← Back to US Funders Directory

PG&E Corporation Foundation

Annual Giving
$36.0M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.1M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $36,000,000+ (2024)
  • Foundation Assets: $99,537,327
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies by program
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $100,000
  • Geographic Focus: Northern and Central California (70,000 square miles, 46-48 counties)

Contact Details

Email: communityrelations@pge.com
Phone: 415-973-1000
Address: 77 Beale Street, San Francisco, CA
General Giving Information: https://www.pge.com/en/about/giving-locally.html

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests by email.

Overview

The PG&E Corporation Foundation was established in 2000 as the charitable arm of Pacific Gas and Electric Company. With assets exceeding $99 million and annual giving of more than $36 million (2024), the foundation supports programs throughout PG&E's 70,000-square-mile service area covering 46-48 counties in Northern and Central California. The foundation's mission focuses on three strategic pillars: People (emergency preparedness, safety, food security, and justice), Planet (climate resilience, environmental stewardship, and resource quality), and California's Prosperity (STEM education, workforce development, and small business support). Led by Board Chair Carla J. Peterman, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of PG&E, the foundation prioritizes projects addressing the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. In 2024 alone, the foundation made nearly 1,000 grants to nonprofit organizations and schools.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant: $100,000 per region (five regional grants totaling $500,000 annually)

  • Focus: Air quality, land stewardship, and water stewardship
  • Application: Annual competitive process with specific deadlines
  • Priority given to projects serving disadvantaged and vulnerable communities

Resilience Hubs Grant Program: $25,000 - $100,000

  • Focus: Building local climate resilience hubs in vulnerable communities
  • Recent awards: Seven organizations received $400,000 total (three $100,000 grants and four $25,000 grants)

Economic Vitality Grants: Up to $20,000

  • Focus: Business attraction, retention, or expansion; workforce training; business development, incubation, or acceleration; job creation initiatives

Restaurant Resilience Grants: $3,000 - $5,000

  • Partnership with California Restaurant Foundation's Restaurants Care Resilience Fund
  • Since 2021: $4.3 million to 863 restaurants
  • Uses: Technology and equipment upgrades, employee training and retention, unforeseen hardships

School Grants: Varies (currently on hold for renewable energy curriculum grants)

  • Historical focus: Solar projects, renewable energy education, environmental field trips, green school projects, professional development

Better Together STEM Scholarships: $2,500 - $10,000 (for students, not organizations)

  • Since 2012: Over $7.8 million awarded
  • Four-year institutions in California or any HBCU nationwide

Wildfire Safety Grants: Varies

  • Partnership with California Fire Foundation
  • 2024: $750,000 to 55 fire departments and community groups
  • Recent expansion: $950,000 to 63 organizations

General Program Grants: Typically $5,000 - $25,000 (with $10,000 - $25,000 as the average range)

  • Rolling or periodic review depending on program area

Priority Areas

People:

  • Emergency preparedness and wildfire safety
  • Safety and community resiliency
  • Food insecurity (2024: $1.12 million to food banks)
  • Justice and inclusion initiatives
  • Support for underserved populations (low-income individuals, communities of color, people experiencing homelessness, women and girls, veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities)

Planet:

  • Climate resilience and adaptation
  • Environmental stewardship
  • Air quality improvements
  • Land and water stewardship
  • Renewable energy education

California's Prosperity:

  • STEM education and scholarships
  • Workforce development and training
  • Small business support and entrepreneurship
  • Economic mobility initiatives
  • Pathways to family-wage jobs

What They Don't Fund

  • Political campaigns or lobbying activities
  • Religious or exclusive organizations (organizations that discriminate)
  • Endowment funds
  • Individual grants or scholarships to individuals (except through established scholarship programs)
  • Capital campaigns or building projects
  • Travel expenses
  • Conference or event sponsorships
  • Organizations outside PG&E's service area
  • Organizations that discriminate in services or hiring based on race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sex, marital status, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, veterans status, or color

Governance and Leadership

Board Chair: Carla J. Peterman

  • Title: Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, PG&E Corporation (promoted to President, PG&E Corporation & Executive VP, Customer & Corporate Affairs effective January 1, 2026)
  • Leadership focus: Regulatory, legislative, sustainability, and charitable strategies
  • Background: Former California Public Utilities Commissioner, recognized as "a steadfast proponent of clean energy"
  • Quote on foundation priorities: "We are proud to support local efforts helping to meet the challenges of our changing environment. We commend our community partners leading the charge in bringing about innovative solutions that best serve their communities."
  • Additional statement on equity: "We cannot do this important work without these partner organizations helping to increase climate resilience and supporting equity in the communities we are so privileged to serve."

The Board of Directors serves without compensation. The foundation operates as a company-sponsored private grantmaking foundation.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online only. The foundation does not accept paper or email applications. Previous sources indicated the foundation uses Cybergrants for application management, particularly for impact reporting.

