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FirstEnergy Foundation

Annual Giving
$5.5M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.5M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5.5+ million (2025)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Up to $25,000 (standard applications); $25,000+ (requires separate proposal and meeting with Foundation President)
  • Geographic Focus: Six-state service territory (Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York)

Contact Details

Website: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/community/firstenergy_foundation.html

Foundation President: Dolores J. (Dee) Lowery

  • Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Community Involvement
  • Phone: 330-384-5752

Physical Address: 76 South Main Street Akron, OH 44308

Online Application Portal: FirstEnergy Foundation Grant Application via Benevity (for grants up to $25,000)

Technical Support: grantsupport@benevity.com

Important Note: The FirstEnergy Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss grant inquiries with local FirstEnergy company management and the Community Involvement Department staff before submitting applications.

Overview

Founded in 1961 (ruling year 1963, EIN 34-6514181), the FirstEnergy Foundation is the corporate foundation of FirstEnergy Corp., one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems. The Foundation distributed more than $5.5 million in community support across FirstEnergy's six-state operational area in 2025, marking a significant investment in community vitality. The Foundation's mission centers on improving community vitality, promoting safety initiatives, advancing workforce and economic development, and supporting education—particularly in STEM fields and skilled trades. Recent strategic focus areas include addressing food insecurity (with a historic $2.5 million Hunger Action Month initiative in 2025), expanding workforce development programs, and supporting employee volunteer interests. The Foundation operates in communities served by FirstEnergy's electric operating companies: Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, and Toledo Edison in Ohio; Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, and West Penn Power in Pennsylvania; Jersey Central Power & Light in New Jersey; and Mon Power and Potomac Edison in West Virginia and Maryland.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Standard Program Grants: Up to $25,000

  • Available to 501(c)(3) public charities and public schools, colleges, and universities
  • Application via Benevity online portal
  • Note: Does not accept unsolicited applications; pre-discussion with Community Involvement Department encouraged

Major Program Grants: $25,000+

  • Requires separate proposal and meeting with Foundation President
  • Recent examples: $500,000 to Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio for STEM Center (2024); $535,000 to 14 Ohio food banks (2025)

Hunger Action Month Initiative

  • $2.5 million distributed to 104 hunger relief organizations across six states (2025)
  • Largest hunger-relief investment in Foundation history
  • Individual grants ranged from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars

"Gifts of the Season" Program

  • $100,000 total distributed to eight nonprofits across five states (2025)
  • Individual grants of $10,000-$20,000
  • Focus on holiday-season critical needs and children's services

Employee Matching Gifts Program

  • 1-for-1 match for employee contributions through United Way Employee Giving Campaign
  • Supports educational, cultural, youth, civic, and health/human services organizations

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses on programs that:

  • Safety Initiatives: Community safety programs and emergency response
  • Economic Development & Revitalization: Local and regional economic development efforts, job creation
  • Workforce Development: Skilled trades training, career development, particularly for women and disadvantaged job seekers
  • STEM Education: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs; electrical trades education; vocational training
  • Employee Volunteer Support: Programs aligned with FirstEnergy employee community leadership and volunteer interests
  • Food Security: Hunger relief, food banks, meal distribution programs
  • Housing Security: Emergency shelters, domestic violence survivor housing
  • Youth Services: Children's programs, youth education, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts
  • Health & Human Services: Social services, disaster relief
  • Arts & Culture: Cultural programs and institutions
  • Civic Organizations: Community improvement initiatives

What They Don't Fund

The FirstEnergy Foundation explicitly does not fund:

  • Individuals: No grants to individual persons
  • Political or Legislative Activities: No support for political campaigns or lobbying efforts
  • Organizations with Sizable Public Tax Funding: Generally excludes heavily government-funded organizations
  • Fraternal, Religious, Labor, Athletic, or Social Organizations: Unless the contribution is earmarked for an eligible program open to all beneficiaries, including those not affiliated with the host organization
  • International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security Organizations: Focus is exclusively on domestic service territory

Governance and Leadership

Foundation President: Dolores J. (Dee) Lowery

  • Also serves as Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Community Involvement at FirstEnergy Corp.
  • Based in Akron, Ohio
  • Phone: 330-384-5752

Key Quote from Leadership: Dee Lowery stated the Foundation's goal is to "focus on programs that enhance children's services, or provide additional support for organizations facing a critical need during the holiday season." She has also emphasized being pleased to provide support to agencies "during the holidays, when the services they provide to the least fortunate are often most vital."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: The FirstEnergy Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications. Organizations must first engage with FirstEnergy's Community Involvement Department before applying.

