2024 Nonprofit Awards Recognize BPU for Social Responsibility

(KANSAS CITY, Kan.) — The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) recently received the top recognition from the 2024 PRNews Nonprofit Awards in the Social Responsibility Campaign/Initiatives category. The award recognizes organizations’ on-going efforts to better their community and provide a positive societal and social value.

As a publicly owned utility, BPU’s mission extends beyond just meeting Wyandotte County’s electric and water needs, but also includes an obligation to improve the community it serves through comprehensive social responsibility efforts. This includes a commitment to Volunteerism, Philanthropy, Civic Involvement, and Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability – achieved through a variety of unique services, programs, and initiatives. This includes, among other things:

Providing $625,000 in Utility and Hardship Assistance to customers experiencing financial challenges.
An industry-leading commitment to renewable energy, with 48% of its portfolio coming from wind turbines, solar, hydro-dam, and methane gas.
Hosting an Annual BPU Charity Golf Tournament that has raised more than $779,000 since its inception, with proceeds supporting local children’s groups.
Offering programs like Paperless Billing and the MyMeter online customer portal to track individual water/electric usage and gauge environmental impact – both intended to reduce waste, support conservation, and promote efficiency.
Sponsoring the popular BPU Summer Youth Program through area nonprofits.
An active Employee Foundation that manages holiday drives and donation campaigns, and volunteers for and assists individuals and area nonprofits.

Other notable 2024 Nonprofit Award winners across various categories included Kaiser Permanent, the American Diabetes Association, the US Small Business Administration (SBA), the CDC Foundation, and the White House Historical Association.

To learn more about the various programs, services, and tools BPU provides to its customers and the community, including its on-going support initiatives, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility efforts, check out the BPU website at www.BPU.com, or follow BPU on social media.

About BPU

BPU’s water department was originally created in 1909, and its electric utility was operational in 1912. The purpose of the utility, then and to this day, is to provide the highest quality electric and water services at the lowest possible cost. Today the publicly owned utility serves approximately 67,000 electric and 53,000 water customers, primarily in Wyandotte County, Kansas. The mission of the utility and its employees is “to focus on the needs of our customers, to improve the quality of life in our community while promoting safe, reliable and sustainable utilities.” BPU’s Web site is www.bpu.com.