OREANDA-NEWS. June 11, 2015. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced today that 61 nonprofits have been awarded environmental grants  totaling \\$3 million  to support projects focused on land and water conservation, energy efficiency, environmental outreach and support for building healthy urban ecosystems.

Established in 2012, the Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities five-year grant program has awarded \\$12 million to 207 grantees and funded 247 projects to date that promote conservation and environmental sustainability.

“We believe in being environmentally proactive and helping our customers, communities and team members become better stewards of the environment,” said Mary Wenzel, head of Wells Fargo Environmental Affairs. “This program helps advance our company’s goal to give \\$100 million to support environmental nonprofits by 2020 and provides our team members an opportunity to volunteer locally and improve communities where they live and work.”

The 2015 Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant program received more than 450 applications. The 61 projects that were selected are aligned with the program’s goal to help address the most pressing environmental issues in 31 target cities and regions. Visit 2015 Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities Award Winners (PDF) for the full list of winners.

“This year’s Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grantees will work on projects from Maine to Alaska, from Los Angeles to Birmingham,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “The dedication and commitment to conservation and helping local communities shown by Wells Fargo is inspirational and deeply appreciated by all who participate in these exciting projects. Without Wells Fargo’s support, none of this good work would be possible.”

Administered by NFWF, the Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grants collectively helped reduce more than 8 million pounds of CO2, which is the equivalent to averting consumption of 21,000 barrels of oil. More than 17,000 community members have been involved in projects funded by the grants. The 2015 grantees will plant more than 350,000 trees and restore more than 10,000 acres of habitat.  

Details of the Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant program and a link to the 2016 application (available in September 2015) can be found at the NFWF application website: www.nfwf.org/environmentalsolutions. Projects benefiting underserved communities and encouraging volunteerism are given priority consideration. The Wells Fargo Environmental Solutions for Communities grant program is funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation to promote environmental stewardship across the country.