Charitable Giving Guidelines

Policy

The Gas Company (TGC), supports programs and projects for qualified tax-exempt charitable organizations - IRS 501(c)(3) status - with emphasis on the environment, education, economic development and the elderly. Funds are limited for other categories of activities but consideration will be given on a case-by-case basis. Support for social welfare and health programs is largely met through donations to United Way organizations. Grants will also generally be limited to organizations based in geographical areas in which TGC has business interests.

In general, TGC will award grants for program and capital improvement projects. Program support activities may include: start-up funding for new programs, special projects, interim operating support and program support where community relations partnerships of mutual benefit may be developed. TGC will generally not award grants for operating support to United Way member agencies. TGC will consider capital improvement requests for the purchase of equipment, renovation projects and major capital campaigns but will generally only provide partial support for such projects.

Grants will not be made for scholarships or tuition aid, subsidization of travel expenses, programs directed to an individual, or activities or church/religious organizations. TGC will generally not award grants to sporting activities, conferences or seminars, nor will it generally make multi-year commitments.

Grant Application Procedure

The Charitable Contributions Committee will meet quarterly to review application grants for the current year. Grant requests should be submitted in time to allow committee members sufficient time to review the application and relevant documents. Completed applications must include the following information:

A business plan, including a brief description of the organization and its purpose.
A concise summary of the proposed activity including a statement of the need or problem, description of how the activity is to be carried out, an indication of the population to be served, and a plan for evaluating its effectiveness.
Financial data of the organization or a budget for special projects, including what percentage goes to fundraising.
A list of the organization’s board of directors.
A letter substantiating the organization’s tax-exempt status under Section 501 (c) (3) of the IRS code.
Applications may be sent to: The Gas Company, Attn: Charitable Contributions, P.O. Box 3000, Honolulu, HI 96802-3000. For more information call (808) 535-5900.