Case Study

Planning & Strategy for a New Foundation

The Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation (ISEIF)

The Illinois Science and Energy Innovation Foundation (ISEIF) was established by the Illinois legislature in 2011 with a $50 million fund and a mission to educate and empower residential consumers in the statewide transition to a smart electric grid. Foresight leveraged its organizational development, systems analysis, and energy sector expertise to develop an initial structure and funding strategy for ISEIF, informed by research and systems analysis of smart grid rollouts across the nation.

Following its launch, Foresight continued to support ISEIF’s efforts for three years. The first year of this partnership focused on developing recommendations for both specific grantmaking opportunities and grantee development resources, many of which were implemented. Subsequent efforts focused on communications and event design that expanded ISEIF’s thought leadership in the energy sector, including: a webcast series featuring interviews with outside experts and an accompanying social media campaign; and the Surge Summit, an annual conference that brought together grantees and other energy sector experts to exchange best practices in smart grid education.

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