Annual Powering Communities Grants Program provides grants of up to $10,000 each to improve infrastructure and quality of life in Illinois communities

ComEd today announced that municipal and community organizations in northern Illinois can now apply for the 2023 Powering Communities Grants Program, which advances environmental initiatives, enhances public safety and increases access to arts programs in communities ComEd serves. Organizations are encouraged to apply for one of the three annual grant programs: Green Region, Powering Safe Communities, and Powering the Arts. Qualifying proposals are eligible for grants of up to $10,000 each.

Organizations interested in applying for the Powering Communities Grants Program should visit ComEd.com/Grants for more information, including how to apply for funding. Applications will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. CST on March 24, 2023.

“At ComEd, we do more than make sure the lights stay on—we power communities,” said Gil Quiniones, CEO at ComEd. “We are thankful for our partnerships with Openlands, the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the League of Chicago Theatres which allow us to support important projects that help improve climate resiliency, safety and the quality of life in the communities we serve.”

The annual competitive grants program is part of ComEd's comprehensive investment in the communities it serves. Since its origin, these programs have delivered over $4 million in funding to support hundreds of local community-based projects.

The Green Region Grant Program, in partnership with Openlands, supports non-profit, educational, and public organizations in their efforts to plan for, protect, and improve open space. Now in its eleventh year, the grant program has supported the development of ADA-accessible trails, planted thousands of trees and vegetation, and facilitated land improvements, among other projects. A summary of 2022 Green Region grant recipients can be found here.

“As the impacts of climate change pose a greater threat to northern Illinois communities, we are proud to continue partnering with ComEd to support nature-based solutions that help mitigate the most severe effects of climate change,” said Jerry Adelmann, President and CEO of Openlands. “We must all do our part to ensure the region's climate resiliency and a healthy quality of life for years to come.”

The Powering Safe Communities Grant Program, in partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, supports local municipal and public safety initiatives. These grants support projects designed to increase public safety, reduce carbon emissions and improve community resiliency. A summary of 2022 Powering Safe Communities grant recipients can be found here.

“The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is proud to continue our partnership with ComEd for the ninth year through the Powering Safe Communities Grant Program,” said Neil James, Executive Director at Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. “Through this program, we are providing our communities with the infrastructure and support needed to create a cleaner and safer future. This funding will help reduce carbon emissions, accelerate electrification, and improve air quality for communities across northern Illinois.”

The Powering the Arts Grant Program, in partnership with the League of Chicago Theatres, recognizes the impact increased access to the arts has on the vibrancy of local communities. These grants support initiatives and workshops across northern Illinois communities to boost public awareness, community programming, engagement and enjoyment of the arts. A summary of 2022 Powering the Arts grant recipients can be found here.

“The League of Chicago Theatres is excited to continue this partnership with ComEd,” said Marissa Lynn Ford, executive director of the League of Chicago Theatres. “Funding of this nature is essential to helping artists share their stories with their communities. By providing neighborhoods with theatre, music, dance, film and other art forms, the organizations supported by this funding create new relationships within communities, open up new opportunities to experience and have dialogue about culture, and deepen pathways to healing through therapy and outreach.”

For more information on each grant program, including eligibility guidelines and how to apply, visit ComEd.com/Grants.

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company with approximately 10 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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