Important Restrictions:

  • The foundation reviews only one request per calendar year from each organization
  • Previous grant recipients must complete an impact report before submitting a new request (even if the grant period has not ended)

Eligibility:

  • 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations
  • Educational institutions
  • Government agencies (including tribal governments)
  • Organizations must be based in or serve communities within PG&E's service area (Northern and Central California)

Application Types: Different programs have different application processes:

  • Competitive grant programs (Better Together Nature Positive Innovation, Resilience Hubs): Specific application windows with published deadlines
  • Partnership programs (Wildfire Safety with California Fire Foundation, Restaurant Resilience): Managed through partner organizations
  • General program grants: Reviewed by committee on individual merits

Decision Timeline

Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant: Applications typically due in summer (recent deadline: July 18, 2025) with decisions announced several months later (October announcements for following year implementation)

General program grants: All proposals are reviewed by a committee based on individual merits, prior to recommendation to the PG&E Foundation Board of Directors. Specific timelines not publicly disclosed.

Notification: Methods not specified in available materials, but likely through the online application portal and direct communication.

Success Rates

The foundation does not publicly disclose application-to-award ratios or success rates. However, the scale of giving provides context:

  • In 2024: Nearly 1,000 grants awarded totaling $36+ million
  • This represents support to nearly 4,837 nonprofits and schools throughout the service area

Given the foundation made $17,365,835 in grants in 2023 (from tax filings) and over $36 million in 2024, the foundation has significantly expanded its grantmaking in recent years.

Reapplication Policy

The foundation's policy states they review only one request per calendar year from each organization. However, specific information about:

  • Whether unsuccessful applicants can reapply in subsequent years
  • Required waiting periods between applications
  • Special considerations for declined applications

...is not publicly available. Contact communityrelations@pge.com for clarification on reapplication after a declined proposal.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's documented priorities and recent funding patterns, successful applications demonstrate:

Alignment with Strategic Priorities:

  • Projects must clearly connect to one or more of the three pillars: People, Planet, or California's Prosperity
  • Strongest applications address intersections (e.g., environmental stewardship that also supports workforce development in disadvantaged communities)

Focus on Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Communities: The foundation explicitly states that "projects that address the needs of disadvantaged and/or vulnerable communities are given grant priority." Successful applicants clearly identify:

  • Which vulnerable populations benefit (low-income individuals, communities of color, people experiencing homelessness, etc.)
  • How the project addresses disproportionate impacts on these communities
  • Measurable outcomes for equity and inclusion

Innovation and Community-Led Solutions: As Carla Peterman stated, the foundation values "community partners leading the charge in bringing about innovative solutions that best serve their communities." Recent grantees exemplify this:

  • Kitchen Table Advisors: Supporting small-scale regenerative farmers in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties to build climate resilience
  • LandPaths: Workforce development in forestry and fire management
  • El Dorado Fire Safe Council: Helping vulnerable populations with wildfire resilience

Climate Resilience and Environmental Stewardship: Given PG&E's focus on California's clean energy future and climate adaptation, strong proposals:

  • Address climate-driven challenges (extreme weather, wildfires, air quality)
  • Incorporate sustainable, nature-based solutions
  • Build long-term community resilience rather than short-term fixes

Geographic Distribution: The foundation serves five regions across Northern and Central California. Regional equity appears important—the Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant specifically awards $100,000 to one project in each of the five regions.

Measurable Impact: Previous grant recipients must complete impact reports before reapplying, indicating the foundation values:

  • Clear, measurable outcomes
  • Accountability and follow-through
  • Documentation of community benefit

Avoiding Common Pitfalls: Applications should not:

  • Request funding for political purposes, capital campaigns, or excluded categories
  • Duplicate requests if the organization has already applied in the same calendar year
  • Come from organizations outside the service area or that discriminate in any way

Partnership and Collaboration: Several major programs operate through partnerships (California Fire Foundation, California Restaurant Foundation), suggesting the foundation values:

  • Collaborative approaches
  • Leveraging expertise of established organizations
  • Sector-wide solutions rather than isolated projects

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • One shot per year: Organizations can only submit one request per calendar year, so make it count—choose your strongest project aligned with foundation priorities
  • Equity is essential: Projects serving disadvantaged and vulnerable communities receive explicit priority; clearly articulate who benefits and how
  • Complete impact reports first: If you're a previous grantee, you cannot apply again until your impact report is submitted, even if your grant period hasn't ended
  • Know your region: The foundation thinks regionally within their service area; understand which of PG&E's five regions you serve and what regional needs your project addresses
  • Innovation matters: Carla Peterman's emphasis on "innovative solutions that best serve their communities" suggests the foundation seeks fresh approaches, not business-as-usual
  • Climate and resilience are central: Given PG&E's position as an energy utility facing climate challenges, projects connecting to climate adaptation, clean energy, wildfire resilience, or environmental stewardship align strongly with institutional priorities
  • Think strategically about grant size: Most grants fall in the $5,000-$25,000 range, with competitive programs offering $100,000; assess whether your project fits small/medium general grants or if it's strong enough for competitive flagship programs

References

← Back to US Funders Directory