low-carbon renewable energy resources to meet the nation’s changing energy demands. Most recently, DGA helped EFC launch the National Clean Energy Transmission Initiative, which focuses on larger scale changes to the nation’s transmission system to help renewable energy developers bring their product to market. The initiative includes a wide range of stakeholder advocates including those from the labor, renewable energy, NGO, utility, environmental, and business sectors. DGA works with the coalition through representation on a variety of legislative and regulatory matters, public event planning outside of Washington, DC, and providing communications support through internet, print, and televised media engagement.
  
  DGA also assisted EFC with its efforts to develop robust coalitions to shift national energy efficiency policy and modernize the electric grid in the United States. DGA has been a key player in the Energy Future Coalition’s activities, providing strategic guidance, bringing key environmental, business, and labor voices to the table and involving them in EFC’s work. Most recently, DGA has helped EFC launch Rebuilding America, a broad-based coalition of labor, business, utilities, manufacturers, and policy groups to foster a robust, self-sustaining retrofit industry that will cut energy waste in 50 million U.S. homes and businesses by 2020.

• For Ceres, a national network of investors, environmental organizations, and other public interest groups working with companies and investors to address sustainability challenges such as global climate change, DGA has produced more than fifteen public reports on the impacts of climate change on investors and key industries. For example, DGA’s 2006 report “Climate Risk and Energy in the Auto Sector, Guidance for Investors and Analysts on Key Off-balance Sheet Drivers,” used to train investors and Wall Street analysts in a briefing and roundtable sponsored by Ceres, JPMorgan, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, among others. In “The Future of Oil,” released in 2007, DGA analyzed the impact of climate change, geopolitical instability, and diminishing oil reserves on oil markets, and the import of these changes for investors, companies, and governments. In the Practical Climate Change Toolkit for Corporate Leaders, DGA detailed a ten-step plan to help successful corporations engage with concerned stakeholders, disclose their strategies to investors, and take concrete actions to manage climate change risk and capitalize on opportunities it presents. See our Publications page for more information about the reports we have written for Ceres.

• DGA works with the American Public Transit Association on an ongoing basis to publicize the role that transit plays for communities and individuals seeking to reduce their carbon emissions. DGA provides APTA with strategic guidance about the best opportunities to incorporate transit issues into the climate debate, helps APTA continue to publicize its work in the climate arena, and works to build bridges between APTA and prominent organizations in the environmental community.

• The Edwards Mother Earth Foundation, a small family foundation in Seattle, decided it wanted to focus its giving on the single issue of climate change and came to DGA for assistance in developing a portfolio of grants to support that focus. Recognizing that climate change represents a long-term challenge, EMEF’s goal was to make a measurable difference on the issue within five years with a program of approximately $1 million a year. DGA guided EMEF throughout the entire funding process, beginning by helping the Foundation select from among four different options for a specific focus and working with the members of the board to develop a policy approach to guide its granting. DGA then helped EMEF select states where its funding would make a real difference, evaluate organizations active in those states, and solicit grant proposals to affect change in state-level electric utility energy efficiency policy. DGA continues to support EMEF’s efforts, working to ensure that the Foundation’s efforts are as successful as possible.

• For the Pew Charitable Trusts, DGA conducted a detailed evaluation of the Trusts’ efforts to gain protection for and improve the management of old growth forests and wilderness in the boreal region of Canada. DGA interviewed key persons both inside and outside of the campaign, conducted an independent verification of key indicators of success of the campaign, analyzed the media initiatives undertaken by the campaign and supporting groups, and conducted a legal analysis of key questions pertaining to the Trusts’ work. In an internal report for the Trusts, DGA evaluated the contribution of the Trusts and its grantees to boreal protection in Canada and made recommendations to the Trusts to improve the success of their campaign.

• For the Northeast Regional Biomass Program, DGA identified and analyzed the applicable laws, regulations, and policies that could act as a potential impediment to the distribution, use, or sale of bioheat (biodiesel-blended heating oil) in 11 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and four major urban areas (Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore). NRBP, which is administered by the CONEG Policy Research Center and which is one of five Regional Biomass Energy Programs established and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, asked DGA to investigate state and municipal polices that might act as obstacles to the use of bioheat in these Northeast states and major urban areas. The DGA analysis looked at fire codes, building and housing codes, consumer protection regulations, tax policies, environmental and public health laws and regulations, transport and trucking regulations, and weights and measures regulations.

Other non-profit organizations with whom DGA has worked include Clean Air – Cool Planet, the Council on Competitiveness, Environmental Defense, Global Green, the Land Trust Alliance, the Merck Foundation, the Kendall Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Western Resource Advocates, the World Wildlife Fund, and the United Nations Environment Programme Financial Initiative.

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