Paying for Community Expertise

NYSERDA Pays Community-Based Organizations for Their Contributions to Program Planning

The lived experiences of historically marginalized communities need to be front and center in the development of programs and policies that impact their daily lives. This includes low-income communities, communities facing disproportionate pollution and public health vulnerabilities, hard to reach and underserved rural communities, communities of color, Indigenous Nations and Indigenous-led Organizations, and other areas of the State with high levels of poverty and limited access to resources. NYSERDA is committed to ensuring that community-based organizations (CBOs) have an opportunity to be at the forefront of shaping clean energy solutions and are compensated for their time and contributions when informing NYSERDA’s policies and programs.

NYSERDA is expanding its pool of paid consultants from New York's Disadvantaged Communities (DACs). This includes CBOs, Indigenous Nations, and Indigenous-led groups, who will support NYSERDA's programs and help with specific, time-sensitive projects as needed. Qualified DAC Consultants are available to work with NYSERDA staff through a variety of paid opportunities.

Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) Consultant Pool

How the DAC Consultant Pool Works

Paid Opportunities

• Advising NYSERDA staff by providing input on how programs can impact disadvantaged communities and making recommendations related to strategy, program development, and practices that would benefit those communities.
• Participating in a NYSERDA program co-design process that offers NYSERDA staff and representatives of disadvantaged communities an opportunity to jointly develop solutions that better meet the needs of historically marginalized communities and accelerate market transformation.
• Assisting NYSERDA’s engagement with frontline community members who are often underrepresented during energy planning discussions.
• Supporting NYSERDA teams to assess program messaging and marketing materials toward improved inclusivity.
• Supporting NYSERDA teams in conducting assessments and collecting data intended to inform policy, strategy, and program development related to disadvantaged communities.

DAC Consultants Include:

The DAC Consultant Pool includes additional consultants beyond those listed on this website. Each qualified CBO is offered the option to have its website publicly listed on NYSERDA’s website, with some participating CBOs opting out. If you have a community partner that might be interested in learning more about the consultant pool, download this factsheet [PDF] and share.