This year Cox employees raised $637,810, which has been distributed to 130 Arizona nonprofits in the form of Cox Charities grants, some that serve Peoria, according to a news release.

This marks the 27th year that Cox employees, through Cox Charities, have raised funds to help the communities in which they live and work and represents a 10% increase in giving.

Since 1996, Cox Arizona employees have raised nearly $10.5 million and awarded grants to 1,851 local Arizona nonprofits.

In an environment where charitable donations from individuals nationwide dropped by 10.5% last year, one of the steepest declines in giving in recent decades, the 3,100 employees at Cox announced that donations to Cox Charities increased by 10%, according to the release.

Cox Charities grants are helping a variety of Arizona nonprofits which align with the company’s focus areas - education, diversity, environment, and sustainability. Most of the funds come from employee-driven fundraisers and donations by the employees and their families.