YCCF investing $400K to launch York County’s first sustainability coordinator

The York County Community Foundation (YCCF) is investing $400,000 to launch York County’s first sustainability coordinator.

 The multi-year grant to RegenAll is aimed at advancing a community-driven vision to strengthen sustainability, resilience, and cross-sector collaboration throughout York County, according to a release.

“This initiative reflects what can happen when a community comes together around a shared vision,” Michele Mummert, vice president of Grants and Community Engagement at York County Community Foundation, said in a statement. “The YCCF Sustainable Energy Fund, established in 1993, has helped more than 130 nonprofits save over $15 million in direct and avoidable energy costs.

“In the early 2000s, the funds helped advance some of the county’s earliest green building projects by supporting their pursuit of LEED certification.  In recent years, the YCCF Sustainable Energy Committee, comprised of volunteer community experts and stakeholders, sought opportunities to attract programs and projects with greater systemic impact. The committee holds great trust in RegenAll to lead this multi-year collaborative effort that lays the groundwork for a more sustainable and resilient York County.”

The three-year investment will support the creation of a full-time sustainability coordinator and a part-time program manager who will work in York County to connect organizations, facilitate partnerships, and lead community-wide resilience planning, per the release. The initiative will serve sustainability efforts while encouraging organizations to collaborate on goals.

The grant is the culmination of a multi-year community engagement process initiated through YCCF’s Sustainable Energy Fund. Beginning in 2021, community leaders representing business, education, government, nonprofit organizations, and environmental interests participated in workshops and stakeholder interviews to determine the greatest opportunity to advance sustainability in York County.

Throughout the process, one recommendation consistently emerged as the community’s highest priority: establishing a dedicated sustainability coordinator to connect existing efforts and help move collaborative initiatives forward.

Founded in Lancaster County in 2021, RegenAll is a nonprofit organization that identifies and implements local climate solutions through collaboration, education, and community engagement. After developing programs and resiliency efforts in Lancaster County, RegenAll was awarded a grant in 2025 to explore expanding its model into York County through community workshops and events that helped shape this initiative.

Supported by the RegenAll team, the sustainability coordinator will lead efforts to develop a countywide Community Resilience Plan centered on five key areas: Energy Independence, Food Security, Carbon Neutrality, Ecological Regeneration, and Thriving Communities. The position will also coordinate community engagement opportunities, including Carbon Neutral Coffee, Green Drinks, resilience workshops, and partnerships that convene residents, businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, and local governments around shared sustainability goals.

“We are deeply grateful to the York County Community Foundation for their partnership and shared vision for York County’s future,” said RegenAll Executive Director Alessandra DeJesus Restrepo. “Creating this full-time sustainability coordinator position enables RegenAll to turn community-driven goals into lasting, impactful action across the county.”

The initiative is expected to engage some 1,500 residents over the three-year grant period through workshops, community events, advisory committee participation, and collaborative planning activities.