Local Energy Gives Back, Locally

We recently discussed some of the ways local energy providers work to support local communities by participating in an array of community-focused projects and initiatives.

By getting involved with the communities in which they operate—and where their employees live, work, and play—local providers like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy are helping to help advance and secure a brighter future for all Michiganders.

Today, we want to take some time to recognize some other ways local providers are giving back to help support everything from good old summertime fun to wildlife restoration and environmental education to economic and neighborhood development in communities across the state.

Here’s a quick rundown of some community-focused events and initiatives made possible by the support and participation of local energy providers:

• The DTE Energy Foundation Community Giving Program contributed $10,000 to help sponsor the Sterlingfest Art and Music Fair in Sterling Heights, Michigan, which was held in late July. Together with AT&T—which provided another $10,000—the support helped give the annual festival a significant boost. Founded as a pilot program in 2017, the Community Giving Program is “designed to bring local communities together and highlight the importance of supporting community centered events.”
• Two other local Michigan festivals received significant help thanks to the DTE Energy Foundation Community Giving Program. The program awarded a $5,000 grant to support the 40^th annual Dearborn Homecoming Festival, which took place just earlier this month. And the P. State Fair of Michigan, held August 12 – 18, received another $2,500 grant, underscoring “the significance of supporting organizations who host events that are so integral to the local economy.”
• Fenner Conservancy—an environmental education site and 134-acre nature preserve—received $10,000 from the Consumers Energy Foundation “to support the construction of…the Susan and Jack Davis Nature Pavillion,” a new building that will act as the “centerpiece” of a multi-year, community-wide effort to restore a large tract of previously barren land and attract new wildlife. The new center will quadruple the conservancy’s “capacity for environmental education programming and offering additional opportunities for community gatherings.”
• The Consumers Energy Foundation also put out a call earlier this month for nonprofits across the state to apply for economic- and community-development grants. The Foundation has committed to providing $500,000 through its first-ever Prosperity Awards, with nonprofits eligible to receive up to $250,000 each. To be qualify for an award, projects must fall under one of three categories of economic development: neighborhood revitalization, entrepreneurship, and arts and culture.

Whether it’s supporting summer events that provide a little fun while boosting local economies, advancing environmental efforts, or spurring community-development, local energy providers aren’t afraid of rolling up their sleeves to get involved and help give back.