• Final $830,000 round completes the Foundation's more than $1 million America250 investment across the six states Duke Energy serves

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From new heritage trails and museum exhibits to preservation projects and public art, communities across Duke Energy's six-state service area will have new ways to explore the local stories behind America's 250th anniversary.

The Duke Energy Foundation is awarding nearly $830,000 in 54 grants to nonprofit organizations, cultural institutions and community partners in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

The grants mark the final round of the Foundation's America250 initiative, completing a more than $1 million investment tied to the nation's anniversary and helping communities bring local history to life in new, more accessible ways.

Why This Matters

The latest round supports projects that preserve local heritage and expand civic learning across the communities they serve.

"America's 250th anniversary is an opportunity to recognize that history is not only national – it is local, personal and still shaping the places we call home," said Loree Elswick, president of the Duke Energy Foundation. "Through these grants, we're helping communities bring those stories forward in ways that invite people to learn, reflect and connect."

What This Enables

Across Duke Energy's service territories, these grants will support efforts such as:

• Hosting the Smithsonian's traveling "Americans" exhibition as part of a six-week community initiative exploring American identity in Darlington County, South Carolina.
• Restoring a 1947 railroad locomotive tied to historic power plants, preserving a piece of local industrial history in Vigo County, Indiana.
• Bringing local history programming to rural communities through statewide "Homegrown History" community events led by the North Carolina Public Television Foundation.
• Creating a recurring constitutional exhibit with interactive displays and school-ready "history trunk" materials at the Dunedin History Museum in Florida.
• Supporting Cincinnati's BLINK public art exhibition, with installations that highlight regional identity and shared history across Ohio and Kentucky.

The Bigger Picture

Earlier this spring, the Foundation awarded 32 grants to revitalize parks, green spaces and shared community places, and in May it supported veterans' career pathways with more than $250,000 invested in workforce development programs to help veterans gain job-ready skills and build pathways to in-demand civilian careers.

The Foundation also awarded $250,000 to the Trust for the National Mall to support the expansion of a free digital platform that enables communities nationwide to experience the National Mall's monuments and history.

"Growing up, I was one of those kids who did not have the funding to visit," said Jeremy Goldstein, vice president of programs at the Trust for the National Mall. "The Duke Energy Foundation is helping ensure that the platform is accessible to every student in America, and this is only the beginning."

Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy Foundation provides nearly $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.

More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.

Contact: Gina DiPietro
24-Hour: 800.559.3853

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SOURCE Duke Energy