Vassar College
IN-40: Sustainability Projects Fund

The Green Reinvestment Fund (GRF) is an internal revolving loan fund for Vassar’s energy efficiency projects. Cost savings from projects funded through the GRF are repaid to the fund until the total project cost + a 10% surcharge are recouped. This ensures continued reinvestment in sustainability.

The Green Reinvestment Fund has a strict set of management practices to ensure that contributions are stewarded responsibly, drawing from best practices and using the Green Revolving Investment Tracking System (GRITS). A steering committee for the GRF, comprised of campus administrators, the Director of Sustainability, a faculty representative, and a student leader, oversees project selection.
Before a project is eligible for funding from the GRF, a detailed application must be completed with estimates of cost savings, energy reduction, climate impact, and co-benefits with existing operational efforts. These estimates are then evaluated by the Office of Sustainability and the Energy Manager to ensure accuracy. Finally, the GRF Committee votes on which projects to fund, governed by a strict rubric established when the GRF was launched.
Each quarter after a project is completed, staff from Facilities Operations and the Office of Sustainability review the performance and impact, aided by use of the GRITS platform noted above. Identified savings for that period are then repaid to the fund to ensure prompt, continual reinvestment in sustainability.
Impacts from individual projects as well as the fund at large are reported publicly to guarantee transparency, promote accountability, and demonstrate the replicable impact from each project.