Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light

What Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light does

Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light (EM/WA IPL) is a Washington State-based multifaith 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes people of faith to advocate for environmental and climate justice policies and provides strategic guidance to religious communities pursuing environmental stewardship. Earth Ministry was founded in 1992 (in the aftermath of the 1988 Nestucca Barge oil spill) and Washington Interfaith Power & Light was established in 2001, with the two entities operating jointly as Earth Ministry/WA IPL; the organization is part of the national Interfaith Power & Light network active in nearly 40 states.

The organization's core programs are the Greening Congregations program (the first in the country to help houses of worship implement sustainable practices), the Faithful Advocacy program (training clergy and lay leaders in legislative advocacy), and Fortify Washington! (a Midwest Academy-model direct-action organizing program that builds power at the city council level). Supporting offerings include the Federal Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program (CETCAP) for Inflation Reduction Act benefits, the Shmita Project Northwest Jewish-educational initiative, seasonal thematic programming (Seasons of Hope, Energy, Efficiency, Harvest), solar and resiliency workshops, the Sacred Community Membership program for congregations, and publications such as the Earth Letter and Greening Congregations Toolkit.

EM/WA IPL is funded primarily through individual and congregational donations and Sacred Community Membership dues, with additional support from coalition partnerships (Environmental Priorities Coalition, Power Past Coal, Front and Centered, Faith Action Network) and the national IPL network. The organization is headquartered c/o Saint Mark's Cathedral in Seattle. In October 2025, EM/WA IPL announced the cessation of operations, with the Fortify Washington! campaign transitioning to an independent grassroots effort at fortifywa.org.

Name

Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light

Legal name

Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light

Website

https://earthministry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light is a Washington State multifaith nonprofit that organizes faith communities to advocate for environmental policies and helps congregations implement sustainable practices. It operates the Greening Congregations and Faithful Advocacy programs as part of a 40-state national network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Religious Organizations (8131), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Faith-based environmental advocacy
• Congregational sustainability programs
• Climate justice organizing
• Multifaith environmental education
• Legislative environmental advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization relies primarily on donations from individuals, congregations, and supporters who share their mission of environmental justice through faith-based action.
2. Sacred Community Membership: Sacred Community Membership program for congregations to join the Greening Congregations initiative with various benefits and support.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light is a multifaith nonprofit organization that organizes people of faith to advocate for strong environmental policies and provides strategic guidance to religious communities working toward environmental justice. Its core offerings include the Greening Congregations program (the first in the country to help houses of worship implement sustainable practices), the Faithful Advocacy program that empowers clergy and lay leaders to speak out on public policy, and the Fortify Washington! direct action organizing program based on the Midwest Academy model.

Product overview

Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light operates as a multifaith nonprofit offering a portfolio of advocacy and educational programs rather than a unified software product. The core programs include the Greening Congregations Program (the first in the country to help houses of worship implement sustainable practices), the Faithful Advocacy Program (empowering clergy to influence public policy), and the Fortify Washington! Direct Action Organizing Program (based on the Midwest Academy model for grassroots organizing at city council level). Supporting programs include the Federal Clean Energy Tax Credit Assistance Program (CETCAP) helping sacred communities access IRA benefits, the Shmita Project Northwest (Jewish tradition education initiative), and seasonal programming cycles covering topics from renewable energy to community resilience. Additional offerings include solar installation workshops, congregational membership, and the Earth Letter publication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fortify Washington!: A multi-issue coordinated mass organizing program based on the Midwest Academy model that builds sustained power and community at the local level by asking city councils to pass resolutions for environmental justice.

