Fresh Energy
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SHAPE AND DRIVE BOLD POLICY SOLUTIONS TO ACHIEVE EQUITABLE CARBON-NEUTRAL ECONOMIES.
- Income
- $7.1 million
- Spending
- $7.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- 4.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 98%
- Employees
- 43
- Volunteers
- 16
- Highest pay
- $260,216, executive director (until jan 2025)
Source: Form 990 for the year ending January 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 24% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending January 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending January 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (6)
- $2.0 million spent. ENERGY TRANSITION: ANALYSIS MAKES IT CLEAR: TO TURN THE TIDE ON CLIMATE CHANGE, WE MUST NOT ONLY GENERATE ELECTRICITY WITHOUT CARBON, WE MUST REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM OUR ENTIRE ECONOMY. FRESH ENERGY IS USING MULTIPLE STRATEGIES TO SPEED AN ECONOMYWIDE TRANSITION, DOUBLING DOWN ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, USING CLEAN ELECTRICITY INSTEAD OF FOSSIL FUELS, AND MAKING DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT. OUR MAJOR ENERGY TRANSITION PRIORITIES INCLUDE: CLEAN TRANSPORTATION - WITH A FOCUS ON TRANSITIONING FROM POLLUTING VEHICLES TO CLEAN ELECTRIC CARS AND BUSES. IN ADDITION TO SPURRING POLICY CHANGE, SUCH AS CLEAN CARS MINNESOTA, TO INCREASE ACCESS TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WE CONDUCT EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY AT THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO ENSURE THE ELECTRIC GRID IS READY FOR TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION THAT BENEFITS ALL CONSUMERS. BUILDING PERFORMANCE - INCLUDING SHAPING MINNESOTA'S BUILDING CODE AND OTHER POLICY SOLUTIONS, LEADING MARKET TRANSFORMATION AND EDUCATION, AND ADVOCATING FOR PROOF-OF CONCEPT MODELS THAT DEMONSTRATE STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING EQUITABLE BENEFITS WHILE MOVING TOWARD CARBON-NEUTRAL BUILDINGS. MINNESOTA BUILDING DECARBONIZATION COALITION - AN ACTIVE COALITION INCUBATED BY FRESH ENERGY THAT NOW INCLUDES MORE THAN 200 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE REGION SHARING INFORMATION AND STRATEGY ON STATE-BASED PROJECTS; MULTIPLE INITIATIVES AT THE INTERSECTION OF HEALTH, EQUITY, AND DECARBONIZATION OF THE BUILDINGS SECTOR; AND AN EQUITY-CENTERED SUB-GRANTING PROGRAM THAT IS BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL GROUPS TO ENGAGE ON THIS ISSUE. GAS DECARBONIZATION - A VITAL NEW INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON TRANSITIONING AWAY FROM GAS FOR BUILDINGS AND INDUSTRY IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS CONSUMERS, IMPROVES INDOOR AIR QUALITY, AND REDUCES CARBON EMISSIONS. THANKS TO THE NATURAL GAS INNOVATION ACT, ACTIVELY SHAPED BY FRESH ENERGY, THERE ARE NEW OPENINGS AT THE MINNESOTA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO SCRUTINIZE GAS UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, RATES, AND PILOT PROGRAMS AND FRESH ENERGY EXPERTS ARE USING THAT FORUM TO SPEED PROGRESS.
- $1.3 million spent. ENERGY NEWS NETWORK: FRESH ENERGY'S ENERGY NEWS NETWORK IS A NATIONAL NETWORK OF NEWS SITES PROVIDING DAILY LINKS TO TOP ENERGY NEWS STORIES AND ORIGINAL REPORTING ON THE TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY. EDITORIALLY INDEPENDENT FROM FRESH ENERGY'S POLICY WORK, THE ENERGY NEWS NETWORK IS STAFFED BY PROFESSIONAL EDITORS AND A TEAM OF MORE THAN A DOZEN JOURNALISTS WHO COVER STATE-BASED STORIES IN A REGIONAL CONTEXT. OUR ENERGY NEWS LINKS AND ORIGINAL REPORTING ARE PUBLISHED THROUGH FIVE DIGESTS: U.S. ENERGY NEWS, MIDWEST ENERGY NEWS, SOUTHEAST ENERGY NEWS, NORTHEAST ENERGY NEWS, AND WESTERN ENERGY NEWS AS WELL AS CENTERED, A SEPARATE MIDWEST-FOCUSED NEWSLETTER ABOUT TECHNOLOGY'S ROLE IN FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE. THE MORE THAN 30 ORIGINAL NEWS STORIES PRODUCED BY ENERGY NEWS NETWORK REPORTERS EACH MONTH SHINE A LIGHT ON STORIES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNREPORTED, AND OUR JOURNALISM IS REGULARLY REPUBLISHED OR QUOTED IN TRADE PUBLICATIONS, TRADITIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS, AND IN OTHER ARENAS. OUR EDITORIAL STAFF WORKS TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN STORIES COVERED AND PEOPLE QUOTED ON ENERGY AND WE HAVE A NEW DETROIT EQUITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PLANET DETROIT AND THE DETROIT EQUITY ACTION LAB, CREATING A MODEL. THE ENERGY NEWS NETWORK IS A MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE FOR NONPROFIT NEWS AND OUR NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA EXPERTS PROVIDES KEY GUIDANCE.
