Charitable Giving and the Dominion Foundation

Dominion and its operating companies are committed to working within communities to improve the amenities that make a place livable while helping to create an environment for new business development.

When businesses are looking to build new facilities, seeking headquarters sites or expanding their sales areas, Dominion works with local government, community and business leaders to make the communities we serve more attractive. In effect, the Dominion companies are shareholders in the communities they serve, with investments measured in jobs created, taxes paid and local goods and services purchased.

A Few Examples...

Community Impact Awards - In Cleveland, the Dominion Foundation partners with Inside Business magazine to recognize community organizations that have made major contributions to the economic and social revitalization of the communities within the Dominion East Ohio service area. A total of $100,000 will be awarded in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 in 2005. Non-profits have been recognized for efforts ranging from community development to programs that attract and retain jobs in rural areas. In southwestern Pennsylvania, Dominion Peoples administers a similar program that is underwritten by the Dominion Foundation. A total of $60,000 is awarded to organizations for revitalization projects covering a 16-county region.

The Better Housing Coalition - A $7,500 grant was given to support the capital campaign to construct a Senior Health and Education Center in eastern Henrico County. This area of central Virginia has a growing low-income, elderly population with few resources. The Center will be used for health screening, computer classes, counseling and recreation and social activities.

Calvert Marine Museum/Fog Signal House - A $12,000 grant was made to renovate the 1901 house on the grounds of the Cove Point Lighthouse that is next to the Dominion LNG facility at Cove Point. The Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, research and interpretation of the culture and natural history of southern Maryland.

The Maymont Foundation - Restoration of the Maymont House Museum’s “belowstairs” service spaces was made possible with a $10,000 grant from Dominion. The exhibition will tell the story of the predominantly African American domestic workers who cooked, cleaned, and maintained the elegance and order of the Dooley household in Richmond, Virginia, from 1893 to 1925.

The Dominion Foundation supports a wide range of cultural activities throughout the company's service areas. Art, music, theater, dance, libraries, parks and museums enrich the mind, the community and its people and play key roles in improving the quality of life within the communities the company serves.

Dominion's contributions to cultural and arts programs take many forms and forums, including purchasing new books for a small-town public library, sponsoring high-quality programs on public radio and television, or supporting active employee volunteerism in cultural organizations.

A Few Examples...

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation - Dominion made a significant grant to support The Campaign for Jamestown Settlement, 1607-2007, which recognizes the national significance of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia. Dominion’s grant will underwrite a Jamestown Settlement film, to be shown daily at the visitor center. The film is intended to increase public awareness of the culture of the Powhatan Indians and of the traditions that the English and Africans brought with them to the New World.

Richmond Boys Choir - Modeled after the famed Boys Choir of Harlem, the Richmond Boys Choir was founded in 1996 to encourage the holistic development of its members. A $2,500 grant will help recruit boys from throughout the Richmond, Virginia, metropolitan area and from various cultural communities. The Richmond Boys Choir’s three-pronged program of personal, academic and musical development helps talented youth grow into mature and responsible young men.

Volunteer in the Arts (VITA) Awards - Dominion and WQED MultiMedia partner to promote the arts in southwestern Pennsylvania. Outstanding volunteers are recognized and awarded $1,000 grants to the arts organizations they represent. Award recipients are featured on the public radio and television station from March through January, and in the September issue of Pittsburgh Magazine. An awards luncheon is held in the fall at which time the Volunteer of The Year is selected and awarded $2,500. Dominion has sponsored the recognition program for sixteen years.

Morgantown Theatre Company - A $1,000 grant from Dominion is helping the Morgantown Theatre Company to provide children in West Virginia with an opportunity to participate in theatre through classes, workshops and full-scale productions.

Roanoke Island Festival Park - The Friends of Elizabeth II (Manteo-on-Roanoke Island, NC) received a $15,000 grant to upgrade its performing arts control booth. The control booth is vital to the operation of the 4,000-seat outdoor waterfront amphitheater. Featured attractions include performances by the North Carolina Symphony and the North Carolina School of the Arts. Roanoke Island Festival Park receives more than 110,000 visitors each year.

Dominion maintains a substantial and diverse commitment to quality education. Dominion believes that high-quality education is the key component of economic growth.

To help ensure a strong, successful education system, Dominion is committed to providing the support needed to develop society's most valuable natural resource, our youth. The Foundation is proud to be associated with a wide range of innovative educational programs and salutes the dedicated administrators and faculty who are making them possible.

Competitive Programs for K-12

Dominion also provides a competitive grants program that provides elementary and secondary educators (grades K-12) with the tools they need to revitalize math and science education. Learn more about the Dominion Educational Partnership.

A Few Examples...

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia - A partnership with SCHEV was funded to recognize outstanding faculty at public and private colleges and universities in Virginia. Created in 1986, the award is the Commonwealth’s highest honor for instructional faculty. Traditionally, the Governor announces the awards, and the recipients are recognized on the floor of the House of Delegates and the Senate.

