Eligibility & Guidelines for Employee Matching

The Puget Sound Energy Foundation supports the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Employee Matching Program which is designed to encourage and recognize charitable giving by employees, board members and retirees. The Foundation values these gifts of time and money and supports philanthropic giving to the community.

The Foundation reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any donation submitted for an Employee Matching Program grant.

Application Deadline

The PSE Employee Matching Program deadline for submitting matching grant requests is Dec. 1 each year, unless otherwise stipulated. Qualifying contributions made after Dec. 1 are eligible for a matching grant the next calendar year.

Criteria

Current, full-time or part-time benefits eligible employees, board members and retirees are eligible to participate.

Eligible Contributions

The Foundation will match contributions to qualified non-profit organizations with an IRS 501(c)3 designation that are located in and serve the people of PSE’s service and operations area and that operate in accordance with the program guidelines.

In addition, the Foundation will match contributions to accredited community and technical colleges and universities in Washington state.

Ineligible Contributions

The Foundation does not match the following contributions:

  • That directly benefit an employee or their immediate family members (e.g. an employee giving to their child’s K-12 school, little league team, scout troop, band, choir, or youth group related activity). Although the Foundation values parental involvement, it must reserve matching funds for charitable programs that benefit the broader community.
  • To programs that operate outside of PSE's service and operations area.
  • Raised through fundraisers or gifts that are in whole or in part the gift of another person.
  • To individual K-12 schools, clubs, youth groups, etc.
  • To religious organizations of any kind, unless the program is open to the public such as a food bank.
  • Toward tuition or membership dues made to service clubs, social or fraternal organizations, etc.
  • Designated for the benefit of an individual or specific family or group.

Matching Levels

The Foundation will match financial donations and volunteer time contributed to eligible charities according to established matching levels.

Monetary donations

Monetary gifts of $25 or more made to an eligible, non-profit organization will be matched at the rate of 50 percent for every dollar donated up to $300 per year. (For example, the Foundation will contribute $300 when an employee donates a total of $600 or more to eligible charities in the course of a year).

Only gifts of cash, check or credit card are eligible for matching. Real estate, securities, in-kind gifts, etc. will not be matched.

Volunteer time

In addition, donations of at least 10 hours of volunteer time made to an eligible nonprofit organization will be matched at $10 per volunteer hour, up to 30 hours per year.