Donate to Emergency Utility Assistance Program

Help for families in need

You can help support families experiencing a temporary financial need for assistance to pay their City of Salem utility bill by making a donation to the Emergency Utility Assistance Program.

The Emergency Utility Assistance Program is a voluntary, tax-deductible program that helps individuals and families who need temporary assistance paying their City of Salem utility bills. We place 100 percent of your donation into a fund that is exclusively used for emergency utility assistance. The City of Salem matches donations up to $10,000 maximum per year.

The City of Salem refers utility customers in financial need to local social service agencies. The agencies determine eligibility for the program and make arrangements for assistance. Payment is made directly to eligible customers' utility accounts from the emergency utility assistance fund.

The Salem area provides roughly $15,000 every year in utility bill assistance. However, the community need for assistance is much greater than available funds.

How to donate

Donating to the Emergency Utility Assistance Program is easy. You can make a one-time donation in any amount or donate $5 or more monthly. Every penny donated to this program will be used to help someone in need.

The donation may qualify for a tax deduction. However, you should consult your tax preparer or consultant to make sure.

To make a one-time donation please fill out the donation form and mail it to us with your donation.

​Sign up or make a one-time donation​

Monthly donations

If you choose to make an on-going donation, please fill out the donation form and mail it to us to set the donations up. You will receive a monthly invoice for the donation amount. You can easily pay online, you will need the customer number and address code from the top of your invoice.