The NV Energy Charitable Foundation concentrates its giving on direct energy-related community relief, primarily funding programs that help households pay utility bills and avoid service interruptions. Its grants are targeted and operational, delivered through a major local intermediary rather than many small charities. The foundation appears focused on rapid-impact assistance in the utility sector, particularly in Southern Nevada.
NV Energy Charitable Foundation’s giving is anchored by large, repeated grants to United Way of Southern Nevada for utility assistance, including $500,000 in 2025 for Project REACH and another $500,000 in 2024 for Energy Assistance Program Funding. That pattern points to a funder built around keeping households connected to essential services, especially when energy costs become a burden. The foundation also uses sizable awards to support emergency needs and related community infrastructure in Nevada. Recent examples include $350,000 to United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra for the Special Assistance Fund for Emergencies (SAFE) and $250,000 to the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe for Stepping Stones Emergency Youth Shelter. Beyond energy relief, its grants touch youth shelter, food access, workforce preparation, and select capital or capacity projects. The overall picture is of a Nevada-focused corporate foundation making operational, high-impact grants through established local partners and public-serving institutions.
Energy affordability is the clearest thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025, it gave $500,000 to United Way of Southern Nevada for Project REACH and $500,000 in 2024 for Energy Assistance Program Funding. It also supported emergency utility relief with $350,000 to United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra for the Special Assistance Fund for Emergencies (SAFE). The foundation also funds basic-needs and crisis-response work. It awarded $100,000 to HELP of Southern Nevada for the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center and $86,174 to The Just One Project for the Food for All Program. Education and workforce development appear as another strand. Grants include $250,000 to Nevada State College Foundation for Building a Stronger Workforce in Southern Nevada, $75,000 to the University of Nevada Reno Foundation for the Global Water Center Early Career Women in Science Initiative, and $70,000 to Communities in Schools of Nevada for Wraparound Support for Underserved K-12 Students.
Typical grants cluster in the low five figures: the p25 is $3,500, the median is $10,000, and the p75 is $15,000. The distribution is skewed upward by a small number of large operating grants and partnership awards. Recipients do repeat across years, especially United Way of Southern Nevada, United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra, Communities in Schools of Nevada, Public Education Foundation, Three Square, and the UNLV Foundation. The foundation appears to operate as a corporate philanthropy vehicle rather than a private family foundation, and the recent record shows program support, capital campaign funding, and emergency assistance. Grants are made locally in Nevada, with no evidence here of an application-based public grant process.
$4.2M
$26.6M
$944K
$4.4M
Most grants fall between $4K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
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Highly concentrated: very few, relatively large grants routed through a single intermediary (repeat funding to United Way of Southern Nevada) to deliver operational energy-assistance programs.
Notable grantees: United Way of Southern Nevada
Giving is overwhelmingly concentrated in Nevada, with 96% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state’s recipient network. Las Vegas is the main hub, with major awards to United Way of Southern Nevada, HELP of Southern Nevada, Communities in Schools of Nevada, Public Education Foundation, and The Nevada Independent. Reno also appears repeatedly through United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra, Nevada Clean Energy Fund, DRI Foundation, and the University of Nevada Reno Foundation. Outside Nevada, the recent record includes one grant to Tahoe Fund in Tahoe City, California.
Its clearest pattern is energy bill assistance and shutoff prevention. Recent grants include $500,000 to United Way of Southern Nevada for Project REACH, $500,000 for Energy Assistance Program Funding, and $350,000 to United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra for the Special Assistance Fund for Emergencies (SAFE).
The typical grant sits at $10,000, with the 25th percentile at $3,500 and the 75th percentile at $15,000. The recent record also includes a few much larger awards, such as $500,000 and $350,000 grants tied to utility assistance and emergency relief.
Yes. Recent examples include $250,000 to Nevada State College Foundation for Building a Stronger Workforce in Southern Nevada, $75,000 to University of Nevada Reno Foundation for the Global Water Center Early Career Women in Science Initiative, and $70,000 to Communities in Schools of Nevada for Wraparound Support for Underserved K-12 Students.
