SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is again honored to be named to The Civic 50 list for the third year in a row as one of the most community-minded companies in America. The company placed second overall in the Energy and Utilities sector.

"PG&E is proud to again be named as an industry leader in civic engagement in recognition of our steadfast commitment to the communities we are privileged to serve," said Ezra Garrett, vice president of community relations and chief sustainability officer for PG&E. "PG&E's commitment – focused on education, the environment, and economic & community vitality – is at the heart of everything we do. We are proud of our 22,000 employees who continue to invest time and money in the communities where we all live and work."

In 2013, the company's philanthropic efforts included:

• PG&E granted more than $23 million to more than 1,300 charitable organizations throughout its 70,000 square mile service area.
• PG&E employees and retirees raised more than $6.5 million dollars through the annual workplace giving program, Campaign for the Community.
• PG&E's 22,000 employees volunteered more than 48,000 hours improving communities where they live and work.
• The company awarded a record $319,000 in scholarships funded through personal donations by our employees.

The Civic 50 initiative, now in its third year, was developed by the nation's leading experts on civic engagement, the National Conference on Citizenship, Points of Light and Bloomberg. The survey was administered by True Impact and evaluated by a cross-sector team of independent qualitative evaluators.

"Corporate civic engagement is on the rise and it's being led by the forward-thinking businesses included on The Civic 50 list," said Neil Bush, Chairman of Points of Light. "The correlation their efforts showcase between community engagement and employee retention, productivity and overall bottom-line benefits continues to prove that businesses that do good, do well. We congratulate this year's Civic 50 and we hope that they continue to inspire greater investments in improving communities through corporate civic engagement."

The Civic 50 list highlights that:

• The business sector plays a critical role in promoting civic engagement.
• Increasingly, the business sector works in partnership with government, nonprofits and individuals to solve community problems.
• Increasingly, the business sector contributes both money and the expertise of its employees to help solve community problems.
• Today's socially minded workforce and consumer base are driving businesses to rethink the values underpinning their corporate culture. These values are critical to recruiting and retaining top-rate talent and ensuring customer brand loyalty. Many companies are finding bottom-line rewards, adopting responsible business practices, and becoming good corporate citizens through civic engagement.

The Civic 50 survey was developed this year under the guidance of an academic panel of nine experts from leading universities throughout the country. The survey evaluates companies based on several criteria including how extensively and strategically resources are applied to community engagement, how a community engagement program supports business interests and integrates into business functions. Other criteria include how a company supports community engagement through its institutional policies, systems, and incentives, and how a company measures the social and business impact of its community engagement program. True Impact, a company specializing in helping organizations maximize and measure their social and business value, administered the survey.

To view a complete list of The Civic 50 companies for 2014 and to learn more about the importance of civic engagement in corporate America, please visit www.Civic50.org. 

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), and the PG&E Corporation Foundation strive to power strong communities throughout Northern and Central California. In 2013, PG&E contributed more than $23 million to more than 1,300 charitable organizations, including matching the generosity of employees who donated more than $6.5 million and volunteered more than 48,000 hours to company-supported events. Community investments are funded entirely by the company's shareholders. For more information, visit www.pge.com/community.

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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E)