Pam Bold, executive director of High Sierra Energy Foundation, plays with a child while offering educational materials from the LADWP. (photo courtesy of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power)

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is now receiving applications for the seventh round of its Community Partnership Grants for local nonprofit organizations. The objective of the grants is to encourage new community outreach and public education efforts that engage LADWP residential and business customers on improving their energy and water efficiency and reducing their utility bills. This latest round offers 17 grants totaling $860,000. Sixteen of these grants will be offered at $50,000, totaling $800,000 and one grant at $60,000. The focus of these grants is to reach traditionally underserved, hard-to-reach communities among LADWP residential and commercial customers through workshops, community events, presentations and other engagement opportunities. LADWP will be evaluating applicants based on past performance with behavior-impacting programs and how their proposals address local needs, cost effectiveness and tracking methods.

The competitive grants will be awarded to one 501(c)3 in each of Los Angeles’ 15 council districts and one in the Owens Valley, either in Inyo or Mono County. The application for the Owens Valley grant must describe recent work experience in the area and applicants are encouraged to partner with area tribes. The $60,000 grant is designated for a peer facilitator to help coordinate grantee projects to ensure they meet their stated goals.

Past outreach methods have included door-to-door canvassing, attending public events, comedic plays, presentations and conferences and engagement through traditional media and social media. Nonprofit grantees have also done outreach at local schools and helped LADWP distribute LED light bulbs, faucet aerators, showerheads and shower timers to LADWP customers.

Applications will be accepted through Aug. 7. In the eight years of this program, LADWP’s community grants have provided almost $9 million in funding for more than 150 education projects, reaching hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses.

For information, email nonprofitgrants@ladwp.com, or visit ladwp.com.