Duke Energy Foundation Funds $200,000 In Crisis Relief Grants

Locally, One Dearborn, Inc. and Southeast Indiana Chamber Foundation were co-recipients of this grant.

(Dearborn Co., Ind.) - The Duke Energy Foundation has decided to generously fund $200,000 in grants to assist Indiana economic development organizations that offer crisis to relieve small businesses in Indiana. 

“These are challenging times, and the COVID-19 crisis has been particularly difficult for small companies,” said Duke Energy Indiana President Stan Pinegar. “These grants will support those businesses that are the backbone of the Hoosier communities we serve statewide.”

These development groups will receive $5,000 grants and will then distribute the funds to businesses in need.

“This grant will allow us to provide temporary rent reductions to a handful of companies in our high-tech business incubators,” said Paul Moses, director of business development for the Purdue Research Foundation. “We’re hoping it will help them power through the crisis, enabling them to keep moving their innovative products and services to market.”

Locally, One Dearborn and Southeast Indiana Chamber Foundation were co-recipients of this grant. 

"We are very thankful to Duke Energy for the generosity they have shown during the pandemic," says One Dearborn's Mike Perleberg. "This crisis relief grant is just the latest example of how our utility partner has been supportive of Hoosier small businesses. One Dearborn and the Southeast Indiana Chamber Foundation will be putting all these grant funds to use in Dearborn County in a direct, focused way to help the businesses who need a hand the most."

The crisis relief grants follow the $100,000 awarded early in the pandemic to help food banks and other community action groups that address hunger and other urgent needs.

The Duke Energy Foundation also announced $382,000 in grants to support Indiana K-12 programs focused on summer reading programs, STEM, and experiential learning. Funds will give the schools and other groups receiving the grants flexibility to reallocate grant funds during the pandemic.

Find a full list of the Crisis Relief Grants recipients here.