How This Power Company Spreads Its Support Around Georgia

Did you know that Georgia Power is the fourth-largest corporate funder in the state in terms of giving? This is a company that’s help to support well over 1,800 organizations and awards grants to local groups throughout the state each year.  

The Georgia Power Foundation is more of an education funder than anything else, providing around 33.5 percent of its total grants to this cause in a recent year. Over $5 million has been going to education causes annually to organizations like the Ron Clark Academy, the University System of Georgia Foundation, and Berry College. The big education focuses with this funder tend to be statewide policy, workforce recruitment, and local education programs. There’s also been a lot of support going towards the funder’s New Teacher Grant Program.

But education aside, we’re also looking at some of Georgia Power’s recent health grantmaking because this seems to be a growing area of interest. It’s easy to write off possible opportunities with the corporate funder’s health program since most past support has gone to the United Way and the Salvation Army's Project SHARE Program. But just recently, the foundation showed its support for hospice care, to the tune of $10,000.

The foundation awarded this grant to the South Georgia Medical Center to benefit Hospice of South Georgia and Langdale Hospice House. Hospice care is often an overlooked area of funding among health-focused foundations, which is why this one particular grant caught our eye. But in fact, the power company has a long history of giving to Langdale Place, the Pearlman Cancer Center, the Langdale Hospice House, and the Dasher Heart Center & Patient Tower.

“As Valdosta’s only not-for-profit hospice, this type of community support is vital to our mission,” Hospice Executive Director Susan Bowden said. “We pride ourselves in providing patients and families comfort and dignity during one of the most difficult times of their life, regardless of their ability to pay."

In addition to education and health, the Georgia Power Foundation also supports environment, civic and community, and arts and culture programs. Yearly support for the environment has been just shy of $3 million and gone to groups like the Atlanta Fulton County Zoo and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Civic & community support has been a little over $2 million per year and gone to groups like the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Arts and culture tends to be the lowest funded category, and past support has gone to the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation and the Augusta Symphony.

To learn more about this funder, including how to apply for a grant, check out IP’s full profile of the Georgia Power Foundation in our Southeast section.

Related: Georgia Power Foundation