What PG&E Corporation Foundation does

PG&E Corporation Foundation is a non-profit corporate foundation established and funded by PG&E Corporation, California's largest regulated electric and gas utility. The foundation manages charitable giving programs across Northern and Central California, with capital sourced exclusively from PG&E shareholders rather than ratepayers. Its core programs include the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program (active since 2012, expanded to HBCU students in 2022, awarding $2,500-$10,000 to up to 60 students annually), the Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant Program (multi-region environmental stewardship grants launched at scale in 2026 at $100,000 per region), and recurring wildfire safety grants administered in partnership with the California Fire Foundation (eight consecutive years, $5.5M cumulative to 431 grantees).

The foundation also funds the UC Berkeley Haas financial education program for Oakland high school seniors ($800,000 since 2022) and a $5 million capital donation to the California Firefighters Memorial expansion in 2025. Its core technology stack is minimal — it operates as a program administration and grantmaking entity, with no proprietary product or platform of its own, though it benefits from the parent company's SmartMeter infrastructure, customer data, and California-wide brand reach.

Its business model is shareholder-funded corporate philanthropy: PG&E Corporation provides capital, the foundation distributes grants and scholarships to individuals, nonprofits, fire agencies, and educational institutions, and the foundation derives no direct revenue from its activities. Operating overhead is implied to be low, with 11-50 employees, and the foundation's strategic role is reputational and social-license-to-operate support for the parent utility rather than revenue generation.

Name

PG&E Corporation Foundation

Legal name

PG&E Corporation Foundation

Website

https://pge.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PG&E Corporation Foundation is a non-profit corporate foundation that funds STEM scholarships, environmental stewardship grants, and wildfire safety initiatives across Northern and Central California, with capital provided by PG&E Corporation shareholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Foundation and Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Corporate philanthropy
• Community grants
• Scholarship programs
• Wildfire safety grants
• Environmental stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Electric Utility Services: PG&E generates revenue primarily through regulated rates charged to customers for electricity distribution and transmission services. Revenue is approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) through General Rate Cases.
2. Gas Utility Services: Natural gas distribution services provided to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across Northern and Central California, with rates regulated by CPUC.
3. Corporate Foundation Grants: The PG&E Corporation Foundation funds community programs including scholarships, wildfire safety grants, and environmental stewardship projects. Funding comes from PG&E shareholders rather than customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PG&E Corporation Foundation is a corporate foundation that distributes charitable grants and scholarships funded by PG&E Corporation shareholders. Its core offerings include the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program, the Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant Program for environmental stewardship, and annual wildfire safety grants administered in partnership with the California Fire Foundation. Recipients include government organizations, educational institutions, nonprofits, fire departments, and STEM students across Northern and Central California.

Product overview

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) operates as a vertically integrated utility offering electricity and natural gas services across Northern and Central California. The product portfolio centers on the SmartMeter advanced metering infrastructure as the core technology platform, which enables time-based billing, energy usage tracking, and demand response capabilities. Customer-facing digital products include the Energy Data Hub for data access, Energy Alerts for usage notifications, and Budget Billing for payment management. Clean energy offerings encompass solar programs, EV charging infrastructure (EV Fleet Program, ChargeBoost, Vehicle-to-Home technology), battery storage (SGIP, Community Microgrids, Reliability Battery Initiative), and building electrification. Financial assistance products include CARE, FERA, LIHEAP, and Medical Baseline programs for low-income and vulnerable customers. Business solutions feature On-Bill Financing (0% interest loans) and GoGreen Business Energy Financing for energy efficiency upgrades, plus the Economic Development Rate for business growth incentives. Wildfire safety products include the Community Wildfire Safety Program with undergrounding, Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings, and Public Safety Power Shutoffs. The Better Together grant and scholarship programs support STEM education and environmental stewardship in local communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Better Together STEM Scholarship Program: Scholarship program offering $2,500 to $10,000 awards to up to 60 students pursuing STEM disciplines, funded by PG&E shareholders.
• Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant Program

