JACKSON, Mich., March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Consumers Energy and
its parent company, CMS Energy, their employees, and philanthropic arms, the
Consumers Energy Foundation and the CMS Energy Foundation, contributed $2.8
million to nonprofit organizations in 2005.
The bulk of those contributions went to Michigan groups. The United Way
was the largest single recipient with $1.7 million contributed to 68 local
United Way agencies.
Grants totaling nearly $970,000 were awarded to 668 projects. Those
projects involved education, health care, social welfare, culture and the
arts, community and civic activities, and the environment.
The Consumers Energy Foundation's Volunteer Investment Program awarded
grants totaling almost $116,000 to 270 organizations on behalf of 380
employees and retirees. The grants recognize outstanding volunteerism.
Employees of both companies and the philanthropic foundations donated
nearly $150,000 to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief efforts. The
CMS Energy Foundation made an immediate $10,000 donation after Hurricane
Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. The Consumers Energy Foundation matched all
hurricane relief donations that employees made to the Red Cross in September.
CMS Energy and Consumers Energy employees contributed nearly $68,000, which
the foundation matched.
Other notable grants in 2005 included:
* $50,000 to the Moroccan American Commission on Education and Cultural
Exchange, supporting a student in the Fulbright Scholarship Program.
* $30,000 to Grand Valley State University for construction of an
engineering facility in downtown Grand Rapids.
* $25,000 to Spring Arbor University for construction of a new academic
learning center.
* $20,000 to Saginaw Valley State University to expand and upgrade an
engineering laboratory.
* $15,000 to the Mid-Michigan Children's Museum to establish a children's
museum on a brownfield redevelopment site in Saginaw.
* $15,000 to the Boy Scouts of America -- Great Sauk Trail Council for
construction of a new dining hall and conference center at Camp
Teetonkah near Jackson.
* $15,000 to Davenport University for new construction and renovations to
the university's Grand Rapids area facilities and expansion of the
Rollin M. Gerstacker Library and Learning Center on its Midland campus.
* $15,000 to the Charlevoix Historical Society for the development of a
temporary exhibit about the Big Rock Point nuclear power plant and its
history. The decommissioning of the Consumers Energy plant is
scheduled to be completed this year.
* $10,000 to the Grand Rapids Ballet Company for program enhancements and
capital improvements at the organization's downtown Grand Rapids
facilities.
* $10,000 to Kids 'N' Stuff: An Interactive Experience for Kids to expand
the hands-on museum's facilities in downtown Albion.
* $10,000 to Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan for construction of
a new and expanded Goodwill Inn homeless shelter in Traverse City.
* $10,000 to the Flint Institute of Music for renovations to the
organization's facility in Flint.
* $10,000 to the Friends of the Falling Water Trail, supporting
development of a linear park between Jackson and Concord.
CMS Energy is an integrated energy company, which has as its primary
business operations an electric and natural gas utility, natural gas pipeline
systems, and independent power generation.
Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, provides natural
gas and electricity to more than six million of Michigan's nearly 10 million
residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
For more information about Consumers Energy, visit our Website at
http://www.consumersenergy.com .
SOURCE Consumers Energy
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Related links:
http://www.consumersenergy.com
CONTACT:
Jeff Holyfield, +1-517-788-2394, or Dan
Bishop, +1-517-788-2395, both of Consumers Energy
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