Focus Areas

Con Edison proudly funds organizations that combat the effects of climate change, advance social justice, and create green jobs. Our philanthropic initiatives power the vitality of our communities and ensure every New Yorker can share in the benefits of a more sustainable energy grid.

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Con Edison feels an urgency to confront the threat that climate change poses to our communities and help New Yorkers adapt to a changing world.

Our efforts focus on:

Climate Change and Environmental Stewardship

We help more people benefit from greener sources of energy, reduced pollution, and cleaner air for more climate-resilient communities. We will accelerate access to clean energy by prioritizing investments in climate resiliency and environmental stewardship in the communities we serve.

Focal Points:

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: We are applying our resources to help environmental organizations address the accelerated risks of climate change (extreme weather events).
- Program support may include restoring environmental habitats and promoting biodiversity through nature-based solutions.
Environmental Stewardship: Support for environmental organizations that focus on equitable land use development and greenway enhancements, specifically in green corridors, pocket parks, community gardens and local farms.
- Program support may include community-based environmental education campaigns.

Social Justice

We invest in community engagement, empowerment, and advocacy solutions to break down barriers and create pathways to equity and inclusion in our communities. We are applying our resources to help organizations and social movements that address systemic social justice issues—through skill building, action, and advocacy.

Focal Points:

Human Rights and Democracy: Fund social justice organizations that are providing the building blocks to address discrimination, bias, and opportunity inequities for marginalized and disadvantaged communities.
Economic Empowerment and Opportunity: Fund social justice organizations whose goals are to reduce the racial, ethnic, and gender wealth gap and expanding access to resources for nonprofits that serve disadvantaged populations.
Community Resilience Fund social justice organizations and projects that support initiatives to ensure that marginalized and disadvantaged communities have the capacity, leadership, and agency to address environmental, social, and political change.
- This focus includes support for climate justice implementation programs focused on areas such as emergency preparedness, extreme weather, and similar areas of impact.

Program support may include funding to assist with skill building, leadership development, capacity building, civic engagement, and community organizing and outreach.

Clean Energy and Technology Careers

We will foster a new generation of workers by supporting access to education, skills training, economic supports, and hiring and/or career advancement opportunities they will need for well-paying jobs in emerging and in-demand clean energy, technology, and environmental science careers.

Focal Points:

Green, Sustainable, Clean Energy and In Demand Technology Careers: Investment in career readiness programs that increase access to and the efficacy of programs that are designed to deliver in-demand skills training and certification.
Career Preparation and Placement Programs: Funding to support the development and/or replication of proven curricula and infrastructure needed to execute programs that focus on environmental, clean energy, and technology careers. Support for placement programs accessible to secondary (9-12 grade) and post-secondary (colleges, universities and skilled trades) for students from disadvantaged communities.

Program support may include skills training, career exploration and clean energy coalition building.

Focus Area Criteria

Organizations must have:

A public commitment and mission that supports the specific focus area.
At least one of Con Edison’s grant funding priority areas and one focal point.
Measurable outcomes for communities within Con Edison service territories.
Program/project centers and roots in historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities.
A strong leadership team that is highly engaged with the communities served and demonstrates a high level of community input into the project/program.