ComEd Offering $535,000 in Grant Funding for Community-Oriented Projects Across Northern Illinois

Annual Powering Communities Grant Program provides grants of up to $10,000 each to improve infrastructure and support community organizations in Illinois

ComEd today announced that municipal and community organizations in northern Illinois can now apply for the 2025 Powering Communities Grant Program, which advances environmental initiatives; accelerates public safety and clean transportation projects; 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 Grant Program should visit ComEd.com/Grants for more information, including how to apply for funding. Applications will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. CST on March 28, 2025.

"At ComEd, we do more than make sure the lights stay on—we power communities," said Melissa Washington, senior vice president of customer operations and strategic initiatives 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 the quality of life in the northern Illinois neighborhoods in which we live and work."

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 $5.3 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 thirteenth 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 2024 Green Region grant recipients can be found here.

"Nature makes everything better. We are proud of our continued partnership with ComEd to support nature-based projects that increase community livability, improve our physical and mental health, and make our ecosystems more resilient," said Michael Davidson, President and CEO of Openlands. "To ensure our region remains competitive in the face of environmental and socioeconomic change, we must all do our part to support building greener communities."

The Powering Safe Communities Grant Program, in partnership with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, supports public safety and clean transportation initiatives. These grants support projects designed to increase public safety, reduce carbon emissions and improve community resiliency. A summary of 2024 Powering Safe Communities grant recipients can be found here.

"The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is proud to continue our partnership with ComEd for the eleventh year through the Powering Safe Communities Grant Program," said Neil James, Executive Director at Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. "This program provides our communities with the infrastructure and financial support needed to create a cleaner and safer future. This year, grant funding will help promote safety, improve air quality and support an electrified future in northern Illinois."

The Powering the Arts Grant Program, in partnership with the League of Chicago Theatres, recognizes that increased access to the arts has a positive impact 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 2024 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 Jones, executive director of the League of Chicago Theatres. "Funding from this grant enables communities and organizations the ability to finance innovative ways to reach their communities through art. Thank you to ComEd for its ongoing commitment to supporting diverse, well-rounded communities in northern Illinois. We are thrilled to enter the eighth year of the program."

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 serving more than 10.5 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, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.

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