How the Founder of $12 Billion Startup Goodleap Is Revolutionizing Nonprofit Funding
By Karen K. Ho
Hayes Barnard knows how much access to clean energy and water access can change a community. He’s also figured out how to fund it on a consistent basis without the need for charity galas, grant applications, large campaigns, and concerns about fluctuations in donations.
The former SolarCity executive is the founder and CEO of GoodLeap, a rooftop solar financing company backed by the likes of Michael Dell and now valued at $12 billion.
But before he launched GoodLeap, Barnard focused on another passion with possibly even greater disruptive potential. He founded GivePower, a nonprofit which installs water pumps and clean energy generators in poor communities. It also established a new model for philanthropy, tied to growing demand for clean energy and sustainable home improvements, which could revolutionize how charities obtain financial support.
Photo courtesy of IWMI Flickr Photos.
Source: The Business of Business (link opens in a new window)
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- nonprofits, renewable energy, solar, startups
