St. Cloud’s Avivo Awarded $15,000 Grant for Energy Efficiency Planning

(KNSI) – A St. Cloud organization that serves people facing homelessness is getting help planning for a more energy-efficient future.

Avivo’s St. Cloud location has been awarded a $15,000 grant from the Initiative Foundation’s Energy & Community Resiliency Planning Grant program. The funding will support planning for upgrades to heating, cooling and other building systems. Organizers say the improvements are expected to lower operating costs, create a more comfortable space for clients and free up more resources for the organization’s core mission of serving people experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

The Avivo grant is part of a larger, $67,100 round of funding the Initiative Foundation announced for six organizations across central Minnesota. The grants are meant to help nonprofits and government units plan for energy efficiency, clean energy and disaster resilience, laying the groundwork for future improvements rather than funding construction directly.

Beyond Avivo, five other organizations received funding in this round:

Annandale Care Center, Wright County: $3,600 to audit campus-wide energy usage and plan efficiency improvements aimed at lowering costs and keeping operations running during extreme weather for the senior care facility.

Boys & Girls Club of Central Minnesota, Little Falls, Morrison County: $7,000 to upgrade exterior lighting with high-efficiency LED fixtures and smart controls, improving safety for youth and families during after-school and evening programming.

Chisago Lakes Joint Sewage Treatment Commission, Chisago County: $11,500 to develop a disaster recovery plan for the regional wastewater treatment system serving six Chisago County communities, identifying risks and response procedures to speed recovery after emergencies.

Friends of Frog Tree Farm, Menahga, Wadena County: $15,000 to develop a community resilience and energy plan for its rural campus, exploring clean energy options and emergency shelter capabilities.

Rural Renewable Energy Alliance, Backus, Cass County: $15,000 to expand renewable energy while supporting hands-on workforce training, advancing small-scale solar installations and helping prepare the next generation of clean energy professionals.

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