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American Electric Power Foundation

Annual Giving
$26.0M
Grant Range
$1K - $1.0M

American Electric Power Foundation - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $26+ million
  • Total Assets: $74+ million (2023)
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,000,000
  • Typical Grant: $100,000
  • Minimum Request: $15,000
  • Total Awards (2023): 792 grants
  • Geographic Focus: 11-state AEP service territory (Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia)
  • Application Type: Invitation only (no unsolicited applications)

Contact Details

Foundation Address: American Electric Power Foundation c/o AEP Ohio 1 Riverside Plaza, 23rd Floor Columbus, OH 43215

Main Contact:

  • Makree Osborne, Staff Representative
  • Email: mlosborne@aep.com
  • Phone: (614) 716-2605

President:

  • Janelle N. Coleman, Vice President of Corporate Philanthropy and Community Engagement

Website: https://www.aep.com/community/givingback/

Note: Applications are accepted by invitation only through local AEP operating companies. Organizations should contact their local AEP representative for grant opportunities.

Overview

Established in 2005, the American Electric Power Foundation is the corporate foundation of American Electric Power, one of the nation's largest electric utilities. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the foundation held more than $74 million in assets and awarded over $26 million in grants in 2023, making 792 awards across its 11-state service territory. The foundation's mission is to enhance lives through strategic grantmaking in education (particularly STEM), basic human services, social and racial justice, environmental protection, and community enrichment through arts and culture. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications; instead, it operates through an invitation-only process coordinated by local AEP operating companies. In 2020, the foundation launched its signature "Delivering on the Dream" initiative, a five-year, $5 million commitment to advance social and racial justice in AEP communities. The foundation prioritizes projects that provide measurable benefit to communities within AEP's service area and increasingly emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizational governance and programming.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

General Grantmaking (Invitation Only)

  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,000,000
  • Typical Award: $100,000
  • Minimum Request: $15,000
  • Multi-year commitments accepted
  • Rolling consideration throughout the year
  • Decision made at regular board meetings

Delivering on the Dream: Social and Racial Justice Program

  • Five-year, $5 million commitment (launched 2020)
  • Recent awards: $100,000 - $1,000,000
  • Focus: Organizations advancing social and racial justice
  • Notable recipients: YWCA Columbus ($1 million), Zora's House ($200,000), Bluefield State College ($250,000)

STEM After-School Grants

  • Smaller grants to support youth STEM education
  • Example: $36,000+ distributed to 18 FFA chapters in Oklahoma in 2023
  • Focus: Pre-K through grade 12 STEM learning

Priority Areas

Education (Primary Focus - STEM)

  • Preference for pre-K through grade 12 in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
  • Support for workforce development and career readiness
  • Higher education, particularly historically Black colleges and universities
  • Educational equity initiatives

Basic Human Services

  • Emergency shelter and affordable housing
  • Food security and hunger elimination
  • Health services
  • Safety programs

Social and Racial Justice

  • Programs addressing systemic racism and injustice
  • Organizations committed to positive social justice outcomes
  • Equity and inclusion initiatives
  • Support for communities of color

Environment

  • Environmental protection programs
  • Sustainability initiatives
  • Projects benefiting AEP customers and the broader environment

Arts, Music, and Cultural Heritage

  • Community enrichment through cultural programs
  • Quality of life improvements in AEP service communities

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations that discriminate based on political affiliation, religious belief, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, or sexual orientation (by constitution or written policy)
  • Organizations outside AEP's service territory (unless national/regional in scope with clear benefit to AEP communities)
  • Organizations that are not 501(c)(3) public charities, government entities, government-owned/operated colleges/universities, or exempt operating foundations

Governance and Leadership

Foundation Leadership:

  • Nicholas K. Akins - Chairman of the Foundation and CEO of American Electric Power
  • Janelle N. Coleman - President of the Foundation (since January 2021) and Vice President of Corporate Philanthropy and Community Engagement at AEP. Coleman leads AEP's diversity and inclusion program in addition to overseeing philanthropic community outreach.
  • Brian Tierney - Vice President of the Foundation and Executive Vice President/CFO of AEP
  • Charles Patton - Board Member and Executive Vice President of External Affairs for AEP
  • Paul Chodak - Board Member and Executive Vice President of Generation for AEP

The foundation board is closely integrated with AEP's corporate leadership structure, with senior executives from the parent company serving in key governance roles. This ensures alignment between corporate strategy and philanthropic priorities.

On DEI Commitment: Under Coleman's leadership, the foundation has strengthened its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, launching the "Delivering on the Dream" program and requiring all grant applicants to demonstrate how they address DEI in their programming, workforce, and board governance.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Instead, organizations must receive an invitation to apply from their local AEP operating company.

