Southwest Initiative Foundation's Offerings

The Southwest Initiative Foundation is committed to advancing and accelerating the adoption of renewable energy technologies in the 18-county southwest region by providing leadership and resources.  The Foundation offers the following: 

Renewable Energy Marketplace™ Communication Grants

Purpose: To speak and market with a unified voice for the region's renewable energy opportunities.

Renewable Energy Marketplace™ Project Grants

Purpose:  To provide partial funding of demonstration projects for renewable energy to communities or nonprofit organizations to help defray the costs of the demonstration projects.

Renewable Energy Loans

Purpose:  To provide financial assistance to help finance renewable energy projects.

For more information about a loan and how to apply, please contact Josh Gehlen, Southwest Initiative Foundation business credit officer, at (800) 594-9480, (320) 587-4848 or via e-mail at joshg@swifoundation.org.

Renewable Energy Marketplace™ Education Workshops

Purpose:  To educate and share hands-on experience on how renewable energy projects can be done in the region.

Workshops to date include:

• "Renewable Energy:  The Potential and Economic Opportunity" April 2005
• "Southwest MN Community Wind Financing Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota, June 2005

Renewable Energy Marketplace™ Regional Meetings

Purpose: To ensure that the private and public sectors are supporting the advancement of renewable energy in the region.

To convene business leaders throughout the region so that the private sector drives the renewable energy commerce center in the region.

To convene policy makers, elected officials, economic development professionals in the region to ensure the building blocks exist to help expand the renewable energy commerce center.