In the Community
We’re all Citizens
Citizens Energy Group was founded in 1887 with a distinct business structure focused on operating in the best interest of the customers and communities we serve. We are unique in that we don’t have shareholders, and we work hard to enrich the neighborhoods in which we provide utility services. For us, this includes philanthropic giving to local organizations, employee service projects, community development grants, and education initiatives including internships and scholarships. We also encourage our employees to volunteer their time and financial resources to organizations of their choice that are improving the quality of life in their own neighborhoods.
Philanthropic Partnerships
Citizens Energy Group is committed to being a good corporate partner and an active contributor to greater Indianapolis. We believe supporting the communities we serve enhances the quality of life for all residents. One way we provide support is through philanthropic giving to organizations that are aligned with Citizens’ environmental, business, and community sustainability goals.
Is your organization an existing partner with Citizens or a potential new partner looking for more information on our grantmaking and philanthropic giving?
Sharing the Dream
Each January, Citizens Energy Group and hundreds of Citizens employees come together with partner companies for our annual Sharing the Dream event to refurbish an Indy Parks facility and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A longstanding tradition, Sharing the Dream has evolved into a multi-day effort that unites our employees and demonstrates Dr. King’s idea that our destinies are tied together, and we can work alongside one another to build a better community.
Since 2008, Citizens has leveraged an estimated $3 million during Sharing the Dream projects for improvements to Watkins Park Family Center; Frederick Douglass Park Family Center, golf course clubhouse, and pool house; Brookside Park Family Center; Martin Luther King, Jr. Park pool and bathhouse; Pride Park Community Center; Municipal Gardens; Eagle Creek Hide-A-Way; Perry Park’s Ice Arena; Thatcher Park; Krannert Park; Garfield Park; Riverside Park; Ellenberger Park; and – most recently in 2024 – Stanley Strader Park (formerly Bethel Park).
ICON
Citizens Energy Group’s Investment Collaboration On Neighborhoods (ICON) is a non-profit organization created in 1995 to support community redevelopment through public/private partnerships and non-profit loans.
ICON’s redevelopment efforts are in keeping with Citizens’ vision to enhance the well-being of our customers, communities, and employees by providing unparalleled service now and for generations to come. Joining with community partners, Citizens provides low-interest loans for neighborhood redevelopment projects, affordable housing initiatives, and commercial and retail developments.
PERL
Citizens’ Partnership for Excellence in Research and Learning (PERL) initiative is a collaborative effort between Indiana universities and industry partners to foster greater student engagement through participation in real-world projects.
Primarily, PERL seeks to do the following:
- Encourage graduating students to remain in Indiana and the Indianapolis area after graduation to fulfill the workforce needs of Citizens and its supporting businesses
- Create more professional development opportunities for students as emerging talent and future business leaders
- Create an improved exchange of industry and collegiate data that will better address research, technology, and industry challenges, ultimately resulting in more valuable, efficient, and sustainable business and community solutions
Yvonne Perkins Legacy Fund
Yvonne Perkins, who passed away in 2016, was a servant leader; a distinguished alumna of Indianapolis Public Schools and Butler University; a longtime Citizens Energy Group executive; and a tireless advocate for improving quality of life in Indianapolis.
The Yvonne Perkins Legacy Fund was established to break down barriers and open doors to college degrees, technical training, apprenticeships, and/or employment with Citizens Energy Group or affiliated partners, thus developing a pipeline of talent from the community to the Indiana workforce.
Scholarships are available for students of local high schools, veteran programs, and re-entry organizations in the Indianapolis-Marion County area.