Most grants go to Nevada recipients, and 96% of grants are made in the HQ state’s recipient network. Las Vegas and Reno are the main recipient cities in the recent list, with additional grants appearing in Fallon and Henderson.
Yes. The recent record shows repeat support for several organizations, including United Way of Southern Nevada, United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra, Communities in Schools of Nevada, Public Education Foundation, Three Square, and the UNLV Foundation.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Way of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $500,000 | 2026 | REACH Program Support |
| United Way of Northern Nevada & the Sierra | Reno, NV | $448,442 | 2026 | Employee Giving Matching Gift |
| University of Nevada Reno Foundation | Reno, NV | $250,000 | 2026 | Tahoe Environmental Observatory Network (TEON) - Protecting the Jewel of the Sierra |
| United Way of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $243,484 | 2026 | Employee Giving Matching Gift |
| Three Square | Las Vegas, NV | $125,000 | 2026 | Three Square Emergency Response |
| The Public Education Foundation | Las Vegas, NV | $100,000 | 2026 | Public Education Foundation's Scholarship Plus |
| Food Bank of Northern Nevada | Sparks, NV | $100,000 | 2026 | FBNN Emergency Response |
| Rebuilding Together So Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $100,000 | 2026 | Merlayne Affordable Rental Project |
| Community Foundation of Northern Nevada | Reno, NV | $100,000 | 2026 | America 250 Nevada |
| Friends of the Marzen House | Lovelock, NV | $75,000 | 2026 | Marzenville: Museum Heritage Electricity Project |
| Serving Our Kids Foundation | Henderson, NV | $75,000 | 2026 | Feeding Their Dreams |
| The Nature Conservancy | Reno, NV | $75,000 | 2026 | Atwood Preserve Science Support |
| Three Square | Las Vegas, NV | $75,000 | 2026 | 2025 Bag Childhood Hunger Campaign |
| Walker River Paiute Tribe | Schurz, NV | $75,000 | 2026 | Little League Ballfield |
| HELP of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $70,000 | 2026 | Shannon West Homeless Youth Center |
| Communities in Schools of Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $70,000 | 2026 | Future Ready: Skills and Opportunities for K-12 Youth |
| United Way of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $54,000 | 2026 | Annual Corporate Contribution |
| Tahoe Fund | Incline Village, NV | $50,000 | 2026 | Fire Smart Pilot Home Hardening Fund |
| LGBTQIA Community Center of S Nevada Inc | Las Vegas, NV | $50,000 | 2026 | Caf Connect to Permanency |
| Latin Chamber of Commerce Foundation | Las Vegas, NV | $50,000 | 2026 | Otto Merida DocuFilm |
| UNLV Foundation | Las Vegas, NV | $50,000 | 2026 | UNLV Foundation Annual Dinner |
| Public Education Foundation | Las Vegas, NV | $50,000 | 2026 | Powerful Partner Scholarship |
| Western Folklife Center | Elko, NV | $50,000 | 2026 | 40th and 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering |
| Western Nevada College Foundation | Carson City, NV | $50,000 | 2026 | Commercial Driver's License Program |
| Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful | Reno, NV | $35,000 | 2026 | Raise the River & Christmas Tree Recycling |
| Community Foundation of Northern Nevada | Reno, NV | $30,000 | 2026 | Powerful Partner Scholarship |
| Green Vibe World | Reno, NV | $26,000 | 2026 | GreenVibe Defensible Space Pilot |
| Northern Nevada HOPES | Reno, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | Take Pride in HIPES Cocktail Party Event |
| Nevada Women's Fund | Reno, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | Nevada Women's Fund Scholarship & Event Support |
| The Public Education Foundation | Las Vegas, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | 2025 Evening of Excellence Starlight Awards |
| Center for Nonprofit Business | Reno, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | Powering Nevada's Nonprofits: A Rural Capacity Building Initiative |
| Latin Chamber of Commerce Foundation | Las Vegas, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | Lithium Summit |
