Michigan Nonprofits Receive $2.8 Million in Contributions in 2008 From Consumers Energy, Its Employees and Retirees, and the Uti
16 February 2009 - 10:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
JACKSON, Mich., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan nonprofit
organizations received $2.8 million in contributions in 2008 from
Consumers Energy, its employees and retirees, and the utility's
philanthropic arm, the Consumers Energy Foundation. The United Way
was the largest single recipient with $1.7 million contributed to
58 local United Way organizations. Foundation and corporate grants
totaling more than $1.1 million were awarded to 754 projects. The
company's giving programs focus on education, health care, social
welfare, culture and the arts, community and civic activities, and
the environment. The Consumers Energy Foundation's Volunteer
Investment Program awarded grants totaling $201,000 to 401
organizations on behalf of 495 employees and retirees. The grants
recognize outstanding volunteerism. "Consumers Energy and its
employees have been part of Michigan and the communities and
neighborhoods we serve for more than 120 years. The Volunteer
Investment Program grants reflect the commitment that our employees
and retirees have to help others and improve our communities. Those
grants are based on more than 34,000 hours of personal time devoted
to worthwhile nonprofit groups around the state," said David
Mengebier, president of the Consumers Energy Foundation. Mengebier
is also the senior vice president of governmental and public
affairs for Consumers Energy and the chief compliance officer for
the utility and its parent company, CMS Energy. The Consumers
Energy Foundation's Matching Gifts program also provided nearly
$98,000 to match employee and retiree donations to 41 higher
educational institutions, 17 community foundations, and 36 food
banks and food pantries across the state. Notable 2008 foundation
grants included: -- $90,000 to the Cranbrook Institute of Science
for a watershed education program for students in the Bay City,
Saginaw and Midland area -- $50,000 to Western Michigan
University's Michigan Geological Repository for Research and
Education for the "Core Kids" K-12 earth science educational
outreach program -- $25,000 to the Detroit Educational Television
Foundation, supporting a new mobile production truck and the
digital conversion of equipment and facilities -- $20,000 to the
YMCA of Metropolitan Lansing, supporting facilities improvements at
the Oak Park Branch in west Lansing -- $20,000 to the Lake Huron
Council of the Boy Scouts of America for construction of a high
adventure and outdoor education zip line course at the Paul Bunyan
Scout Reservation in Rose City -- $20,000 to BaySail for
construction of the Saginaw Bay Environmental Education Center on
the Saginaw River in Bay City -- $15,000 to the Kalamazoo
Department of Public Safety for development of a Kalamazoo Regional
Police and Fire Training Center -- $15,000 to Kalamazoo Communities
in Schools supporting the implementation of integrated support
services for Kalamazoo Public Schools students -- $15,000 to
Greater Midland Community Centers supporting completion of wellness
trails -- $15,000 to the Food Bank of South Central Michigan to
purchase a forklift for use in its warehouse -- $15,000 to the
Keystone Center for a Youth Policy Summit on greenhouse gas
reductions in Michigan and Climate Status Investigations teacher
training institute to be held in the spring of 2009 at Western
Michigan University in Kalamazoo -- $10,000 to the Owosso Community
Players to reconstruct and rehabilitate the historic Lebowsky
Center in downtown Owosso -- $10,000 to the American Red Cross
Mid-Michigan Chapter for a disaster response vehicle -- $10,000 to
the Kentwood Public Library for the construction of a new library
facility -- $10,000 to Montcalm Community College for construction
of a new life sciences facility -- $6,000 to the Saginaw Basin Land
Conservancy for educational outreach efforts supporting wetlands
preservation and land conservation within the Saginaw Bay Watershed
The Consumers Energy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of
Consumers Energy. It provides funding for a variety of areas
including education, community and civic development, culture and
the arts, social services, the environment, and emerging issues.
For more information about the Consumers Energy Foundation, visit
its website at: http://www.consumersenergy.com/foundation Consumers
Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural
gas and electricity to nearly 6.5 million of Michigan's 10 million
residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. For more information
about Consumers Energy, visit our Website at
http://www.consumersenergy.com/ DATASOURCE: Consumers Energy
CONTACT: Jeff Holyfield, +1-517-788-2394, or Dan Bishop,
+1-517-788-2395, both of Consumers Energy Web Site:
http://www.consumersenergy.com/
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