While the 40th anniversary of Earth Day approaches, one company isn’t waiting to start giving back to the community through park cleanups and donations to environmentally-based nonprofits.
Dominion Resources, a major producer and transporter of energy, will give $1.1 million to community-based environmental projects and nonprofits in 11 states where it provides services to promote Earth Day activism.
Ninety different environmental and conservation organizations will receive grants in April for projects to be completed in the following months. Most of the grants are being made through the Dominion Foundation, and others are being funded through corporate sponsorships.
In Virginia, where Dominion is the largest electricity utility, the company is provided 41 different environmental nonprofits with almost $520,000. Among the recipients were the Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy and Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Thomas F. Farrell, president and CEO of Dominion, says that the company is concerned about the ecosystem and is dedicated to contributing to environmental causes.
"Dominion’s commitment to the environment has been longstanding, as evidenced by the nearly $3.5 billion we have invested in the last decade to reduce the impact of our operations on the air, water and land," says Farrell. "We also recognize the importance of the efforts of other likeminded organizations, so we are pleased to be able to partner with them through these grants to help protect endangered species, restore wetlands, preserve forests, educate the public and support environmental outreach."
Dominion also donated $25,000 in grants for research and restoration. The projects include efforts to protect endangered species of freshwater mussels and restoring a trout stream in Virginia.
Another company that recently gave grants for Earth Day is department store Kohl’s. The company donated $2 million in grants to nonprofits and organized a corporate volunteer event working with the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee.