SHOW NOTES:
What if your charitable dollars could come back to you — and you could send them right back out into the world to do even more good? That's the elegant premise behind Renewables.org, the first nonprofit that lets everyday people fund solar projects across India and the Global South for as little as $25, with monthly repayments over five years. Host Dr. Laura Scherck Wittcoff sits down with co-founder and CEO Lassor Feasley to explore how a background in product design, a failed for-profit startup, and a connection with Kiva.org co-founder Premal Shah led to one of the most innovative climate finance models in the nonprofit world.
Guest
Lassor Feasley, Co-Founder & CEO, Renewables.org
Lassor is a product designer and entrepreneur trained at the School of Visual Arts Product Design program. He leads product, brand, and strategy at Renewables.org, channeling philanthropic capital into high-performing solar installations that expand energy access while reducing carbon emissions.
What is Renewables.org?
Renewables.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Global South solar crowdfunding platform. Here is how it works:
- You purchase a solar panel for as little as $25
- Your funds are deployed into solar projects across the Global South
- You receive monthly repayments over five years
- You can reinvest those repayments into new solar projects or withdraw your funds
- Every panel is tracked on a personal rooftop dashboard where you can monitor repayments and your real-world impact
Over 95% of repaid funds are reinvested back into Global South solar.
Key Topics Covered
Why the Global South?
- Solar costs approximately one-third as much to build in the Global South compared to the US or Europe
- Each kilowatt-hour fed onto the grid avoids 2 to 3 times more carbon because those grids run heavily on coal and diesel
- Projects receive, on average, 20% more sunshine per year
- The result: Renewables.org estimates 550% more carbon impact per dollar compared to investing in US solar — a figure Lassor believes is actually conservative
The financial model
Renewables.org operates on a 0% interest loan model, similar to Kiva. Investors are made whole but do not earn a financial return. This structure avoids securities regulations while keeping the model sustainable. The spread between what Renewables.org borrows from investors at 0% and what it charges solar developers funds the organization's operating costs — meaning they do not plan ever to solicit donations for salaries or administration.
The donor option
Investors can also choose to make a tax-deductible donation into the fund. Donors receive the same dashboard experience and see their funds being repaid and redeployed, but the withdrawal option is removed. Renewables.org also accepts contributions from donor-advised funds, IRA minimum distributions, and offers employer matching compatibility.
Design as a competitive advantage
Lassor's background in product and UX design shaped every aspect of Renewables.org — from the financial model itself to the user interface and dashboard experience. He draws a parallel to how Instagram was built by tapping into a latent behavior Facebook users were already exhibiting, and applies the same thinking to the satisfaction people get from tracking their solar productivity.
What's next
Renewables.org is preparing a major software platform redesign, enabled in part by new AI coding tools. Upcoming features include the ability for climate influencers and fundraisers to open personal crowdfunding pages to rally their own communities around Global South solar. The long-term vision is to reach Kiva-scale — tens or hundreds of millions of dollars raised annually — and catalyze solar development across the Global South.
How to Get Involved
- Invest: Purchase your first solar panel for as little as $25 at renewables.org
- Donate: Make a tax-deductible donation through the Renewables donor account option
- Employer Match: Check if your employer matches charitable contributions
- Connect with Lassor: Reach him at lassor@renewables.org or search "Lassor" on LinkedIn or Instagram
Connect with Small & Gutsy
If you are a nonprofit or want to donate goods directly to a nonprofit, check out Givelink:
- www.https://givelink.app/en?
