PetersenDean Roofing and Solar Systems has introduced its new “Giving For Living” fundraising campaign, which makes donations to community organizations when people choose to go solar or get a new roof through PetersenDean.

Thus far it has set up such campaigns for three organizations and could set up campaigns with more.

Most recently it announced a campaign to support Viola Blythe Community Service Center of Newark.

Under the campaign, homeowners that have PetersonDean install solar or a roof will donate between $250 and $1,000 for each installation purchased by Newark, Calif., residents. The amount of the donation is based on the price of the installation.

Installations costing $10,000 to $15,000 cover a $250 donation, while systems $25,000 or more cover a $1,000 donation, with steps in between.

“We write the check out to the charity and give it to the homeowner,” said Rosemary Petersen, director of public and educational outreach for PetersenDean. That way the homeowner can claim the deduction on their taxes, giving them the benefit of the donation, she said.

“We’ve got three [campaigns] going,” Petersen said.

It announced the Viola Blythe fundraising campaign on Nov. 1. But it’s also raising funds for NewarkCert (Community Emergency Response Team) and the Alsion Montessori Middle/High School in Fremont, Calif.

The funds go to the organization’s general needs, she said. So in the case of Viola Blythe, funds raised will help support the community center’s employee wages, clothing and food for working but poor families in the area, and more.

If a customer installs a solar array, the price includes incentives.

“The customer gets the state and federal rebates, if they do a cash purchase,” Petersen said.

If they’re leasing it or going through a power-purchase agreement with PetersenDean’s third-party financing partner, SunRun, those benefits accrue to SunRun, but the donation is still made through the homeowner.

PetersenDean also is working with the organizations to help them popularize the programs, according to Petersen.

“One thing I’m finding is that people are not sure how to use their own resources and contacts to get up sales,” she said.

She’s helping them use their databases to get letters out to their members and supporters and helping them create flyers to educate the public about the fundraising opportunity.

Going forward, PetersenDean could offer the Giving For Living campaign for other organizations in its service area, which includes Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas.

“If someone in other states would call us, we’d consider it,” Petersen said.

The company’s also considering other options.

“Four community leaders in Newark were asking if we would consider the same type of program for commercial,” she said.

She said that the company is looking into developing such a program.