SEF Blog

Katrina Laubach
Marketing Manager
Regenerative Energy Initiative:
610.264.4440
[email protected]
 

Community Bike Works Named Winner of Regenerative Energy Initiative’s 4th Nonprofit Energy Makeover Contest

SCHNECKSVILLE, PA., August 24. 2026 – Regenerative Energy Initiative is pleased to announce Community Bike Works of Allentown as the winner of its 4th Nonprofit Energy Makeover Contest. The organization will receive $100,000 toward energy improvements as it renovates a new facility designed to better support its programs and the young people it serves.

Community Bike Works was selected from three finalists following comprehensive Level II energy assessments conducted by Regenerative Energy Initiative’s technical team. Each finalist demonstrated a strong commitment to its community and provided an opportunity to explore how energy and building improvements could further support its work. Following completion of the assessment process, Community Bike Works was selected to receive the 2026 Nonprofit Energy Makeover.

The award comes at an opportune time for Community Bike Works as the organization renovates a new Allentown facility to better meet the needs of its programs and participants. Through the Nonprofit Energy Makeover, Regenerative Energy Initiative’s $100,000 investment will help elevate planned improvements to a higher level of energy performance.

Rather than replacing investments Community Bike Works is already making in its renovation, the Nonprofit Energy Makeover will help the organization pursue higher-performing options. For example, where Community Bike Works is already investing in necessary improvements such as new windows and insulation, Regenerative Energy Initiative’s funding can help cover the additional cost of upgrading to options such as more energy-efficient windows and enhanced insulation that can further reduce energy loss. Making these investments during the renovation provides an opportunity to improve the building’s energy performance from the beginning, creating benefits that can extend well beyond the initial project.

“Community Bike Works is already making a significant investment in creating a new home for its programs and this project gives us an opportunity to build on that investment,” said John Costlow, President and CEO of Regenerative Energy Initiative. “By helping take necessary building improvements to a higher level of energy performance, we can make an investment today that can provide lasting benefits for the organization, the young people it serves and the building itself.”

Community Bike Works teaches life lessons through bicycles, providing young people with opportunities to learn, build relationships with mentors and develop skills through bicycle mechanics, cycling and leadership programs. Its new facility will provide a space better suited to supporting those programs and the organization’s continued work.

Regenerative Energy Initiative’s Nonprofit Energy Makeover Contest helps nonprofit organizations across eastern and central Pennsylvania pursue energy improvements that can be difficult to prioritize when resources must also support their immediate programs and services. By providing funding for higher-performing energy solutions, the program helps nonprofits invest in their buildings while preserving more of their resources for their missions.

This project also demonstrates how regenerative energy investments can build upon work that is already underway. By helping Community Bike Works go beyond baseline improvements during its renovation, Regenerative Energy Initiative is helping create a facility designed to use resources more effectively and support the organization’s work for years to come.

This marks Regenerative Energy Initiative’s fourth Nonprofit Energy Makeover project.

To learn more about the Nonprofit Energy Makeover Contest and view previous projects, visit:
https://regenerativeenergyinitiative.org/nonprofit-energy-makeover/

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About Community Bike Works

Community Bike Works teaches life lessons through bicycles. Through Earn a Bike, Junior Earn a Bike and other cycling, mentoring and leadership programs, the organization provides young people across the Lehigh Valley with opportunities to build relationships with mentors, develop life and STEAM skills, practice healthy living and become leaders in their communities.

Learn more at www.communitybikeworks.org.

About Regenerative Energy Initiative

Regenerative Energy Initiative (formerly Sustainable Energy Fund) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advancing energy systems that renew, revitalize and regenerate. Through innovative financing, education and community partnerships, the organization helps overcome financial, educational and regulatory barriers to a more resilient energy future while strengthening Pennsylvania communities. www.regenerativeenergyinitiative.org