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Dominion Energy today joined a host of regional corporations making sizeable gifts to historically Black colleges and universities over the last several months, committing $25 million over six years to 11 institutions.
The gifts of varying sizes to the public and private institutions will assist with capital expansion, program development, and endowment building. In a release, officials called the donations a part of a long-term relationship with historically Black institutions.
We have partnered with HBCUs for nearly 40 years, offering volunteer and financial support. As we witness our country’s evolving conversation on race and social justice, we have been looking for ways that we can make a difference. We know that education, especially at our HBCUs, can serve as a springboard for social and economic mobility for many.
Energy companies have been at the forefront of substantial gifts to Black colleges since the May murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd and a resulting summer of racial unrest throughout the United States and in cities around the world in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Southern Company and Dow have announced multi-year support partnerships with HBCUs in the last month totaling more than $55 million, in addition to private donors and tech companies providing transformative gifts to the sector.
The sector is on pace to set an all-time record for single-year philanthropic support in 2020, with receipts totaling more than the record $418 million raised in 2018, according to federal records.
