Values & Principles
The principles of environmental justice, self-determination, and support for frontline communities guide Collectrify’s activities, from our planning to operations to decision-making.
Environmental justice
Collectrify’s mission is rooted in the Just Transition Framework. At the time of Collectrify’s founding, we joined the movement of people advancing a just transition through democratic organizing with the adoption of our Principles of Transformative Partnership, our guiding set of principles that shape a just relationship between our funder partners, Governance Assembly, and grantee partners. Collectrify honors and upholds the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing, including the core Jemez principle of building just relationships among ourselves.
Self-determination
We believe that the pathway to equitable building electrification must center the leadership and self-determination of vulnerable communities to shift the balance of power in energy production, infrastructure, and housing.
Support for frontline communities
We support place-based frontline organizations that serve their communities by advancing decarbonization strategies. Through our partnerships, we ensure that the most vulnerable neighborhoods benefit from energy efficiency and clean energy resources.
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At the time of Collectrify’s founding, we joined the movement of people advancing a just transition through democratic organizing with the adoption of our Principles of Transformative Partnership, our guiding set of principles that shape a just relationship between our funder partners, Governance Assembly, and grantee partners.
Power building across movements
Collectrify brings established, long-standing community groups into the equitable building electrification and climate movements by breaking down silos, facilitating conversations to help people see themselves in this intersectional space, and creating connections to advance lasting systemic change. This work, in addition to investing in leadership development, broadens the base of advocates essential for building the power needed to win on climate action.
The pathway to equitable building electrification starts with strategies that serve our most vulnerable community members and center their leadership and self-determination.
Collectrify’s founding community practitioner organizations spanned multiple geographies across the US and included The Alliance for Affordable Energy, the Association for Energy Affordability, the Greenlining Institute, the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Network for Energy, Water and Health in Affordable Buildings (NEWHAB), the RE-AMPNetwork, Soulardarity, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice. Our founding funders included The Heising-Simons, Kresge, and Summit Foundations. Individuals from these organizations and our founding Executive Director co-created Collectrify’s Principles of Transformative Partnership, collaborative governance structure, and Knowledge Economy Grievance and Restoration Process. They committed their time and thought leadership as members of our Governance Assembly (Collectrify’s advisory board). Our founding funders also secured grants from their foundations to support Collectrify’s operations and regranting to frontline organizations.