When it comes to protecting the local environment, utility companies always have an ear to the ground, and Indiana American Water is no exception. The company and its parent company American Water are invested in improving the environment of their communities, and the companies encourage other local businesses and organizations to do the same through the annual environmental grants they offer.
Since 2005, American Water’s Environmental Grant Program has awarded nearly $200,000 in grants to community-based environmental programs that emphasize the protection, improvement, or restoration of water supplies in the community. Projects that American Water has helped to fund include water source protection, native tree planting, and habitat restoration efforts among others.
To be selected for an environmental grant from Indiana American Water, projects must meet certain criteria, including being located in an Indiana American Water service area, completed by the end of November in the year it is received, a new or innovative program, or serve as a significant expansion to an existing program and address a source water protection need in the community.
The Environmental Grant Program is an extension of Indiana American Water’s commitment to environmental stewardship in its service areas. The company participates in activities and outreach efforts that help communities protect their watersheds and educate customers on how to use water wisely. Indiana American Water is committed to acting sustainably by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, recycling our precious resources, including water, and protecting the biodiversity of local waterways.
Applying for an environmental grant from Indiana American Water is easy, with step-by-step instructions for creating and submitting your application included on the company’s Environmental Grant Program page in the News & Community area of their website. All that’s needed for the application are a cover page, a project description outlining project needs, objectives, a plan of action, supporting partners, and sustainability, as well as a budget, and any supporting materials that demonstrate how the project will make an impact on the local environment.
It’s important that those hoping to receive a grant have specific, measurable goals in mind that can be reported back to American Water at the end of the grant period. In these end-of-project reports, American Water would like to hear from the lead project organizers concerning the results of the project, any promotional and media materials created for the project, and before-and-after photos as appropriate.
Last year, IAW awarded a total of $10,000 to four organizations throughout Indiana: the City of Muncie ($4,500), Tippecanoe County Soil & Water Conservation District ($1,500), Town of Clarksville Youth Council ($2,000), and Student Conservation Association ($2,000). These four were selected from over a dozen applications.
Applications for American Water’s environmental grants will be accepted starting in January 2024. Learn more about the program by visiting our Environmental Grant Program page on our website.
It’s time to join Indiana American Water to make a difference in northwest Indiana.
Indiana American Water, a subsidiary of American Water, is the largest investor-owned water utility in the State of Indiana. To learn more about its environmental commitment and the Environmental Grant Program, visit www.indianaamwater.com.
