West Virginia American Water Launches 3rd annual Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Grant Program
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Oct. 11, 2023) – West Virginia American Water announced today that applications are now being accepted for the company’s 3rd annual Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (ID&E) Grant Program. Funding through this grant program is available to support inclusion, diversity and equity initiatives for nonprofit entities in company’s service areas.
“As a leader in the business community, West Virginia American Water believes in developing strategic partnerships and providing support to events and programs that promote inclusion, diversity and equity across the Mountain State,” said Bradley Harris, external affairs manager at West Virginia American Water and American Water inclusion, diversity and equity executive council member. “By investing in ID&E initiatives, we are helping to make the communities in West Virginia more fair and friendly places to live, work and do business.”
West Virginia American Water was the first company or entity in the state to offer a program specifically dedicated to providing funding for inclusion, diversity and equity-related events, programming and initiatives. Earlier this year, West Virginia American Water was named runner-up for an American Water People Powered Award for introducing its Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Grant to the business. Since the program’s launch in 2021, the company has awarded 25 grants to organizations across the state totaling $30,000. Mission West Virginia was one of 12 recipients of last year’s program.
“Our ID&E grant from West Virginia American Water was the starting point for a new project that allowed us to help build positive racial and cultural identify for Black and biracial youth in foster and kinship care in West Virginia,” said Rachel Lester, Frameworks Director at Mission West Virginia. “Thanks to the generous grant, we were able to create and distribute Affirmation Boxes that provided Black and biracial youth with hair and skin care products, toys and other personal items that reflected their racial identity.”
West Virginia American Water’s 2023 Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Grant program will provide financial assistance to organizations seeking to develop and implement programs, training or community-related projects that aim to promote and foster inclusion and diversity in the community. The maximum grant amount is $2,500.
To qualify for a grant, the organization, project or event must:
- Be located within a West Virginia American Water's service area
- Be a new, innovative community initiative or serve as significant expansion to an existing program
- Promote inclusion, diversity and equity in the community the organization serves
- Have 501(c)(3) designation or be a government agency (including public schools)
Individuals are not eligible to receive grants. Only nonprofit organizations within West Virginia American Water’s service territory are eligible to receive funding.
Additional information and the application can be found on the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Grant Program page of the company’s website. For additional information, contact Bradley Harris, External Affairs Manager, at Bradley.Harris@amwater.com. Applications must be emailed or postmarked by Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Recipients will be notified by the end of November.
###
West Virginia American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 587,000 people. For more information, visit www.westvirginiaamwater.com and follow West Virginia American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Oct. 11, 2023) – West Virginia American Water announced today that applications are now being accepted for the company’s 3rd annual Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (ID&E) Grant Program. Funding through this grant program is available to support inclusion, diversity and equity initiatives for nonprofit entities in company’s service areas.
“As a leader in the business community, West Virginia American Water believes in developing strategic partnerships and providing support to events and programs that promote inclusion, diversity and equity across the Mountain State,” said Bradley Harris, external affairs manager at West Virginia American Water and American Water inclusion, diversity and equity executive council member. “By investing in ID&E initiatives, we are helping to make the communities in West Virginia more fair and friendly places to live, work and do business.”
West Virginia American Water was the first company or entity in the state to offer a program specifically dedicated to providing funding for inclusion, diversity and equity-related events, programming and initiatives. Earlier this year, West Virginia American Water was named runner-up for an American Water People Powered Award for introducing its Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Grant to the business. Since the program’s launch in 2021, the company has awarded 25 grants to organizations across the state totaling $30,000. Mission West Virginia was one of 12 recipients of last year’s program.
“Our ID&E grant from West Virginia American Water was the starting point for a new project that allowed us to help build positive racial and cultural identify for Black and biracial youth in foster and kinship care in West Virginia,” said Rachel Lester, Frameworks Director at Mission West Virginia. “Thanks to the generous grant, we were able to create and distribute Affirmation Boxes that provided Black and biracial youth with hair and skin care products, toys and other personal items that reflected their racial identity.”
West Virginia American Water’s 2023 Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Grant program will provide financial assistance to organizations seeking to develop and implement programs, training or community-related projects that aim to promote and foster inclusion and diversity in the community. The maximum grant amount is $2,500.
To qualify for a grant, the organization, project or event must:
- Be located within a West Virginia American Water's service area
- Be a new, innovative community initiative or serve as significant expansion to an existing program
- Promote inclusion, diversity and equity in the community the organization serves
- Have 501(c)(3) designation or be a government agency (including public schools)
Individuals are not eligible to receive grants. Only nonprofit organizations within West Virginia American Water’s service territory are eligible to receive funding.
Additional information and the application can be found on the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Grant Program page of the company’s website. For additional information, contact Bradley Harris, External Affairs Manager, at Bradley.Harris@amwater.com. Applications must be emailed or postmarked by Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Recipients will be notified by the end of November.
###
West Virginia American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 587,000 people. For more information, visit www.westvirginiaamwater.com and follow West Virginia American Water on Twitter and Facebook.