Sustain Our Future Foundation and Southface Institute Launch BIT for Resilient HBCUs Initiative to Strengthen Climate Resilient Campuses and Grow a Green Workforce
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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July 15, 2025
Washington, DC – Sustain Our Future Foundation (SOFF), in partnership with Southface Institute, is proud to announce the launch of the Building Improvement Toolkits (BIT) for Resilient HBCUs, a pilot initiative that aims to advance sustainability efforts within five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and establish them as central hubs for climate action within their broader communities. By providing access to technical resources, HBCU student career development, and grant funding, BIT for HBCUs intends to strengthen institutional capacity to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change on campus and in the surrounding communities.
The initiative includes five key components provided to support HBCUs:
Access, training, and support to leverage the BIT Building tool for sustainability management,
Technical assistance consultants for climate action planning,
Support for campuses to serve as climate hubs and support affordable housing community resilience,
Workforce development, training, and credentialing for 25 paid student fellows,
$150,000 in grants for each school to support the implementation of campus sustainability goals.
The BIT for Resilient HBCUs Initiative is one outcome of SOFF’s community benefit funding strategy, developed in partnership with renewable energy developers and financiers. Through these partnerships, SOFF stewards a portion of renewable energy project investments into place-based community benefit initiatives that directly support local sustainability priorities.
“Our community benefit grants are designed to revitalize historically under-resourced communities by supporting hyperlocal infrastructure projects, like energy-efficient retrofits and healthy building upgrades, that reflect community ownership and climate action,” said Yinka N. Bode-George, Founder and CEO of Sustain Our Future Foundation “HBCUs, as longstanding centers of knowledge, advocacy, and service, are natural partners in this work. Yet many face gaps in resources and capacity. This initiative strengthens their ability to lead sustainability initiatives that benefit both their campuses and the surrounding communities.”
A critical component of the initiative is Southface Institute’s Building Improvement Toolkit (BIT) program, an online platform that will serve as a central hub for tracking performance data, accessing sustainability resources, delivering student training, and offering technical guidance. Customized for the HBCU network, the BIT platform leverages utility consumption data to help institutions identify opportunities for efficiency improvements and monitor their progress over time. By lowering energy costs and enhancing operational performance, BIT for HBCUs is designed to deliver long-term savings, build institutional resilience, and advance climate action across campus communities and their surrounding neighborhoods.
Another key component of the program are the 25 paid student fellows who will serve as trained BIT Practitioners, conducting building audits and developing recommendations to conserve energy, waste, and water while improving indoor air quality.
“Resilience, empowerment, and progress are at the core of HBCUs. By tapping into the energy, passion, and ingenuity of HBCU students, we’re not just advancing sustainability on these campuses today—we’re building a pipeline of future leaders who will drive this mission forward for generations. I’m excited to help create a lasting legacy of energy independence, equity, and community-driven solutions that honor our history and shape our future.” said Stephen Ward, Program Manager of the Building Improvement Toolkit at Southface Institute.
This initiative equips HBCUs to lead on climate resilience and local sustainability, while modeling how community benefit strategies can be shaped by and for frontline communities.
For more information, please visit: https://www.bitbuilding.org/s/bit-for-hbcus, and contact Tanvi Gadhia at tanvi@sustainourfuture.org
About Sustain Our Future Foundation
Sustain Our Future Foundation (SOFF) is a national not-for-profit organization that collaborates with corporate sustainability teams to de-risk and deepen the impact of sustainable infrastructure projects by ensuring that local communities' priorities are part of the planning, siting, and development phases of the projects. Our goal is to raise the standard of sustainable development to promote economic development, community partnership, local self-determination, and environmental health for all communities.
About Southface Institute
Southface Energy Institute, Inc., founded in 1978, is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting sustainable homes, workplaces, and communities through education, research, advocacy, and technical assistance. With a vision of a healthy environment for all, we leverage our building science expertise to empower individuals—regardless of identity or circumstances—to enhance their wellbeing, security, and resiliency while protecting the environment for future generations. Collaborating with nonprofits, businesses, builders, developers, universities, municipalities, and government agencies, we advance sustainability, resiliency, and energy justice in the Southeast and beyond. Our focus on technical expertise and sustainability programs enables us to expand our work in clean energy, deepen our impact in underserved communities, and provide training in building performance, health and safety, energy and water efficiency, green infrastructure, and green building certifications.