Community Partnership Report - Giving Back to Our Communities
In 2008, UniSource Energy Services contributed more than $360,000 to Arizona communities through donations, low-income assistance, volunteerism and other efforts.
UES employees joined their friends and family to contribute more than 9,300 hours to more than 130 nonprofit agencies in our service areas.
UES' corporate philanthropy and employee volunteerism help Arizona‘s nonprofit agencies improve the quality of life for all in our communities.
The most current information about UES contributions and grant guidelines is available here. Agencies are encouraged to view the eligibility criteria to determine how UES can help.
Grants That Make a Difference
A $5,000 grant form UES helped Havasu for Youth create "You Go Girl" and "Wise Guys," after-school programs that offer yoga classes (above) and many other activities for middle school students in Lake Havasu City.
Philanthropy in Arizona has changed dramatically in the past few years. As nonprofit agencies have proliferated, the competition for resources has intensified.
In an effort to help as many organizations as possible, UES adopted the Grants That Make a Difference (GTMD) program, a competitive grants process for nonprofit agencies that serve at-risk persons in our service territories. The goal is to encourage collaboration of program services and to leverage resources as effectively as possible.
Every service territory has a local committee of employee volunteers that select grant recipients. UniSource Energy provides free grant-writing workshops to increase the fundraising capacities of the nonprofit agencies that are so essential to our communities’ health and well-being.
In 2008, UES awarded more than $48,000 to nonprofit agencies across Arizona through the annual Grants that Make a Difference program.
Recipients were chosen by leaders of UES’ award-winning employee volunteer program. Grants were awarded $20,050 to six agencies in Mohave County, $6,000 to five agencies in Santa Cruz County, $10,000 to four agencies in Yavapai County and $12,500 to seven agencies in Coconino and Navajo counties. The funds will help these groups provide guidance and unique educational opportunities to young people, feed hungry families and assist victims of crime.
Volunteering: Community Action Team (CAT)
UES' corporate volunteer program, the Community Action Team (CAT), is recognized as one of the most effective employee volunteer programs in the country.
UES employees are encouraged to devote their time to the causes closest to their heart. This support is enabled through support from the community relations staff and volunteer leadership grants. While one CAT volunteer might choose to pound nails for Habitat for Humanity, another might opt to serve on an agency’s board of directors. The company supports these efforts with charitable funding to the agency and organizational support for volunteer projects.
Our employees’ dedication to community service has attracted nationwide acclaim. In 2006, UniSource Energy received the National Corporate Advocate of the Year award from the National Child Welfare League in recognition of our support for Arizona’s children and families.