- $706,424 spent. ACCELERATION FUND: ACCELERATION FUND WAS DEVELOPED TO FURTHER ACCELERATE THE MISSION OF FRESH ENERGY TO SHAPE AND DRIVE BOLD POLICY SOLUTIONS TO ACHEIVE EQUITABLE CARBON-NEUTRAL ECONOMIES.
- $345,473 spent. ENERGY ACCESS AND EQUITY:FRESH ENERGY IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY BENEFITS ALL. EQUITY IS A CONSIDERATION IN OUR WORK ACROSS PROGRAMS AND WITHIN OUR INTERNAL OPERATIONS. WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF PROGRAMMATIC INITIATIVES UNDERWAY WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON EQUITY, INCLUDING SERVING AS CO-LEAD OF THE MINNESOTA MULTIFAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING ENERGY NETWORK (MMAHEN), WHICH CONNECTS BUILDING OWNERS, RENTERS, HOUSING AND ENERGY ADVOCATES, FINANCING ENTITIES, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND OTHERS TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND OTHER MULTIFAMILY HOUSING. IN MULTIPLE STATE AND NATIONAL FORUMS, WE ALSO SHAPE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM DESIGN, ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WEATHERIZATION INVESTMENTS, AND OTHER INITIATIVES TO REDUCE THE ENERGY BURDEN ON UNDER-RESOURCED HOUSEHOLDS. ACCESS AND EQUITY ARE ALSO CENTRAL ELEMENTS OF OUR CLEAN TRANSPORTATION WORK TO ELECTRIFY TRANSIT AND SCHOOL BUSES.
- $626,101 spent. CLEAN ELECTRICITY:GENERATING ELECTRICITY WITHOUT CARBON POLLUTION IS A CRUCIAL STEP TOWARD A CARBON-NEUTRAL FUTURE, AND FRESH ENERGY IS WORKING HARD TO LOCK IN A 90% CARBON FREE ELECTRIC SYSTEM BY 2025. THROUGH ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT AT THE MINNESOTA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, STATE LEGISLATURE, AND OTHER DECISION-MAKING VENUES, FRESH ENERGY IS WORKING TO END RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUEL, DRAMATICALLY INCREASE RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY GENERATION, AND MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY WITH LOAD MANAGEMENT AND OTHER STRATEGIES. AS A RESULT OF OUR EFFORTS, COAL PLANTS ARE CLOSING OR RUNNING LESS OFTEN, UTILITIES ARE MAKING HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN MORE EFFICIENT SYSTEMS, UTILITY CUSTOMERS HAVE NEW RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY CHOICES, AND WIND, SOLAR, AND BATTERY STORAGE ARE AN INCREASING PART OF MINNESOTA'S ENERGY SYSTEM. BECAUSE A LARGE-SCALE ENERGY TRANSITION WILL REQUIRE A STRONG, MODERN ELECTRIC GRID, FRESH ENERGY IS ALSO WORKING TO SECURE TRANSMISSION FOR INCREASED RENEWABLES ACROSS THE REGION, AND A DISTRIBUTION GRID THAT SUPPORTS CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
- $518,032 spent. PUBLIC AFFAIRS:AS A POLICY ORGANIZATION, FRESH ENERGY DRIVES CHANGE IN MULTIPLE DECISION-MAKING FORUMS INCLUDING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE AND WITH OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION. OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT PROVIDES EXPERT LEADERSHIP ON POLICY-MAKER EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND COALITION WORK WITH PARTNERS ACROSS THE STATE. IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT ALSO OPERATES A GROWING ACTION NETWORK THAT EQUIPS THE PUBLIC TO WEIGH IN ON CLIMATE AND ENERGY DECISION MAKING.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending January 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending January 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1992.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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