| Truckee Meadows CommCollege Foundation | Reno, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | Summer Bridge 2026 |
| Nevada Outdoor School | Winnemuca, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | NOS 2026 Youth Focused Programs |
| Southern Nevada Trades High School | Las Vegas, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | SNTHS Work Based Learning Program |
| Olympia Companies SH Charitable Fdn | Las Vegas, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | Governor's Black Tie |
| Air Force Association | Nellis AFB, NV | $25,000 | 2026 | 2025 Aviation Nation Women in Aviation |
| United Way of Northern Nevada& the Sierra | Reno, NV | $24,000 | 2026 | Annual Corporate Contribution |
| Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $20,000 | 2026 | Prepping Students for Life Programming |
| Jobs for Nevada's Graduates Inc | Las Vegas, NV | $20,000 | 2026 | Powering Success for Nevada's Youth |
| Henderson Chamber of Commerce Foundation | Henderson, NV | $20,000 | 2026 | Launchpad and I CAN BE Scholarship |
| Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows | Reno, NV | $15,000 | 2026 | STEAM Bus |
| Fndn for Womens Leadership & Empowerment | Las Vegas, NV | $15,000 | 2026 | Annual Women's Leadership Conference |
| Las Vegas PRIDE | Las Vegas, NV | $15,000 | 2026 | Las Vegas PRIDE 2025 Parade and Festival |
| FISH - Friends in Service Helping | Carson City, NV | $15,000 | 2026 | FISH Food Programs |
| Rebuilding Together So Nevada | Las Vegas, NV | $15,000 | 2026 | National Rebuilding Day and Make a Difference Day: NV Energy Team-Building |
| The Moonridge Foundation | Las Vegas, NV | $15,000 | 2026 | 14th Annual Philanthropy Leaders Summit |
| Discovery Children's Museum | Las Vegas, NV | $15,000 | 2026 | Energy|Energia STEM-Focused Gallery & Learning Experiences |
| Channel 5 Pub Brdcst Inc dba PBS Reno | Reno, NV | $15,000 | 2026 | PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom |
| Community Foundation of Northern Nevada | Reno, NV | $15,000 | 2026 | The Village Renewal Project: Building Stability Through Comfort |
Tahoe Environmental Observatory Network (TEON) - Protecting the Jewel of the Sierra
Three Square Emergency Response
The Public Education Foundation
$100,000Public Education Foundation's Scholarship Plus
Friends of the Marzen House
$75,000Marzenville: Museum Heritage Electricity Project
The Nature Conservancy
$75,000Atwood Preserve Science Support
Walker River Paiute Tribe
$75,000Little League Ballfield
Future Ready: Skills and Opportunities for K-12 Youth
Tahoe Fund
$50,000Fire Smart Pilot Home Hardening Fund
Latin Chamber of Commerce Foundation
$50,000Otto Merida DocuFilm
UNLV Foundation
$50,000UNLV Foundation Annual Dinner
Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful
$35,000Raise the River & Christmas Tree Recycling
Green Vibe World
$26,000GreenVibe Defensible Space Pilot
Northern Nevada HOPES
$25,000Take Pride in HIPES Cocktail Party Event
Center for Nonprofit Business
$25,000Powering Nevada's Nonprofits: A Rural Capacity Building Initiative
Latin Chamber of Commerce Foundation
$25,000Lithium Summit
Truckee Meadows CommCollege Foundation
$25,000Summer Bridge 2026
Southern Nevada Trades High School
$25,000SNTHS Work Based Learning Program
Olympia Companies SH Charitable Fdn
$25,000Governor's Black Tie
Air Force Association
$25,0002025 Aviation Nation Women in Aviation
Henderson Chamber of Commerce Foundation
$20,000Launchpad and I CAN BE Scholarship
Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows
$15,000STEAM Bus
Fndn for Womens Leadership & Empowerment
$15,000Annual Women's Leadership Conference
Las Vegas PRIDE
$15,000Las Vegas PRIDE 2025 Parade and Festival
FISH - Friends in Service Helping
$15,000FISH Food Programs
National Rebuilding Day and Make a Difference Day: NV Energy Team-Building
Energy|Energia STEM-Focused Gallery & Learning Experiences
Channel 5 Pub Brdcst Inc dba PBS Reno
$15,000PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom
The Village Renewal Project: Building Stability Through Comfort