CNS contributes $100,000 in community grants to 17 non-profits
November 9, 2021

Y-12 employee-recommended awards in 2021 focused on at-risk youth,
food insecurity, mental health, and aid to frontline workers

Scott County Animal Shelter workers; image submitted

OAK RIDGE, TN – Consolidated Nuclear Security, in partnership with East Tennessee Foundation, recently awarded 17 grants totaling $100,000 to nonprofit organizations in 10 East Tennessee counties—Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Hamblen, Knox, Monroe, Roane, Scott, and Sevier.

The CNS Employee Investment Advisory Committee at Y12 National Security Complex reviewed dozens of grant proposals this year, conducted staff interviews, and made site visits before recommending funding based on the committee’s four focus areas for the year: at-risk youth, food insecurity, mental health, and aid to frontline workers.

With the latest round of community investment grants, Consolidated Nuclear Security topped $880,000 of investment in the East Tennessee community over the last five years.

The CNS Community Investment Fund, established at Y-12 in 2015, is funded by CNS and managed by the East Tennessee Foundation, which serves 25 East Tennessee counties. The CNS Employee Investment Advisory Committee at Y12 is a group of employees who serve two-year terms and recommend the distribution of funds. The committee allows employees to determine where corporate dollars are invested in their communities. “The Community Investment Fund is designed to ensure employees are involved in determining how the company’s charitable donations are allocated,” said Jason Bohne, senior director of Communications for CNS. “Through our partnership with the East Tennessee Foundation and the involvement of our employees, we are confident the money will have a positive impact in the region.”

“In five years, their grant making across East Tennessee has been substantial," said Michael McClamroch, president and CEO of ETF. “In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, they worked closely with us to deploy their grants to assist those organizations requesting disaster relief and recovery. This focus continues in 2021 with their grant-making.”

Since its inception, grants from the CNS Community Investment Fund have been distributed to organizations focusing on varied needs, such as school supplies for at-risk youth, school violence prevention, and meal delivery for seniors. The full listing of grants for 2021 is in the table below.