NORFOLK, Va., Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Norfolk Southern Foundation, the charitable giving affiliate of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC), awarded $7 million in grants to nonprofit charitable organizations during 2012, a 13 percent increase over 2011.

The NS Foundation supports programs to help nonprofit organizations in providing food, shelter, and medical care to those in need; expanding educational opportunities for children; preserving the environment; and promoting arts and culture.

"As a leading transportation provider, we believe we also should take the lead in investing in the communities where we operate," said Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman.

In 2012, the NS Foundation provided:

• $2.55 million to 80 United Way campaigns and other health and human services groups: More than $1 million of this amount was distributed among The American Red Cross to assist with Superstorm Sandy relief; ForKids Inc. to help homeless families with children become self-supporting; and food pantries, including the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Atlanta Community Food Bank, and Feeding America Southwest Virginia.
• $1.24 million to cultural and performing arts groups, including: Virginia Arts Festival, Virginia Opera, Virginia Symphony, Virginia Stage Company, Chrysler Museum, North Carolina Transportation Museum, Western Virginia Foundation for the Arts and Sciences, Woodruff Arts Center, and Zoo Atlanta.
• $1.14 million to educational organizations: Benefiting from the 15 percent funding increase in this category were Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and Smart Beginnings-Hampton Roads , which prepare children to enter kindergarten; the ACCESS Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to enable high school graduates in Hampton Roads to attend college; and 16 universities that received $300,000 in grants under the Norfolk Southern College Partnership Program. This program, established in 2006, builds relationships to enhance the railroad's recruiting opportunities, particularly for business and engineering graduates.
• $345,000 to civic, community, and environmental groups: As part of its environmental support, the Foundation provided grants to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Nature Conservancy of Virginia, and Elizabeth River Project to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. NS also supported the American Chestnut Foundation's project to reforest reclaimed mine sites in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky with native, disease-resistant American chestnut trees.

Each year, the NS Foundation gives its operations division employees an opportunity to recommend eligible nonprofit organizations in their communities to receive grants. During 2012, $180,000 was awarded to police, fire, and emergency response organizations; school programs; and historical and community groups as part of NS' local discretion grant program.

Overall, grants were made to 350 organizations in NS' operating territory, and an additional 525 organizations benefitted from $1.66 million in employee matching gifts.

NS Foundation sets funding at $7 million for 2013
In 2013, the Foundation again will award $7 million in grants. Since its creation in 1983, the Foundation has contributed nearly $131 million to thousands of civic and charitable organizations throughout Norfolk Southern's territory. In the last five years, it provided more than $29.6 million in contributions.

Grants are awarded to eligible organizations located within Norfolk Southern Corporation territory. Applications for 2014 funding will be accepted July 15-Sept. 30, 2013. For information about eligibility and application procedures, visit Norfolk Southern Foundation.

Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial products.

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SOURCE Norfolk Southern Corporation