Recommended Pre-Application Steps:

  1. Contact local FirstEnergy company management to discuss your grant inquiry
  2. Reach out to the Community Involvement Department staff
  3. For grants exceeding $25,000, arrange a meeting with Foundation President Dee Lowery

For Grants Up to $25,000:

  • Submit application through the Benevity online portal: FirstEnergy Foundation Grant Application (benevity.org)
  • Required documentation must be uploaded as part of the online application
  • Automated email confirmation sent upon submission
  • Periodic status updates provided through the system

For Grants Exceeding $25,000:

  • Separate proposal required
  • Meeting with Foundation President required
  • Contact Foundation President Dee Lowery at 330-384-5752

Application Deadline: Rolling basis

Decision Timeline

The Foundation has not publicly disclosed specific decision timelines. Applicants receive automated email confirmation upon application submission and periodic status updates through the Benevity system.

Success Rates

The Foundation does not publicly disclose success rates, total number of applications received, or competitiveness metrics. However, in 2024, the Foundation supported 113 nonprofit and civic organizations in New Jersey alone, suggesting a substantial number of grants awarded annually.

Reapplication Policy

The Foundation has not publicly disclosed specific reapplication policies or waiting periods for unsuccessful applicants.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's documented priorities and recent funding patterns, the following factors appear most important:

Geographic Alignment:

  • Organizations must operate within FirstEnergy's six-state service territory
  • Preference appears strongest for organizations in communities directly served by FirstEnergy operating companies
  • Recent 2025 grants show distribution across all six states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York

Mission Alignment with Current Strategic Priorities:

  • Food Security: The Foundation's largest 2025 initiative focused on hunger relief ($2.5 million to 104 organizations), indicating this is a high priority
  • STEM & Skilled Trades Education: Consistent funding pattern, including $500,000 STEM Center grant and $55,000 for electrical trades programs
  • Workforce Development: Particularly programs serving women and disadvantaged job seekers
  • Critical Needs During Key Seasons: "Gifts of the Season" program targets organizations with holiday-season critical needs

Employee Connection:

  • The Foundation explicitly states it supports "programs designed to support FirstEnergy employees' community leadership and volunteer interests"
  • Organizations where FirstEnergy employees volunteer may have an advantage

Pre-Application Relationship Building:

  • Since unsolicited applications are not accepted, organizations that successfully engage with local FirstEnergy management and Community Involvement Department staff before applying are better positioned
  • The requirement to discuss grant inquiries before applying suggests relationship-building is crucial

Specific, Tangible Project Outcomes:

  • Recent successful grants funded specific items: lab stations, drone training equipment, tool loans, planetarium STEM outreach, electrical trade supplies, food distribution capacity
  • Proposals should articulate concrete deliverables and measurable community impact

Scale Appropriate to Ask:

  • Standard grants up to $25,000 can be submitted via online portal
  • Larger requests ($25,000+) require higher-level engagement with Foundation President
  • Recent major grants ($500,000, $535,000) went to well-established organizations with significant community reach

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Pre-application engagement is essential: Since unsolicited applications are not accepted, invest time in building relationships with local FirstEnergy company management and Community Involvement Department staff before submitting a formal application

  • Geographic eligibility is strict: Your organization must operate within the FirstEnergy service territory (OH, PA, NJ, WV, MD, NY) and preferably in communities directly served by FirstEnergy operating companies

  • Align with current strategic priorities: The Foundation's 2025 focus on hunger relief, STEM/skilled trades education, and workforce development suggests these areas have the strongest funding opportunities

  • Highlight employee connections: If FirstEnergy employees volunteer with your organization or if your program supports employee volunteer interests, emphasize this connection prominently

  • Be specific about project deliverables: Successful applicants articulate concrete outcomes—specific equipment, training programs, meal distribution capacity—rather than general operating support

  • Consider grant size strategically: Applications up to $25,000 can be submitted online; larger requests require meeting with the Foundation President, suggesting a higher bar for approval

  • Demonstrate community impact during critical times: The Foundation's "Gifts of the Season" program and emphasis on supporting organizations during times when "services they provide to the least fortunate are often most vital" suggests timing and urgency matter

References

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