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How CEFTX Partners with CBOs to Reach Families That Need It Most

ByClean Energy Fund of Texas Team

The families who most need affordable home energy financing are often the hardest to reach through conventional outreach. A mailer from a financial institution they have never heard of is easy to ignore. A conversation with a caseworker, housing counselor, or community health worker they already trust is something different entirely.

That is the core logic behind how CEFTX delivers its programs. We provide the capital and the lending infrastructure. Community-based organizations provide the relationships. Neither side can do the full job alone, and we are not trying to.

Why CBOs Are Central to How CEFTX Works

CEFTX is a mission-driven lender. We excel at structuring loans, managing capital, and building the contractor networks that get upgrades installed. We are not a social service agency, a housing counselor, or a community health organization. We do not have the neighborhood presence or the client relationships that make outreach work in communities with historically low trust in financial institutions.

Community-based organizations have exactly what we lack. They know who in their community is paying 15 percent of their income on utility bills. They have the relationships that allow a family to say yes to a program they might otherwise dismiss. They understand the barriers, the questions, and the concerns that come up when someone in a low-income household considers taking on any kind of loan, even a favorable one.

When CBOs and CEFTX work together, the division of labor reflects what each side actually does well. The result is that more families get connected to financing they qualify for and can benefit from, and fewer fall through the gap between program availability and program awareness.

What a CBO Partnership Involves

A partnership with CEFTX does not require your organization to become a lender or take on financial risk. The lending stays on our side. What we are asking for is something most CBOs already do: connecting clients to resources.

In practice, a CBO partner typically:

  • Identifies clients who may qualify for TERRF or SunRise financing based on income, housing situation, and energy cost burden
  • Provides basic program education so clients understand what the programs offer and what to expect
  • Helps clients navigate the application process and answers questions as they come up
  • Connects approved borrowers with a Trusted Texas Contractor for their home assessment and upgrade

Your organization does not need to manage the loan, handle underwriting, or take on any liability for the financing. CEFTX manages the lending process from application through repayment. Your role is to be the trusted bridge that helps a client get to the starting line.

CBO partners also have a direct point of contact at CEFTX for case-specific questions. If a client situation is complicated or a question comes up that falls outside the standard process, you are not left to figure it out on your own.

What CBO Partners Get

The most practical benefit is straightforward: you gain a financing product you can offer clients without building one yourself.

For organizations working with LMI households on housing stability, financial wellness, or energy assistance, high utility bills are a recurring issue. TERRF and SunRise address that issue directly, covering nine categories of home upgrades including solar panels, HVAC systems, weatherization, roof repairs, battery storage, and accessibility retrofits. Having a funded, non-credit-based loan program to refer clients to is a real addition to what your organization can offer.

Partners also receive:

  • Co-branding and recognition in CEFTX marketing materials and program outreach
  • Early updates on program changes, new funding, and expanded service areas
  • A dedicated CEFTX contact for partner support and case guidance

As CEFTX grows its contractor network toward 500 Trusted Texas Contractors in 100 counties, the geographic reach of what we can offer your clients grows with it. Partners who are in the network now are positioned to serve more clients as that expansion continues.

What CEFTX Looks for in a Partner

We are looking for organizations that are already in the communities where TERRF and SunRise can do the most good.

Good fits include housing counseling agencies, community health organizations, financial wellness programs, energy assistance providers, faith-based social service organizations, and nonprofits working on housing stability or economic mobility with LMI populations.

The most important qualification is community trust. If the families you serve trust your organization enough to take your referrals seriously, that is the foundation the partnership is built on.

We also ask partners to complete basic program onboarding so that the information you share with clients is accurate and current. That process is straightforward and does not require significant time from your team.

If your organization is still in the planning stages or just beginning to work in this area, we still want to hear from you. Partnerships can be structured to fit where you are now, not just where you plan to be.

Programs Your Clients Can Access

Through a CEFTX partnership, your clients can apply for:

TERRF (Texas Energy Relief and Resilience Fund): Non-credit-based financing for home energy upgrades including solar, HVAC, weatherization, roofing, battery storage, and more. TERRF is backed by $10 million in secured capital and is designed for LMI homeowners and renters with landlord participation. Learn more about TERRF.

SunRise: CEFTX’s homeowner-focused program under TERRF, targeting solar and HVAC upgrades with the same non-credit-based financing model.

All work is completed by contractors in the Trusted Texas Contractor Network, a statewide network of more than 125 vetted, licensed, and insured professionals.

Is your organization working with families who face high energy costs? Contact CEFTX to discuss a community partnership.

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