Better Business Bureau of Cleveland - For the second consecutive year, Dominion was a major sponsor of an essay contest for high school juniors and seniors. The theme was “Students of Integrity” and young people wrote about their interpretation and actions regarding character and integrity. Four winning essays were selected, and each student received a scholarship.

DePaul School for Hearing and Speech - Dominion made a $2,500 donation to this nationally renowned Pittsburgh center for the education of children who are deaf or hearing impaired. The grant underwrites the costs associated with literacy enrichment and fine art stimulation in the DePaul’s high school program.

West Virginia Wesleyan College - A capital gift of $50,000 from Dominion will help construct a new Performing Arts Center on campus. In addition to supporting the College’s instruction, rehearsals, productions and concerts, the new Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts will be available for use by community groups and contribute substantially to the cultural development of this West Virginia region.

University of Texas - The College of Engineering has undertaken a Workforce Initiative of vigorous student recruitment to boost enrollment in Petroleum Engineering. Industry observers have predicted a shortage of petroleum engineers by the end of this decade. A $30,000 grant was made for recruitment, scholarships and financial aid for students in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering.

As one of the nation’s largest producers of energy, Dominion recognizes the value of maintaining and improving the environment. The Dominion Foundation supports environmental stewardship and education through volunteer programs and grants.

A Few Examples...

State Park Information Stations - A $300,000 grant from Dominion is helping to establish outdoor interactive information stations at 31 state parks in Virginia. The stations, or kiosks, enable park visitors to access trail information, wildlife spotting guides, information on park amenities, printable guides and maps, program descriptions, schedules and more, using a global positioning system, or GPS. (Learn more.)

Nature Conservancy - The Dominion Foundation recently donated $100,000 to the West Virginia Nature Conservancy to support the Bear Rocks Preserve in eastern West Virginia. The company donated the 477-acre Bear Rocks Preserve to the Nature Conservancy in 2000. Valued at $1.5 million, Bear Rocks was the single largest corporate gift, as well as the largest nature preserve ever donated to the Conservancy. In addition, a separate $250,000 donation was made to the Nature Conservancy of Virginia for land conservation in the Commonwealth.

Audubon Nature Institute - Dominion supports the WILD Science After School program for fifth-graders. In the New Orleans area, this hands-on science program helps students discover that science is much more exciting than reading a textbook. Dominion drills for oil and gas in Louisiana and the Gulf.

Wind Over Wings - A wildlife rehabilitation and education center located in Connecticut, this non-profit received a $5,000 grant. The funds underwrite educational outreach programs to schools in the Dominion Millstone Power Station area, teaching children about the protection of local and endangered birds.

Coast Guard Foundation - A recent $10,000 grant was awarded for facilities improvements at the Coast Guard Station at St. Inigoes, Maryland. Located south of Dominion’s Cove Point LNG facility, the Station is responsible for the waters and tributaries along the lower Potomac River and part of Chesapeake Bay. Its missions include search and rescue, enforcement of laws and treaties, marine environmental protection and recreational boating safety.

Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania - A $10,000 grant enables the Audubon Society to take standards-based and cross-curricular activities to schools in southwestern Pennsylvania. Using live birds, the Audubon Society’s education staff helps students discover the similarities and differences among species, the importance of habitat, conservation and the impact humans have on the environment.

Roanoke River Partners - Dominion’s $10,000 grant will enable the Roanoke River Partners to construct a camping platform and to continue to build and manage the Roanoke River Paddle Trail. The trail covers more than 200 miles of interconnected rivers and creeks in northeastern North Carolina.

Recognizing the critical needs of all members of a society is the true measure of a community and a company. Cooperation among government, nonprofit organizations and businesses to meet these needs at the local level creates a positive force that strengthens the community and improves conditions for all of its people.

Dominion and its operating companies are involved in developing and supporting programs and organizations that provide the health and human services our communities require.

A Few Examples...

Susan Dew Hoff Memorial Clinic - A $5,000 grant will aid in providing health and dental services for individuals who are uninsured or under-insured and/or elderly residents of Harrison and Lewis Counties in West Virginia. In 2004 the clinic had 1,484 dental clients.

Mary Bryant Home for the Blind - A $2,500 grant will support programs for visually impaired adults in Springfield, Illinois. The facilities and services of the facility provides the comforts of home life while offering residents educational, recreational, musical and physical programming. Dominion’s Kincaid Power Station is located in this area of Illinois.

Be An Angel Fund - This non-profit in Houston, Texas, helps to improve the quality of life for children with multiple disabilities or profound deafness by providing adaptive equipment and select services. A $5,000 grant from Dominion will provide nutritional supplements for children with multiple disabilities.

High Hopes Therapeutic Riding - This non-profit located in Old Lyme, Connecticut was founded on the knowledge that riding, driving and caring for horses can significantly improve the lives of individuals with physical, emotional, and developmental disabilities. A grant from Dominion will help High Hopes reach out to disadvantaged populations. Dominion’s Millstone Nuclear Power Station is located in the region.