Entergy’s Open Grants Program focuses on improving communities as a whole. We look for giving opportunities in the areas of arts and culture, education and workforce development, poverty solutions and social services, healthy families, and community improvement.

Arts and culture

The arts are expressions of ourselves – our heritage, feelings and ideas. To cultivate that, we support a diverse range of locally based visual arts, theater, dance and music institutions. Our long-term goal is to increase the access to contemporary art for a wider public, including children and the financially disadvantaged.

Community improvement/enrichment

Entergy supports community-based projects that focus community enrichment and improvement. A few examples include civic affairs, blighted housing improvements, and neighborhood safety. By giving to communities in this way, we actually help them become more self-sufficient.

Healthy families

Children need a good start to grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults. With that in mind, we give to programs that have a direct impact on children educationally and emotionally. We’re also interested in family programs, like those that better prepare parents to balance the demands of work and home.

Please make sure to submit your application at least three months prior to the time the requested funds are needed. We receive many applications throughout the year, and we need to allow sufficient time to review each request carefully. Once you have submitted your application online, please allow at least 8 (eight) to 12 (twelve) weeks for review and notification of the result of your request. If by that time you have not been contacted by Entergy, please feel free to contact the appropriate contributions coordinator for your geographic area.

Applications should be submitted at least three months prior to the time the funding is needed.

• In considering requests for grants, priority is placed on programs in specific counties/parishes.
• If you have questions about this, please contact the Entergy contributions coordinator in your area.

Eligibility and preferences

Grants will only be made to the following types of organizations:

• a public charity or private foundation that qualifies as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity
• a school, hospital, governmental unit or religious institution that holds nonprofit status similar to that of 501(c)(3) organizations
• a state or local government, but only if a donation thereto is made exclusively for public purposes
• a war-veterans organization that qualifies as a 501(c)(19) tax-exempt entity
• a volunteer fire department that qualifies as a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt entity

Entergy will NOT fund:

• Groups without 501(c)(3) or similar nonprofit status
• Payment of utility bills
• Political candidates or groups
• Purchase of uniforms, equipment, or trips for school-related organizations or amateur sports teams
• Activities whose sole purpose is promotion or support of a specific religion, denomination, or religious institution
• Grants to individuals or loans of any type
• Any organization owned or operated by an employee of Entergy

Open grant applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Application process:

We strongly suggest that you create an account in Blackbaud’s new applicant portal so that you can save your application and edit it, if necessary, prior to submission.

To access and submit an Open Grant application form click here.

When you enter your organization’s Federal Tax ID, the system runs a search to see if the organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity. If it isn’t, a notice will appear, but you still may still be eligible. Just double-click the number you entered and then “OK,” and you can access the application. However, you must attach the latest copy of your W-9 form when submitting the application. You can access a blank W-9 form here.

• State and organizational documents are not accepted for verification of eligibility. Only current documents from the Internal Revenue Service are accepted.
• All applications must be submitted online. We do not accept applications via mail or email.
• To avoid having the system time out while you’re working on the application, make sure to scroll to the bottom and click “Save” every 5 to 10 minutes.

If you have already started an application, saved it and created an account, visit here to access your application.

Applications are approved or denied based on application criteria and Entergy’s available resources.