The Alabama Business Charitable Trust is a 501c4 social welfare organization established by Alabama Power more than 25 years ago.

The mission of the Trust is to strengthen economically distressed Alabamians by providing resources and education to meet energy service and other basic human needs through partnerships with social service providers and charitable organizations.

The Trust has its own investment committee. Trust dollars are not rate payer dollars.

The Trust partners with community action agencies and other social service to provide energy assistance to low-income citizens of Alabama. The Alabama Business Charitable Trust Fund partners with several organizations to help meet energy services and other basic human needs of low-income Alabamians.  Trust’s programs are administered similar to the federal government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). However, the income guidelines are different. The Alabama Department of Economic Affairs (ADECA) distributes LIHEAP funding to Community Action Agencies (CAA). The Trust partners with ADECA and CAAs to administer its programs to the public.

Efficiency Forward - Provides energy efficiency optimization measures to 501c3 nonprofits that have health and human service reach. Grants up to $10,000 are available.

Home Forward – Provides energy efficiency optimization to low-income homeowners.  The grant is a partnership with the Weatherization Assistance Program. The application process is administered by local community action agencies. Grants up to $5,000 are available.

Trust Community Grant - awards up to $500 to nonprofits and faith-based organizations working to address health and human service needs in the community or a direct response to coronavirus (COVID-19) relief efforts or to provide general health and human service support to low-income citizens.

For more than 30 years, the Alabama Business Charitable Trust (ABC Trust), has provided resources to help meet energy needs of low-income Alabamians. 

ABC Trust programs operate at an income guideline of 250% which is slightly higher than most federal energy assistance programs and opens a funding opportunity for families who don’t qualify for federal programs.

ABC Trust Emergency Assistance Programs:

Provide energy assistance during heating and cooling seasons.  Eligibility is based on household income.

• Emergency Energy provides assistance with energy bills throughout the year.
  • Serves individuals that:
  • Have had their income interrupted, such as displaced workers.
  • Have become ill or injured and suffered a partial or total loss of income.
  • Experiencing unforeseen financial crises.

*Income eligibility is based on household income in the month prior to application

• Emergency Cooling provides energy assistance from June 1 through October 31.
  • Serves individuals that:
  • Have health conditions that are severely aggravated by heat,  individuals that are experiencing severe hardship.
  • Examples of health conditions include:
    • Need for cooling for a health condition.
    • Require life support equipment.
    • Require other electric-powered equipment for a health condition.

The Emergency Energy and Emergency Cooling programs are administered by community action agencies.  Individuals interested in applying should contact their local community action agency.