Duke Energy Foundation encourages grant requests to fund programs that preserve, enhance South Carolina's natural places

GREENVILLE, S.C., May 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As summer quickly approaches and thoughts turn from staying at home to enjoying the great outdoors, the Duke Energy Foundation invites South Carolina nonprofit organizations focused on preserving and promoting our natural world to apply for grant funding to support these efforts.

In addition to the focus on preserving nature and habitats, the Foundation is also announcing a portion of its funding will be earmarked for public park and trail enhancements. Now through July 31, the Foundation encourages qualified nonprofit and government entities to submit requests up to $10,000 for funding of projects such as trail upkeep and maintenance; park beautification; and safety enhancements.

"People are looking for mental and physical outlets in a social-distanced world and are using natural environments like parks and trails for exercise and relaxation," said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy's South Carolina president. "With more and more people enjoying these public spaces, we think it's important to work alongside our community partners to ensure our communities can enjoy these beautiful places around us for years to come."

In addition to the focus on parks and trails, grant requests will also be considered from South Carolina organizations to fund environmental projects, wildlife and habitat conservation efforts and projects focused on water quality across Duke Energy's footprint. 

Organizations interested in applying for these grants should visit the Foundation website.

The Foundation funds more than $2 million annually to nonprofit organizations in South Carolina. In addition, the Foundation has focused on ways to assist customers and communities with more than $400,000 in direct COVID-19 relief in the Palmetto State. These funds support hunger relief, local health and human services, education initiatives and bill assistance for low-income customers.

Duke Energy Foundation

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation contributes more than $30 million annually in charitable gifts and is funded by Duke Energy shareholder dollars. More information about the Foundation and its Powerful Communities program can be found at duke-energy.com/foundation. 

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2020 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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SOURCE Duke Energy