NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 23 /PRNewswire/ — The Entergy Charitable Foundation today announced grants totaling more than $948,000 to organizations across the Entergy service territory. The grants bring to approximately $4.4 million the total amount donated to organizations in 2008.

Overall, the foundation issued grants to 54 organizations throughout Entergy’s operating area during the third and final grant cycle for 2008.

The third-cycle grants include $200,000 to the Individual Development Account program of the United Way of Greater New Orleans. IDA programs match savings accumulated by qualified participants for use in buying a home, starting a business, or pursuing post-secondary education. The New Orleans program is designed to fill the specific needs of area residents by encouraging the startup or expansion of child-care businesses, buying a vehicle or purchasing a home.

Among the other grants issued by the foundation were:

• $25,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of the Mississippi Delta
  
• $20,000 to the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce Foundation
  
• $20,000 to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and
  
• $35,000 to the National World War II Museum Foundation, Inc.

“The Entergy Charitable Foundation’s long-term goals have been to invest in sustainable programs that help strengthen communities through education or by moving low-income residents toward self-sufficiency,” said Patricia Riddlebarger, Entergy’s director of corporate social responsibility.

The Entergy Charitable Foundation is a private, not-for-profit foundation wholly funded by Entergy Corporation and its shareholders.

The Entergy Charitable Foundation accepts applications three times per year. The deadline for the next round of grants is Feb. 1, 2009.

For more information or to access an application form from the Entergy Charitable Foundation, look under “Our Community/Corporate and Foundation Giving” at http://www.entergy.com.

Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 billion and approximately 14,300 employees.

Entergy’s online address is http://www.entergy.com.