Steps to Access Funding:

  1. Contact Your Local AEP Operating Company:

    • Organizations must connect with a representative from their local AEP operating unit
    • Representatives typically work in community affairs, communications, or external affairs departments

  2. Local AEP Operating Companies by State:

    • Texas: Contact Tina Salazar at tmsalazar@aep.com
    • Ohio: Contact Makree Osborne at mlosborne@aep.com or (614) 716-2605
    • Other states: Contact the community affairs or external affairs department of your local AEP operating company (AEP Ohio, Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Appalachian Power, PSO Oklahoma, SWEPCO)

  3. Invitation Process:

    • Nonprofits located in AEP's service territory must secure an invitation from their local operating company
    • Organizations accepted for application will be directed to apply online
    • The foundation accepts multi-year commitment requests

  4. Online Application:

    • Invited applicants complete the AEP Foundation online grant application
    • Must affirm non-discrimination policies
    • Must provide information on how diversity, equity, and inclusion are addressed in programming, workforce, and board governance

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Be a 501(c)(3) public charity, state or political subdivision, government-owned/operated college or university, or exempt operating foundation
  • Be located within the AEP service territory OR be national/regional in scope with a purpose beneficial to the general public, the environment, or AEP customers
  • Affirm non-discrimination on the basis of political affiliation, religious belief, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, or sexual orientation
  • Demonstrate how DEI is addressed in organizational programming, workforce, and board governance

Getting on Their Radar

Since the AEP Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis coordinated through local operating companies, organizations should focus on building relationships with their local AEP community affairs representatives. The foundation makes clear that applicants must work through local AEP operating company staff, who serve as gatekeepers to the application process. Key contacts include community affairs, communications, or external affairs staff at the specific AEP operating company serving your area (such as AEP Ohio, Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Appalachian Power, PSO, or SWEPCO).

Decision Timeline

  • Rolling Basis: Requests are accepted throughout the year from invited applicants
  • Board Meetings: Applications are considered at regular meetings of the AEP Foundation board of directors
  • Specific Timeline: Not publicly disclosed, but decisions are made on an ongoing basis rather than fixed deadlines

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. However, the foundation made 792 awards in 2023, an increase from 704 awards in 2022, indicating growing grantmaking activity.

Reapplication Policy

Information on reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants is not publicly available. The foundation does accept multi-year commitment requests, suggesting ongoing relationships with grantees.

Application Success Factors

What the Foundation Looks For

Geographic Alignment: Priority is based on the perceived overall benefit to communities in AEP's service area. Organizations must demonstrate clear impact in one or more of the 11 states served by AEP or show how national/regional programs benefit AEP communities.

STEM Education Focus: In education, the foundation gives preference to pre-K through grade 12 programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Recent grants to FFA chapters for STEM after-school programs and support for workforce development initiatives demonstrate this priority.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment: All applicants must provide information on how DEI is addressed in programming, workforce, and board governance. This is a non-negotiable requirement, and organizations that discriminate are explicitly ineligible. The foundation's $5 million "Delivering on the Dream" commitment signals that DEI is a top strategic priority.

Multi-Year Impact: The foundation accepts and appears to favor multi-year commitment requests, suggesting interest in sustained partnerships rather than one-time grants. Examples include the two-year $100,000 grant to AppalReD Legal Aid and the multi-year $1 million grant to YWCA Columbus.

Measurable Community Benefit: Inside Philanthropy notes that the foundation "provides enough information about the projects and programs it supports that nonprofits can get a clear sense of what AEPF looks for in a grantee." The foundation prioritizes projects with clear, measurable benefits to AEP service communities.

Strategic Alignment with Corporate Mission: As a corporate foundation tied to an electric utility, the foundation favors programs that align with AEP's broader corporate interests, including workforce development, community stability, environmental sustainability, and social license to operate.

Recent Grant Examples Demonstrating Priorities

  • $1 million multi-year grant to YWCA Columbus - Large, multi-year commitment to social justice
  • $250,000 to Bluefield State College - Support for HBCU education
  • $200,000 to Zora's House - Co-working and community space for women of color
  • $100,000 to Catholic Social Services - Part of Delivering on the Dream program
  • $36,000+ to 18 Oklahoma FFA chapters - STEM after-school programming for youth

These examples show the foundation funds both large anchor institutions and grassroots community organizations, with grants spanning from small STEM education awards to million-dollar multi-year commitments for social justice initiatives.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only process is critical: Do not submit unsolicited applications. Instead, invest time in building relationships with your local AEP operating company's community affairs or external affairs representatives. This is the only pathway to funding.

  • DEI is non-negotiable: Be prepared to articulate how your organization addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion in programming, workforce composition, and board governance. This requirement applies to all applicants.

  • STEM education is the primary entry point: For education-focused organizations, emphasize pre-K through grade 12 STEM programs with clear workforce development or career readiness outcomes.

  • Multi-year requests are welcomed: The foundation explicitly accepts multi-year commitments, so consider proposing sustained partnerships rather than single-year grants, especially for grants of $100,000 or more.

  • Geographic specificity matters: Clearly demonstrate how your work benefits communities within AEP's 11-state service territory. National or regional organizations must show specific benefits to AEP customers and communities.

  • Social justice is a growing priority: The five-year, $5 million "Delivering on the Dream" commitment signals significant funding available for organizations advancing racial equity and social justice with measurable outcomes.

  • Typical grants are substantial: With a typical grant of $100,000 and minimum requests of $15,000, this foundation is best suited for organizations seeking significant funding rather than small grants.

References

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