UES Boosts Community Impact Through Bigger, Better Grants Program

UniSource Energy Services (UES) will award $80,000 this year to help local nonprofit groups improve education, protect our environment and expand limited-income assistance through its new Community Impact Grants.

UES Community Impact Grants are available to organizations in UES’ service areas. The expanded program replaces the company’s longstanding Grants that Make a Difference program, which provided $47,500 last year.

“We want to increase our positive impact in areas where we’ve focused our philanthropic support, including education, environmental protection and community assistance,” said David G. Hutchens, UES’ President and CEO. “We’re committed to improving the quality of life in the communities we serve.”

Application guidelines, forms and other details will be available on uesaz.com beginning Wednesday, June 1. Applications must be submitted online at uesaz.com/community by July 27 to be considered for funding. To encourage early entries, eligible nonprofit organizations that submit completed applications by 5 p.m. on June 27 – one month early – will be entered into a drawing for a $1,000 donation. Applications will be reviewed through September, and grants will be awarded this fall.

“We’re asking our community partners to think big and use UES Community Impact Grants to achieve real, measurable results that improve the lives of those in need,” Hutchens said.

Grant funds will be divided among the areas served by UES based on their population. UES will award $15,000 in Coconino County, $30,000 in Mohave County, $5,000 in Navajo County, $15,000 in Santa Cruz County and $15,000 in Yavapai County. The minimum grant request amount is $1,000.

Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations that provide services in three focus areas:

• Education. Examples of eligible programs include enrichment activities for preschool through 12th grades, payment for classroom resources and field trips, teacher assistance and science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) activities.
• Environmental Protection and Sustainability. Local or statewide programs and projects that support efforts to protect and preserve our air, land, water and habitat may qualify.
• Community Assistance. Qualifying programs provide services for limited-income families and individuals affected by homelessness, domestic violence, poverty, child abuse and substance abuse.

UES Community Impact Grants are awarded through a competitive process. Members of UES’ employee volunteer program and other stakeholders choose grant recipients by evaluating the effectiveness and sustainability of programs. Recipients must demonstrate financial and organizational stability and meet other criteria. Agencies often use their grants as matching funds to seek additional funding from other sources.

UES Community Impact Grants, like other community investments, are funded from corporate resources, not customers’ rates. UES’ sister company, Tucson Electric Power, (TEP), also has expanded grant funding for nonprofit agencies in its service territory.

UES’ award-winning community service efforts include direct contributions, in-kind services and volunteer support for local nonprofit groups. In 2015, UES and TEP contributed nearly $2 million to charitable causes. Company employees also joined their friends and family in contributing 25,000 volunteer hours to hundreds of nonprofit groups.

UES provides electric service to approximately 93,000 customers in Mohave and Santa Cruz counties. The company also provides natural gas to approximately 150,000 customers in northern and southern Arizona. To learn more, visit uesaz.com. UES, TEP and their parent company, UNS Energy, are subsidiaries of Fortis Inc., which owns utilities that serve more than 3 million customers across Canada and in the United States and the Caribbean. To learn more, visit fortisinc.com.

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