IF Theatre Joins Second Thriving Nonprofits Cohort

On June 16, the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and community development financial institution IFF announced that IF Theatre, the home of the IndyFringe Festival presented by Everwise Credit Union, was one of 12 recipients to join the second Thriving Nonprofits cohort, a local initiative designed to help Marion County nonprofits increase energy efficiency in their facilities, reduce operating costs, and cultivate the environmental resilience needed to ensure their long-term success as community anchors.  

Funded by philanthropic dollars from the McKinney Family Foundation and the Indianapolis Foundation, Thriving Nonprofits provides each cohort member with a facility assessment to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency and a matching grant of up to $10,000 to execute efficiency-boosting building upgrades. By lowering their monthly utility bills, participating organizations are able to redirect cost savings back into frontline community services and programming.

“This opportunity comes at the perfect time,” says IF Theatre Executive Director Paul Daily. “Every dollar we save on energy, we can put toward supporting artists and building a community of artistic and environmental stewards of the city of Indianapolis. Over the past year IF theatre made remarkable progress in energy efficiency and access to recycling and this grant allows us to invest in substantial improvements to our 118-year-old historic building. The arts in Indy are growing, and we’re excited to grow alongside this cohort of incredible local nonprofits.” 

Since the start of 2025, IF Theatre has:

• Replaced more than 20 incandescent theatrical lighting instruments with LEDs 

• Installed high efficiency hand dryers 

• Implemented facility and festival-wide recycling programs 

• And invested in learning initiatives and environmental competency programs with the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability and Atlanta Green Artists Alliance

While specific goals and action items will be informed by energy assessment provided by the IFF’s Real Estate Solutions team, IF Theatre is working towards upgrading out-of-date, essential appliances to energy efficient modern solutions, the minimization and eventual elimination of single-use plastic, and the installation of solar panels, which have the opportunity to decrease the energy demands for the whole Mass Ave Cultural Arts District. 

“IF Theatre’s ultimate hope,” finishes Daily. “Is that we will be at the center of community-wide initiatives to help creatives in Indianapolis become more environmentally friendly and to deconstruct the myth that ecological care is at the expense of financial sustainability. That’s why we can’t wait to nurture our community connections through this program.”