Hydro Ottawa: Optimas Silver Winner for Corporate Citizenship

Winter in Ontario, Canada, can get mighty cold. And with barely nine hours of daylight during the depths of winter’s icy chill, it can get dark awfully fast.

But electrical provider Hydro Ottawa’s Brighter Tomorrows Community Investment Program is shining a bit more light on regional goodwill and its customers.

Four components make up Hydro Ottawa’s program, which was introduced in 2012. Financial assistance for low-income residents; an investment fund supporting agencies that aid homeless and at-risk homeless people; employee volunteer day; and funding youth initiatives helps Hydro Ottawa judge its success or failure as a company.

“We are utterly convinced that good corporate citizenship enhances business performance,” wrote nominator Jennifer Dawe, a talent management specialist with the company. It “influences business decisions.”

For its community outreach, Hydro Ottawa is the silver 2015 Optimas Award winner for Corporate Citizenship.