The Foundation awarded more than $8.6 million to nonprofit programs and initiatives focused on community vitality and education
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – May 12, 2025 – During its first grant cycle of 2025, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded more than $8.6 million in grants to 199 nonprofit organizations in Texas, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio. Grants are awarded to eligible nonprofit organizations whose primary location is in CenterPoint Energy’s service areas and have programs that support the Foundation’s giving priorities of community vitality and education.
Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation strives to be a catalyst for good in the communities CenterPoint serves by leveraging everyday opportunities and resources to increase the vibrancy of these communities.
The Foundation prioritizes programs that serve low-to-moderate income families and under-resourced communities and provide increased access to nonprofit programs and services.
“We’re proud of the impact the CenterPoint Energy Foundation continues to have in helping create positive, meaningful change in the communities we’re privileged to serve,” said June Deadrick, Vice President, Community Relations at CenterPoint Energy. “By supporting nonprofit programs that focus on community vitality and education, we’re excited to invest in making our communities more vibrant. The Foundation remains committed to initiatives enriching the lives of those living and working in communities we currently serve, while building a strong foundation for a brighter tomorrow.”
Highlights of programs funded during the first cycle of 2025 include:
Whitely Community Council (Indiana): The Whitely Community Council works toward improving the quality of life of residents living in and near the Whitely neighborhood in Muncie, Ind. The CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded a $75,000 grant to support this organization’s efforts to redevelop a neighborhood property into a hub of residential resources. The Whitely Community Council’s Resource Hub will connect low-to-moderate income families to vital services such as a walk-in health clinic, financial counseling, homeownership programs, education services and more, so the neighborhood and residents can thrive.
Tree Trust (Minnesota): Tree Trust works to transform lives and landscapes by engaging people to build skills for meaningful careers, inspiring people to plant trees and making communities greener, healthier places. Through a $20,000 grant, Tree Trust’s Learning with Trees Program will plant trees to provide students with experiential education opportunities highlighting the environmental and energy-efficiency benefits of trees, while beautifying schoolyards. Additionally, this grant will also support Tree Trust’s Summer Youth Employment program, which offers paid, entry-level summer work experience in community landscaping and construction projects.
WPCU Sunshine Community Fund (Ohio): The WPCU Sunshine Community Fund collaborates with nonprofits to support and uplift vulnerable communities through seven wellbeing building blocks, including homeownership. The CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded $75,000 to support WPCU Sunshine Community Fund’s Pathways to Homeownership program in Dayton, Ohio. This program provides homeownership opportunities to first-time, low-to-moderate income homebuyers by building new single-family homes on donated residential lots in focus neighborhoods. Prospective homeowners take courses, receive individualized coaching and prepare to become mortgage ready.
Literacy Now (Texas): Literacy Now’s mission is to empower children and families through literacy and life skills. Literacy Now provides reading readiness and reading intervention programs, parent engagement and trained volunteer mentors to contribute to children’s long-term success. The Foundation awarded $75,000 to support Literacy Now’s 2025 Reading Intervention program, providing hundreds of struggling readers from kindergarten through sixth grade throughout Greater Houston with individualized small group reading instruction aiming to create proficient readers. Students participating in the program increase their foundational reading skills on average by 150%.
The Foundation’s second grant cycle for 2025 will be open from June 16 through July 18, and all eligible organizations within CenterPoint’s electric and natural gas service areas in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas are encouraged to apply.
So you’re saying that Centerpoint over-charges people on their utilities so they can expand their corporation cost free, then tries to make a good impression by taking some of the overcharges & ‘gives’ out grants to various business ventures as a write off?