Products and services

• Greening Congregations Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully passed Recycling Reform Act after six years of advocacy effort
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Congregation Beth ShalomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Co-founder of Shmita Project Northwest, a collaboration to bring Shmita (Jewish year of rest) values to life in the Pacific Northwest region through educational and inspirational programming.
• Shmita Project Northwest Partner CongregationsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner congregations including Bet Chaverim (Des Moines), Temple Bnai Torah (Bellevue), Sukkat Shalom (Portland), Kavana Cooperative (Seattle), Congregation Eitz Or (Seattle), Pinwheel USY (PNW), Congregation Kol Ami (Kirkland), Bet Alef (Seattle), Temple Beth Hatfiloh (Olympia), Temple Beth Or (Everett), and Shmita Hives.
• National Interfaith Power & Light NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEM/WA IPL is part of the national Interfaith Power & Light network active in nearly 40 states. This network provides shared resources, best practices, and collaborative advocacy opportunities across state affiliates.
• Environmental Priorities Coalition (EPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEM/WA IPL is a member of the Environmental Priorities Coalition, which coordinates advocacy on key environmental legislation in Washington State. Through EPC, they helped pass the Recycling Reform Act and protect Clean Trucks legislation.
• Front and CenteredcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEM/WA IPL works closely with Front and Centered, who lead the movement for environmental justice in Washington State. Together they advocate for legislation like the CURB Pollution Act that addresses cumulative pollution impacts in overburdened communities.
• Faith Action NetworkmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEM/WA IPL partners with Faith Action Network (FAN) on campaigns like 'Cast Your Vote, Washington!' to get out the vote and protect WA communities and environment through faithful advocacy.
• Power Past Coal CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEM/WA IPL is part of the Power Past Coal coalition, a Pacific Northwest regional coalition that worked together to stop coal terminal proposals. They successfully helped defeat the Millennium Bulk Terminals coal export facility.
• Columbia River Treaty Non-Governmental Organization CaucusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEM/WA IPL collaborated with the Columbia River Treaty NGO Caucus to forefront regional values and responsibilities to recover salmon and prioritize tribal communities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Interfaith Power & Light: National umbrella organization coordinating faith-based climate advocacy across nearly 40 state affiliates. EM/WA IPL is a Washington State affiliate; the parent provides shared resources, best practices, and a unified national policy voice, making it the closest broad incumbent peer.

Direct peers

• Faith Action Network: Washington State interfaith advocacy organization partnering with EM/WA IPL on campaigns like 'Cast Your Vote, Washington!'. Comparable through shared faith-based policy advocacy in Washington State, legislative engagement, and overlapping coalition membership.
• Catholic Climate Covenant: National Catholic-focused organization promoting climate care and environmental stewardship through parish programming and federal policy advocacy. Comparable through its faith-based environmental mission, parish-level greening programs, and emphasis on Catholic social teaching applied to climate issues.
• Creation Justice Ministries: Ecumenical Christian organization representing 40+ Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican communions in environmental education and policy advocacy in Washington, D.C. Comparable through its multifaith/protestant advocacy work, congressional engagement, and congregational resources on environmental stewardship.
• GreenFaith: National multifaith environmental organization running congregational sustainability programs, climate advocacy, and faith leader training. Directly comparable in mission (faith-driven environmental action), program offerings (greening houses of worship, advocacy training), and target audience (religious congregations and clergy).
• Hazon: Jewish environmental organization running sustainable communities programs, food/farming initiatives, and Jewish environmental education. Directly comparable to EM/WA IPL's Shmita Project Northwest work and shared faith-based environmental education model targeting specific religious communities.
• Faith in Place: Midwest-based multifaith environmental organization serving Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin congregations through sustainability programs, advocacy, and education. Directly comparable as a regional Interfaith Power & Light affiliate offering Greening Congregations-style programming and legislative advocacy.

Emerging players

• Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL): Jewish environmental coalition organizing Jewish communities on climate, energy, and conservation policy. Comparable to EM/WA IPL's Shmita Project Northwest programming and multifaith coalition approach, with a narrower religious demographic focus.
• Blessed Tomorrow: Faith-based climate education and convening initiative of ecoAmerica that mobilizes clergy and congregations on climate action. Comparable in its faith-driven environmental programming and clergy engagement, though primarily a programmatic initiative rather than an independent advocacy organization.

Regional players

• Maine Interfaith Power & Light: State-level IPL affiliate serving Maine congregations with sustainability and advocacy programming. Comparable as a direct state-affiliate peer in the same national IPL network, running analogous Greening Congregations-style programs in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCra53CNHL6Kuv0eFPXz2FA
• Facebookfacebook.com/earthministry
• Instagraminstagram.com/earthministry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earth-ministry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light