Request Community Support
Tacoma Public Utilities is proud to support registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organizations that share our goals of energy conservation, environmental protection, professional development for TPU employees, and other select causes that support a utility purpose. Examples of such purposes include:
- Investing in nonprofit capital projects that promote power or water conservation.
- Promoting utility-related professional development for our employees and partners or activities that support recruitment for utility-specific jobs.
- Promoting science, technology, engineering, and math education outreach or training relevant to utility-specific jobs.
- Helping us practice environmental protection, stewardship, or conservation in accordance with our Strategic Directive for Environmental Leadership.
- Building relationships and communicating with hard-to-reach or under-served audiences by:
- Creating opportunities for translation of our messages about conservation, safety, and other issues for customers who are non-English speakers.
- Reaching out to customers eligible for specific savings programs or discount rates.
- Seeking opportunities to educate customers about how conserving power and water also lowers utility bills.
Preference will be given to organizations or programs aligned with our goals around diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racist systems transformation (see TPU’s Strategic Directive on Equity and Inclusion.) For more information, refer to the City of Tacoma’s Equity and Empowerment Framework and Resolution 40622 on Anti-Racist System Transformation).
Due to restriction on the use of utility funds and the desire to best advance TPU’s goals, we will not accept funding requests for the following:
- Scholarships for individuals to attend camps, schools, pageants, tours, trips, or similar activities
- Sports teams or sporting-related events
- Political organizations or candidates for political office
- Organizations that discriminate against any group
- Programs that promote or endorse a specific religious affiliation
- Enclosures to be mailed with utility bills
- Programs outside of our service or project areas
- For-profit organizations
- More than one request per organization per year; however, a request can include multiple events or programs.
- Requests that TPU determines violate the Washington State Constitutional prohibition of gifting public funds, or are inconsistent with other legal requirements applicable to TPU.
- How to Request Funding
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The 2024 application period is now closed. All applicants will be notified of funding decisions in January.
The application for 2025 programs and events will open in Fall of 2024.
We use an application and review process to identify events and organizations that best meet our program funding criteria. We base our decisions on several factors including available budget, resources, and benefits to the community.
Applying does not guarantee funding, and TPU reserves the right to restrict funding to those programs and events that best support utility purposes.
To request funding for your nonprofit organization, complete our online Request for Funds Application and attach any other information that will help us evaluate your request. You must also include the following with the completed application:
- A copy of your Department of the Treasury or IRS letter indicating 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
- A list of the board of directors or equivalent information.
The Director of Utilities and executive management team will evaluate all funding requests. Funding is not automatically renewed or guaranteed from year to year.
Direct funding questions to Christina Turner, 253-306-0679.