Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report 2020

Our Approach

The Better Together Giving Program provides grants each year to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, schools, and local and tribal governments across Northern and Central California. This support can come from PG&E or from The PG&E Corporation Foundation, and generally focuses on five areas: emergency preparedness and safety, economic and community vitality, education and workforce development, the environment and employee engagement.

Community contributions are focused on providing assistance to underserved communities, such as low-income individuals, communities of color, the long-term unemployed, women and girls, veterans, senior citizens, people with disabilities and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community.

2019 Milestones

Emergency Preparedness and Safety

The primary focus of charitable programs in 2019 was to support Northern and Central California communities in preparing for potential disasters and to respond quickly with support when disasters occurred.

• Community Preparedness Support. The PG&E Corporation Foundation continued support of the American Red Cross Ready Neighborhoods program. With this support, the Red Cross was able to provide vital fire and emergency preparedness training and outreach and education to some of the most vulnerable communities.
• Wildfire Preparedness. PG&E awarded a $1 million grant to the California Fire Foundation to support local fire departments and the California Professional Firefighters to promote emergency preparedness and safety. The California Fire Foundation provided these funds to 28 fire departments in high wildfire threat areas to help implement safety programs.
• Partnerships with Local Non-Profits. PG&E made charitable contributions to 31 local community-based organizations (CBOs) in high wildfire threat areas with funding to promote safety in their communities. As a result, each of the CBOs provided multi-language safety messages via social media and reached over 700,000 residents.
• 211 Program Resources. The 211 Program is a valuable resource in connecting community members to important relief and support resources in the event of emergencies. A robust 211 network also provides relief to 911 operators handling potentially life-threatening emergencies. In 2019, PG&E launched a program with non-profit organizations that support 211 in northern California, including working with Interface Family Services to support the expansion of 211 services to 12 counties in high wildfire threat areas.

Education

PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation continue to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives in our communities with funding for programs aiming to help ensure all students have access to quality education, including support for higher education attainment. To help students succeed, PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation support California students with STEM-related scholarships and grants.

• Better Together STEM Scholarships. Twenty-five students received awards of $1,000 to $10,000 focused on majors in engineering, computer science and information systems, cybersecurity, and environmental sciences. Since 2012, the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program has awarded more than $4.3 million.
• Better Together Investing in California Youth. The PG&E Corporation Foundation continued its support for two programs targeting academic success in traditionally underserved communities in northern California: Oakland Promise is a cradle-to-career program supporting youth in under-resourced schools in Oakland and Stockton Scholars aims to reduce social and financial barriers to higher education for youth in the city of Stockton by promoting college readiness.

Economic and Community Vitality

PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation support job creation and career training opportunities, provide support for local businesses, offer energy assistance to low-income families and promote equity through access to opportunity to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.

• Summer Programs for Youth. More than $1 million in charitable contributions was provided to programs supporting the advancement of youth in our communities, including partnerships with local Boys & Girls Clubs, the California Skills Association, Junior Achievement, Aim High and The Oakland Zoo, and others focused on career awareness and job training opportunities. Through these programs in 2019, PG&E provided more than 300 youth with paid summer internships, and more than 1,000 youth with workforce readiness training.
• Opportunities in Diversity. Longstanding support for local, regional and statewide diverse chambers of commerce and minority supplier programs enhancing equity and opportunities for women, people of color, native peoples, LGBTQ and veteran Californians has been a cornerstone of PG&E’s economic and community vitality programs. In 2019, PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation invested more than $250,000 in programs like the Western Region Minority Supplier Development Council, Golden Gate Business Alliance, Women Business Enterprise Development Council, the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and others.

Environment

PG&E and the PG&E Corporation Foundation fund environmental programs promoting renewable energy, fostering energy efficiency and protecting our environment including parks, recreation areas and natural habitats.

• Resilient Communities. PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation have invested $1.2 million over the last three years in shareholder-funded grants to support local initiatives to build greater climate resilience via our Better Together Resilient Communities grant program. In 2019, PG&E focused on grant proposals that will help communities prepare for and respond to the increased threat of catastrophic wildfires in California. PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation awarded $100,000 each to The Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, Ag Innovations, New Paradigm College and Pepperwood Preserve.

Employee Engagement

PG&E’s employees are active members of the communities where they live and work. In recognition of their commitment, employees have several ways to get involved in community investment on a local level:

• PG&E’s Community Service Award Program provides employees and retirees who volunteer more than 25 personal service hours with a grant of $350 on their behalf to a qualifying nonprofit organization of their choice.
• PG&E’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)—representing different aspects of PG&E’s diverse workforce—can direct funding to community groups and activities that reflect their interests and priorities.
• Through The PG&E Corporation Foundation’s Matching Gifts Program, eligible gifts from PG&E employees, retirees or current members of the PG&E Corporation Board of Directors are matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,000 per calendar year per individual. In 2019, the program matched approximately $4.2 million for individual contributions.

Measuring Progress

In 2019, PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation provided 735 community-based organizations with an aggregate total of $17.5 million in charitable contributions. Although a reduction from prior years’ programs, made in light of PG&E’s current financial circumstances, this commitment remains significant and reflective of our dedication to a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future for all Californians.

Review our annual report recording the results of our charitable programs and community engagement efforts for the year.

• ^* The above percentages are not mutually exclusive and are self-reported by the recipient organizations.