Every drop counts. The folks at Indiana American Water are committed to protecting the environment and finding ways to use this precious resource wisely. Working to bring water and wastewater services to customers, Indiana American Water strives to help prevent pollution, promote sustainability and enhance the natural environment.
Established in 1886, American Water is the largest water and wastewater utility company in the nation. It employs more than 6,400 employees who provide water and wastewater services to some 14 million people in 24 states, including Indiana.
American Water operates on the values of safety, trust, environmental leadership, teamwork, and high performance. It strives to not just meet, but exceed the environmental expectations of stakeholders and provide solutions to water and wastewater challenges.
“We are stewards of the communities we serve, and we are proud of the role we play in protecting our environment,” said Joe Loughmiller, manager, External Affairs.
Since 2012, the American Water Charitable Foundation has invested $12 million in funding through grants and matching gifts that are important to the company's employees and its communities. Its mission is to demonstrate American Water's commitment to being a good neighbor and contributing to the communities where employees live, work, and operate. Each year, the company continues to expand and strengthen its community partnerships, furthering the charitable arm in communities served by American Water.
“In our mission to demonstrate American Water’s commitment to the communities it serves, we align our grantmaking to American Water’s values,” Loughmiller said. “Our charitable focus to Keep Communities Flowing empowers our employees to get involved and our communities to learn how every drop counts.”
The Keep Communities Flowing grant program was developed in 2019, by the charitable arm of American Water Company, called American Water Charitable Foundation. The goal of the foundation is to support employees in their charitable endeavors, provide support for targeted disaster relief efforts, and provide funding for other initiatives relating to clean water, conservation, education, and community sustainability.
Keep Communities Flowing provides grants of up to $20,000 to support public charities that connect with American Water’s core focuses:
Water and the Environment
Water and Healthy Living
Environmental Education
Community Sustainability
Applicants must be classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or K-12 public schools, colleges, or universities. The organization must either operate within or directly benefit an American Water service area. In addition, grantees for this program need to have a local American Water sponsor and are selected based on criteria including clarity of project goals and projected impact, innovation and strength of the project, and evidence of community and volunteer engagement.
Organizations meeting these requirements (for a complete listing, click here) are invited to apply online through the American Water Charitable Foundation’s grant system. Paper applications are not accepted.
For grant applications directly related to Water and Environment, the grant cycle is April 1-June 30. Grant decisions are announced by August 15.
For grant applications directly relating to Workforce Readiness and STEM Education, the grant cycle is July 1-September 30. Grant decisions are announced by November 15.
Due to the volume of grant applications received, each application is evaluated on a competitive basis. American Water Charitable Foundation strives to fund programs with a strong impact and measurable outcomes within its funding priorities. Applications are reviewed by foundation staff and/or an employee grant-review committee for recommendation to the board of trustees.
For additional information regarding the Keep Communities Flowing grant program, contact awcf@amwater.com. Follow the American Water https://www.facebook.com/weareamericanwater/ and American Water Charitable Foundation on Twitter: @AmWaterFoundation
