Sungevity® Raises Over $1 Million For Nonprofit Partners

OAKLAND, Calif., March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungevity^®, Inc. , a recognized leader in the global residential solar market, today announced it has raised over $1 million for its nonprofit partners through the company's Sungevity.org partner initiative. Through the program, over 100 nonprofit organizations including Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society and most recently, National Wildlife Federation and National Parks Conservation Association, have all partnered with Sungevity to offer their members a simple and tangible way to fight climate change and save money by adopting solar power as the primary electricity source for their homes. Sungevity provides referral bonuses for each nonprofit member who goes solar through the program, which has helped these organizations gain a new funding stream. Sungevity co-founder Danny Kennedy launched the program in 2010 with Academy Award-winning actress and environmental activist Helen Hunt, as a way to simultaneously help scale his business and raise much-needed funds for social change organizations.

"The Sungevity.org program has helped grow our business by keeping us connected to our roots as a mission-driven, social change company," said Danny Kennedy, Sungevity co-founder and lifelong social change activist. "Our results show that the 'market' can support the 'movement' and vice versa." 

"It's amazing how far Sungevity.org has come since we launched it," said Helen Hunt. "I love that a company like Sungevity can spread solar power to rooftops across America and raise over one million dollars for nonprofits at the same time."

Sungevity.org's funding has come at a vital time for the nonprofit sector hit hard by the most profound economic downturn since the Great Depression. Studies show that most nonprofits have been in difficult financial straits, and many report that the decline in the U.S. economy continues to impact their operations. At a time when the financial future of many nonprofits remains uncertain, Sungevity has injected over one million dollars of unrestricted funds to support its partners' principal operations. While the financial windfall is significant, the impact extends beyond economic: by offering solar power to their members, these organizations have offset over 85,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent effect of planting over two million trees.

"The Sungevity.org program provides our members with another way to reduce their carbon footprint and also provides direct financial support for our work – everyone wins," said Larry Schweiger, President and CEO of National Wildlife Federation.

"We greatly appreciate the generous donations Sungevity makes to The Wilderness Society to support our mission of protecting our nation's wild places," said Jamie Williams, President of The Wilderness Society. "Sungevity also offers a wonderful opportunity for our members to act on their beliefs and generate renewable energy from their own homes."

Sungevity.org is a concrete extension of the company's vision - Solar for Universal Need, or "SFUN" - which strives to address climate change through the mass adoption of solar power. The program also serves as an integral component of Sungevity's Solar Social Strategy, which has helped the company effectively lower the residential solar sector's common hurdle of high-cost customer acquisition.

"Sungevity has always been a standout leader in clean-tech and by partnering in the Sungevity.org program, we've demonstrated that nonprofit and for-profit organizations can push forward with our separate initiatives and achieve success for our common goals," said Michael Brune, Executive Director of Sierra Club.

ABOUT SUNGEVITY

Sungevity's online iQuote process and solar lease program make it easy and affordable for homeowners to benefit from solar power. Leveraging web-based solar analytics and satellite imagery, Sungevity can deliver a firm quote within 24 hours without a home visit and provide homeowners with immediate savings on their electricity bills. This affordability and ease of use, combined with Sungevity's Solar Social Strategy, is all part of Sungevity's mission to accelerate solar into the mainstream. Aligned with Sungevity's mission and values, the company is recognized as a B Corp, a new type of corporation that harnesses the power of private enterprise to create public benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders. Sungevity was recognized by B Corp as one of the "Best for the World" companies for using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. For more information, visit www.sungevity.com. For more information on Sungevity.org, visit www.sungevity.org.

SOURCE Sungevity, Inc.

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