Sungevity goes to schools, nonprofits in new marketing campaign

No more bake sales.

Helen Hunt and Ed Bagley, Jr. helped Sungevity, a solar leasing company, launch its new .org website this week.

Sungevity installs, owns and maintains photovoltaic solar projects on the roofs of businesses and homes. The company’s model allows home and business owners to install solar with no up-front costs, contracting to buy power from Sungevity.

The company spends a lot of money finding leads and marketing its product, said CEO Danny Kennedy. The new .org site is a new marketing tool that serves the dual-purpose of helping schools and nonprofit organizations raise money.

The new site, Sungevity.org, pays $1,000 to any organization that refers a business or homeowner that purchases a Sungevity system. The organization can choose to split the money with the person it refers, according to a press release about the new site.

“It’s a great new source of income for schools and nonprofits, while spreading solar,” Kennedy said.

Hunt and Bagley decided to help promote the company’s launch of its new website at the Westside Waldorf School in Pacific Palisade, in Los Angeles, because they support the company’s vision, according to the press release. Hunt recently installed a 7-kilowatt system at her home, estimated to save her $200 a month on her utility bill.

“We’re very mission-driven,” Kennedy said of Sungevity.

He and his company were strong advocates for President Barack Obama to install solar panels on the White House. Sungevity even offered to donate the system for the White House.

The company aims to form partnerships with schools and other nonprofits in order to promote growth not only for Sungevity, but also for the solar industry in general, and to give a little something back with its marketing dollars.

“We’re hoping it will be organic,” Kennedy said. “We want PTAs and random parents and people in the schools to hear about this and pick up on it.”

The company began working with another partner school in Hollywood later this week and hopes to grow the number of schools and nonprofits referring potential Sungevity clients through its .org website.

Image courtesy of Sungevity.org.