Year in Review: 2018-2019

Dollar Energy Fund kicks off a new program year this week. Before we move on to the excitement of a new year, let’s take a moment to remember the accomplishments we shared together this past year. Our success would not be possible without the constant support from all of our partners, agencies, donors, staff, board members, community leaders, businesses and more. By sharing Dollar Energy Fund’s dedication and passion for helping your neighbors in need, you have allowed us to continue our work for more than 36 years. Here are some highlights from the 2018-2019 program year (October 2018 – September 2019):

November

• In November, the 10th annual Warm Your Hearth, Touch a Heart Campaign kicked off with a reception at Hearth and Home Furnishings in Zelienople. Efforts to date have brought our ten-year total to more than $160,000, including a generous match from Peoples, to assist gas customers throughout Butler County.
• Dollar Energy Fund was the presenting sponsor and benefiting charity of Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland for the second year in a row. Shadrack’s made a generous donation of $20,000 to Dollar Energy Fund. Through a partnership with Chick-fil-A, coupons were distributed to customers to receive $2 off admission. Dollar Energy Fund received $1 donation for every coupon redeemed. These efforts resulted in utility assistance for 115 local families.

• Dollar Energy Fund hosted its 2nd annual Winter Warm Up Request-A-Thon at iHeartMedia studios and broadcasted on 3WS Pittsburgh. The event raised $93,872 to provide utility assistance to approximately 260 Pittsburgh families who were struggling to stay warm.
• Duquesne Light Company supported Dollar Energy Fund during its Power It Forward campaign through a ’12 days of giving’ fundraiser and text-to-give campaign for Pittsburghers in need.
• Dollar Energy Fund participated in #GiveBigPittsburgh, an online giving day hosted by the Pittsburgh Magazine on Giving Tuesday.

• Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Dollar Energy Fund teamed up to host our first ever Topgolf Fundraiser in November. The event raised $12,210, including a dollar-for-dollar match by Columbia, to benefit customers in need. This amount provided much-needed heating assistance to approximately 35 households this winter.
  December
• In December, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania hosted a fundraiser in partnership with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. A portion of every Pittsburgh ticket sold was donated to Dollar Energy Fund, totaling more than $11,200.

January

• In January, Dollar Energy Fund raised more than $156,000 during its 5th annual Cool Down for Warmth event in Market Square. The amount raised gave assistance to approximately 450 Pittsburgh families and individuals who were struggling to afford safe utility service.

• During Cool Down for Warmth, we hosted our 3rd annual Bowls for Warmth Soup Tasting, presented by BNY Mellon. Twenty-one local restaurants showed up to support Dollar Energy Fund and serve cups of soup to the lunchtime crowd. Bowls for Warmth raised over $10,000 in two days, including a match from our utility partners.

February

• In February, Dollar Energy Fund’s 11th annual Warmathon on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA raised $155,000, which provided utility assistance grants to 430 Pittsburgh-area households.

March

• Through our partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins, we hosted a variety of fundraisers this season to expand our reach and awareness in the community. Our Jerseys for Warmth Auction raised more than $53,000 to benefit Peoples Natural Gas customers in need. In March, our Fan Appreciation Night Raffle raised nearly $8,000, including a match from our utility partners.

April

• Dollar Energy Fund was an exhibitor in this year’s CS Week Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. We shared our solutions and experience on managing low-income utility assistance programs with other industry professionals across the country.

May

• In partnership with Appalachian Power Company in Virginia, Dollar Energy Fund hosted its second annual fishing tournament, Fishing for a Cause. We welcomed 40 boats to Smith Mountain Lake and the event raised nearly $20,000 to assist limited-income customers maintain or restore basic electric service through our Virginia Neighbor to Neighbor Program.
• Dollar Energy Fund participated in The Pittsburgh Foundation’s #ONEDAY Critical Needs Alert online giving event on May 7, 2019.

June

• Several members of Dollar Energy Fund’s staff and management team attended the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC) 2019 Annual Conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

• In June, we welcomed 26 foursomes and more than 100 guests at Quicksilver Golf Club for our 11th annual Golf Classic. This event is a fan favorite, featuring 18-holes of golf, our famous Bloody Mary Bar, a delicious lunch and more.
• During the Golf Classic, Dollar Energy Fund hosted its first online silent auction. This auction raised over $2,500 for our local neighbors in need.
• Dollar Energy Fund earned its third consecutive 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charitable organizations. This is the highest possible rating and shows our commitment to financial accountability and transparency.

July

• Dollar Energy Fund has been working hard to provide utility customers with a quick and easy way to recertify for PCAP. In July, Dollar Energy Fund sent a text message to 2,200 FirstEnergy customers regarding their PCAP status. This method of communication served as a quick and easy way for customers to complete some or all of the recertification process for their account through text messaging.

August

• Dollar Energy Fund celebrated National Popsicle Day on August 26, 2019, by passing out popsicles in downtown Pittsburgh to raise awareness on the need for utility assistance in our region.
• Once again this season, Dollar Energy Fund continues its partnership with Pitt Athletics by sponsoring the Pat Narduzzi Show. We are giving away a weekly VIP package to the show to those who like or follow us on social media. The contest will run until November 27, 2019.

September

• In September, we joined our partners in celebration at Rivers Casino for our 36th Annual Luncheon. We gathered with approximately 180 guests to honor the utility partners, employees, community organizations and leaders who worked diligently this year to bring Dollar Energy Fund’s mission to life.

• Dollar Energy Fund celebrated milestone years of partnership with the following utility companies:
  • Citizens’ Electric Company – 20 years of partnership
  • Wellsboro Electric – 20 years of partnership
  • AEP Ohio – 10 years of partnership
  • Kingsport Power Company – 10 years of partnership
  • Appalachian Power Virginia – 10 years of partnership
  • California Water Service Company – 5 years of partnership
  • Kentucky American Water – 5 years of partnership
• The Pittsburgh Pirates and Peoples Natural Gas teamed up for another season of helping others. The 2019 Bringing the Heat campaign raised $34,600 for local families in need of utility assistance this winter.
• This year, Dollar Energy Fund started contracts with many new utility partners. We now administer programs for Pacific Gas & Electric, West View Water Authority, Maryland American Water, Indiana Michigan Power, and Indianapolis Power & Light Company. These new partnerships expanded our service territory to 13 states.
• Most importantly, Dollar Energy Fund has distributed over 22,195 grants, totaling more than $6.3 million across the country since October 1, 2018.
• Since 1983, we have assisted 562,000 households by distributing $155 million in utility assistance nationwide.

With your help, we can continue to provide immediate and direct assistance during our 2019-2020 program year. Your contribution, no matter how big or small, can make an extraordinary impact by ensuring local, limited-income families maintain or restore safe utility service and get on a path to self-sufficiency. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation before the end of the calendar year. If you would like to get involved during this program year, subscribe to our email newsletters to stay up-to-date on our latest fundraising campaigns.

On behalf of the many individuals, seniors and families we help, thank you for your continued support!