Institute for Local Self Reliance, Inc.

For over 50 years, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) has been at the forefront of advancing policies and models that support locally driven economies accountable to people and the planet. 

These unprecedented times marked by skyrocketing costs of living, extreme corporate concentration, federal disinvestment in critical programs, growing political division, and weakening democracy call for a transformative approach that ILSR is uniquely positioned to deliver based on our decades of experience in revealing systemic patterns, developing actionable solutions, and applying these solutions directly in and for the benefit of communities. While others profit from division, ILSR seeks to shift the narrative to one that promotes community connections, solutions, and ownership. These local strategies support resilience in the face of federal chaos and funding cuts to clean energy, connectivity, and other essential services.

This year, despite shifting federal priorities, ILSR’s support, training, and resources helped communities shape their own clean energy futures, expand community composting programs, access affordable Internet service, and maintain vibrant independent businesses. Our work continued to demonstrate how local action can solve national problems, building community resilience from the ground up. Here are some highlights:

• We released the Public Power Handbook, a guide built by and for advocates for municipal takeovers of utility companies. It explains every step of the process, from feasibility studies to ballot campaigns to the common sources of resistance. This handbook represents the collective wisdom of over a dozen public power campaigns and serves as a critical resource for those wanting to hold their incumbent utility companies accountable.
• We released our new Local Energy Policy Toolkit. Designed for lawmakers and advocates, the toolkit includes resources like model policies, case studies, and practical steps to use local government to promote local clean energy and hold monopoly utilities accountable.
• For his decades of work in and extraordinary contributions to solar energy adoption, ILSR's Co-Executive Director and Energy Democracy Initiative Director, John Farrell, was honored with the Minnesota Solar Energy Industry Association's Melissa Hortman Lifetime Achievement Award. 
• Amid declining federal support for climate action and environmental justice, we launched the second year of our Composting for Community Mini-Grant Program, awarding a total of $363,000 to build the capacity of 37 composting projects led by or serving historically underserved communities. 
• Our new Digital Opportunity Lab offered hands-on programming to support digital equity coalitions and local community leaders in Texas in solving internet connectivity challenges. We also continued to foster digital sovereignty with new Tribal Broadband Bootcamps in Michigan, Washington, California, and New Mexico, teaching 175 participants how to build broadband networks and fostering connections that provide ongoing support.
• As federal antitrust enforcement slows under this administration, we helped states take the reins in the fight against monopolies. In January, we hosted a virtual event with Attorneys General Keith Ellison (MN) and Kris Mayes (AZ), emphasizing states’ vital role in tackling corporate concentration. With this in mind, we published a new collection of state antitrust resources in April, including an issue brief and summary fact sheet detailing how states can use existing tools to safeguard communities from monopoly abuses. We also created an interactive map and database, identifying the most significant opportunities for reform in each state, accompanied by specific, actionable policy solutions.
• We nurtured the movement ecosystem by strengthening existing networks and building new partnerships. Our Community Composter Coalition grew to over 400 members across 48 states. We also continued to activate the Small Business Rising coalition, with 40 partner organizations — representing over 300,000 small businesses — taking 140 advocacy actions over the year to level the playing field for independent businesses.

To learn more about what we’ve accomplished and where we’re headed, take a look at our Annual Reports. 

Please help us expand our impact and support the movement for healthy, equitable, and self-reliant communities by making a donation to ILSR. 

You can also donate by mailing a check to: Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 2720 E. 22nd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55406