Sparklight®, along with the other Cable One family of brands, today announced the launch of the company’s Charitable Giving Fund, which will annually award $200,000 in grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations across its 21-state footprint.
“We are committed to connecting customers in the cities and towns we serve to what matters most,” said Julie Laulis, President and CEO. “Through our philanthropic initiatives and partnerships, we provide support for nonprofit organizations to build strong and vibrant communities, improve quality of life, and make a positive difference where we live and work.”
Grants will be made available across communities served by Sparklight and the other Cable One family of brands (Fidelity Communications, Clearwave® and ValuNet Fiber) and will concentrate support in the following priority areas:
- Education and Digital Literacy
- Hunger Relief and Food Insecurity
- Community Development
Nonprofit organizations will have the opportunity to apply for a grant during open application periods each spring and fall. Applications for spring 2021 grants will be open between April 1, 2021 and April 30, 2021.
The Charitable Giving Fund is an extension of the company’s existing corporate social responsibility efforts, which include:
- Chromebooks for Kids, an initiative in which the company donates Chromebooks to Title I schools across its footprint. To date the company has donated more than 1,500 Chromebooks to help bridge the digital divide in schools that lack funding.
- Partnering with EmbraceRace, a national organization dedicated to creating tools, resources, and networks to promote a movement of child and adult racial justice advocates.
- Supporting the mission of Special Olympics Arizona, which provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports, as well as health, arts, and leadership and advocacy programs for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
- Planting trees through the Arbor Day Foundation on behalf of customers who switch to paperless billing. By the end of 2021, the company will have planted 110,000 trees in its markets and national forests.
- Supporting the mission of Keep America Beautiful in cleaning up and beautifying communities across the U.S.
“Perhaps the most critical and impactful component of our efforts are those of our associates, who spend thousands of hours every year giving back to the cities and towns they call home,” Laulis said. “In keeping with our values – do right by those we serve, drive progress, and lend a hand – our associates give their time and talents to organizations working to make a positive change for those most in need.”
For more information about the Sparklight Charitable Giving Fund, visit www.sparklight.com/charitablegiving.