Products and services

• Better Together STEM Scholarship Program Annual scholarship program offering awards of $2,500 to $10,000 to up to 60 students pursuing STEM disciplines in Northern and Central California, with eligibility expanded to include HBCU students. Funded by PG&E shareholders rather than customers.
• Better Together Nature Positive Innovation Grant Program Environmental grant program awarding $100,000 regional grants to government organizations, educational institutions, and nonprofits for environmental stewardship projects in Northern and Central California, focused on air quality, land preservation, and water stewardship in disadvantaged communities.
• Wildfire Safety Grants (California Fire Foundation Partnership) Annual grant program administered in partnership with the California Fire Foundation that distributes wildfire safety grants to local fire departments, fire agencies, and non-profit groups in Northern and Central California.
• Environmental Stewardship Grants Grants awarded to community organizations in California for environmental stewardship projects aimed at land, water, and air preservation, with focus on integrating cultural practices, environmental justice, and habitat restoration.
• Financial Education Program (UC Berkeley Haas Partnership) Financial education and mentorship program for Oakland-area high school seniors launched in 2022 in partnership with UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, including scholarships funded by PG&E. The program has helped 96 students since inception.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 16 million people across Northern and Central California
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Five Local Environmental Organizations (California)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2025The PG&E Corporation Foundation awarded five community organizations in California a total of $500,000 in grants for environmental stewardship projects focused on land, water, and air preservation. Grants support initiatives integrating cultural practices, environmental justice, and habitat restoration.
• California Fire FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025The PG&E Corporation Foundation and California Fire Foundation partner annually to distribute wildfire safety grants to local fire departments, fire agencies, and non-profit groups. In 2025, $950,000 was awarded to 63 grantees across Northern and Central California, with $200,000 above prior-year levels. Since 2018, the partnership has distributed $5.5 million to 431 grantees statewide.
• California Fire FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025PG&E donated $5 million to the California Fire Foundation to support expansion of the California Firefighters Memorial in Sacramento. The donation funds nearly half of the $12 million expansion cost to add more space honoring fallen firefighters.
• UC Berkeley Haas School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022PG&E partnered with UC Berkeley Haas School of Business to launch a financial education program for high school seniors in Oakland, California in 2022. The program has helped 96 students and includes mentorship, scholarships totaling $800,000 funded by PG&E, aiming to improve financial literacy and economic opportunities for underserved communities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Exelon Foundation: Corporate foundation of Exelon Corporation, a large U.S. utility holding company. Directly comparable as a utility corporate foundation funding STEM education, environmental programs, and community initiatives in service territories.
• American Electric Power Foundation: Corporate foundation of American Electric Power, one of the largest U.S. electricity transmission operators. Comparable structure as utility corporate foundation supporting education, environmental stewardship, and community development.
• Entergy Charitable Foundation: Corporate foundation of Entergy Corporation, a U.S. electric utility. Comparable as a utility-funded foundation with grantmaking in education, environment, and community resilience within its service territory.
• Xcel Energy Foundation: Corporate foundation of Xcel Energy, a major U.S. utility holding company. Comparable as utility corporate foundation funding STEM, environmental, and community programs across multiple states.
• NextEra Energy Foundation: Corporate foundation of NextEra Energy, parent of Florida Power & Light. Directly comparable as a utility-funded corporate foundation with grantmaking in education, environment, and community programs in its utility service territory.
• Edison International Foundation: Corporate foundation of Edison International, parent of Southern California Edison. Closest geographic and structural peer to PG&E Corporation Foundation—both are California investor-owned utility corporate foundations funding STEM, environment, and community safety programs.
• Southern Company Foundation: Corporate foundation of Southern Company, a major U.S. electric utility holding company. Comparable in structure and scale, with grantmaking across education, environment, and community development in utility service territories.
• Duke Energy Foundation: Corporate foundation of Duke Energy, one of the largest U.S. investor-owned electric utilities. Directly comparable as a utility-funded corporate foundation with multi-state grantmaking in education, environment, and community resilience.

Regional players

• California Community Foundation: Major Los Angeles-based community foundation serving California with grantmaking in education, health, and environment. Regional peer with shared California geography and similar program themes but operates as an independent community foundation, not a corporate entity.
• San Francisco Foundation: One of the largest community foundations in the U.S., based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Regional peer operating in the same geography with overlapping program areas (education, environment, equity) but as an independent community foundation rather than a corporate foundation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments18 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PG&E Corporation Foundation