Nonprofits to receive more than $2 million

United Way of the Bluegrass among organizations receiving funding from LG&E and KU giving campaign

 LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ/Press Release)  — As area nonprofits begin making plans to assist residents in need in the coming year, additional funding is headed their way. Employees of Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company are pledging dollars to nonprofit agencies and organizations across the utilities’ service territories. Coupled with financial support from the LG&E and KU Foundation, the utilities’ voluntary employee-giving campaign, Power of One, raised more than $2 million in contributions for the fourth time in the company’s history.

The contributions are being allocated to United Way of the Bluegrass and 25 additional nonprofit organizations to support programs and services in 2022. Those nonprofits serve nearly all 120 counties across Kentucky, more than 50 counties in Indiana, as well as parts of Virginia.

United Way of the Bluegrass and its funded partners serve Anderson, Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Montgomery, Scott and Woodford counties in Kentucky.

“This year’s campaign theme was More Powerful Together, which, while true every year, certainly spoke to the continued need for us to pull together and collectively assist our communities, which still face the challenges of our pandemic-impacted economy,” said LG&E and KU Executive Vice President-Electric Distribution and co-chair of the 2021 Power of One campaign, John Wolfe. “We’re proud to contribute these dollars, which will do things like help provide access to health care services, food, shelter and other basic needs; help prepare more children for kindergarten; and offer financial empowerment programs.”

Nearly 70% of LG&E and KU employees participate in the campaign through payroll deduction — a participation rate more than twice the workplace employee giving average, according to United Way worldwide data.

Since 2005, the employee-driven campaign has raised nearly than $30 million through payroll deductions, event fundraisers, retiree donations and support from IBEW Local 2100 and the LG&E and KU Foundation.