Avista foundation

What Avista foundation does

The Avista Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) corporate foundation and community investment program of Avista Corp., a publicly traded utility holding company. It distributes grants to non-profit organizations serving communities within Avista Utilities' geographic footprint in eastern Washington, northern Idaho, portions of southern Oregon, Sanders County Montana, and the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska (via Alaska Electric Light and Power Co.). Grants are restricted to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt applicants and adjudicated against three focus areas: Education (K-12 STEM support and higher-education scholarships in engineering and technical fields), Vulnerable and Limited Income Populations (energy-assistance, senior support, and conservation education), and Economic and Cultural Vitality (civic infrastructure and community events).

The foundation has no proprietary technology platform. Its single digital touchpoint for applicants is the third-party CyberGrants online portal, and additional communications run through the Avista Foundation website, Avista Connect news portal, and the Avista Utilities Facebook page. A published Anti-Hate Policy layers eligibility screening on top of standard 501(c)(3) requirements, and the foundation files annual Form 990-PF returns that are publicly accessible via the foundation website.

As a grantmaking entity, Avista Foundation does not sell products or services and has no revenue model in the conventional commercial sense; its operations are funded by corporate contributions from Avista Corp. Grant amounts and award terms are determined case-by-case through the application review process, with no public pricing or fee structure. The foundation reports no headcount, no management team, no acquisitions, no partnerships, and no funding rounds within the source data.

Name

Avista foundation

Legal name

Avista Foundation

Website

https://avistafoundation.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Avista Foundation is the 501(c)(3) corporate philanthropy arm of Avista Corp., awarding grants to non-profits in education, vulnerable population support, and economic vitality within Avista Utilities' five-state service territory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Philanthropy and Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Corporate philanthropy
• Community grantmaking
• Nonprofit funding programs
• STEM education grants
• Utility community investment

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Corporate Philanthropy Grants: Avista Foundation is a community investment program of Avista Corp. that provides funding to non-profit organizations addressing community needs. As a private foundation, it distributes grants funded by corporate contributions rather than generating revenue from product/service sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Avista Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation and community investment program of Avista Corp. that distributes grant funding to non-profit organizations within Avista Utilities' service territory (eastern Washington, northern Idaho, portions of southern Oregon, Sanders County Montana, and the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska). Grants are awarded across three focus areas: Education (K-12 science/math/technology and higher-education scholarships, especially for engineering, IS, and the crafts); Vulnerable & Limited Income Populations (energy bill assistance, senior support, energy conservation education, community safety-net services); and Economic & Cultural Vitality (civic/social infrastructure capital projects and signature community events). Applications are accepted through a CyberGrants online portal from eligible 501(c)(3) organizations.

Product overview

Avista Foundation is a community philanthropy and grant funding program operated by Avista Corp. It is not a technology product company. The organization provides grant funding to non-profit organizations addressing community needs in education (K-12 science/math/technology and higher education scholarships), vulnerable and limited income populations (energy assistance and support services), and economic and cultural vitality. The website serves as an application portal for grant seekers, providing access to application information, eligibility requirements, focus areas, limitations, annual returns (990-PF forms), and news. The foundation uses a third-party CyberGrants portal for grant applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Grants Program Grant funding for 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations supporting K-12 education in science, math, and technology, and higher-education scholarships—particularly college scholarships in engineering, IS, and the crafts to address the utility's future workforce gap, and pipeline-building programs for underserved students pursuing college.
• Vulnerable & Limited Income Populations Grants Program Grant funding for 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations providing assistance to those on limited incomes, energy bill assistance for customers most in need, enhanced support for senior and more vulnerable customers, energy conservation education, and community-wide safety-net services for basic needs.
• Economic & Cultural Vitality Grants Program Grant funding for 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations supporting capital projects that provide vital civic and social infrastructure and economic growth, and signature community events and programs that strengthen community identity and quality of life within Avista's service territory.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Puget Sound Energy Foundation: Foundation of Puget Sound Energy, serving communities in Washington state. Closely comparable regional utility foundation with overlapping service geography (eastern Washington) and similar grantmaking focus on education, basic needs, and community vitality.
• Idaho Power Foundation: Foundation of Idaho Power, serving southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. Directly comparable as a regional electric-utility corporate foundation with overlapping service territory (northern Idaho, eastern Oregon) and similar community grantmaking mission.
• PacifiCorp Foundation: Corporate foundation of PacifiCorp, another major Pacific Northwest/Mountain West electric utility. Directly comparable as a utility-backed private foundation funding non-profits in similar education, vulnerable-population, and community-vitality categories within a defined service territory.

Broad incumbents

• Exelon Foundation: Corporate foundation of Exelon Corporation, a major U.S. utility holding company. Comparable in supporting STEM education, workforce development, and energy-assistance initiatives, though operating across a much broader multi-state footprint.
• Xcel Energy Foundation: Corporate foundation of Xcel Energy, a national utility operator. Comparable grantmaking model emphasizing STEM education, energy assistance for low-income customers, and community development, with overlapping focus on workforce pipeline development.
• Edison International / SCE Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Edison International/Southern California Edison. Comparable utility corporate foundation with STEM scholarships, energy-assistance programs, and community-vitality grantmaking aligned to parent utility workforce needs.
• Duke Energy Foundation: Large corporate foundation of Duke Energy, a major U.S. electric utility. Comparable as a utility-backed grantmaker focused on education (especially STEM workforce), economic vitality, and vulnerable-population support, but operating at significantly larger national scale.

Regional players

• PNGC Power Foundation: Foundation affiliated with PNGC Power, a Pacific Northwest generation and transmission cooperative. Comparable regional utility-affiliated grantmaker with overlapping Pacific Northwest service area and similar community-investment orientation.
• Seattle Foundation: Major community foundation serving the greater Puget Sound region. Comparable as a regional grantmaking organization supporting education, equity, and community vitality, though structured as an independent community foundation rather than a utility corporate foundation.
• Inland Northwest Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving eastern Washington and northern Idaho—the same core geography as Avista Foundation. Highly comparable as a grantmaking organization funding non-profits in education, vulnerable populations, and community development, though structured as an independent community foundation rather than a corporate foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AvistaUtilities

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

Investments35 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Avista foundation