Foundation’s charitable giving increases to $1.2M this year

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The PSEG Foundation increased its charitable giving this year to $1.2 million, up from $1 million in 2023. The foundation’s Neighborhood Partners Program, or NPP, has supported communities on Long Island and across New Jersey for the last decade, granting nearly $8 million to 400 nonprofits.

Last week, the organization held a community event, recognizing their nonprofit partners, with leaders from more than 100 nonprofit organizations in attendance.

“NPP now serves as a role model for other funders who also seek to be catalysts for progress at the neighborhood level,” Calvin Ledford Jr., president of the PSEG Foundation, said in a news release about the program. “We are proud to support these transformative partnerships.”

The foundation said it saw an 11% increase in applications at a time when nonprofits are struggling to meet the growing needs of their communities. Its increase in giving, according to the organization, underscores the foundation’s dedication to supporting community-led solutions, particularly in underserved neighborhoods, espeically those facing gaps left by reduced public funding.

This year, the foundation distributed up to $20,000 to nonprofit organizations.

“PSEG Foundation’s support of the Long Island Children’s Museum over the past decade has impacted young learners with hands on learning experiences,” Long Island Children’s Museum President Erika Floreska said in the news release. This year, the museum received $4,000 for its “Westbury STEM Partnership” program.

“Partnerships like this help LICM lay the foundation for future generations of innovators, ensuring access to the wonders of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math,” Floreska added.

“We are incredibly grateful to the PSEG Foundation’s Neighborhood Partners Program for their generous funding of our Advancing Equity in Human Services projects,” Family Service League’s President and CEO Karen Boorshtein said in the news release. The organization received $10,000 for its “Advancing Equity in Human Services” initiative.

“Their support empowers us, and other non-profits, to create meaningful change and promote equity within our Long Island community. Working together, we are building a more inclusive and hopeful future for everyone,” Boorshtein said.

“Thanks to PSEG Foundation’s generosity, we’re able to support the mental health of service members and veterans in New Jersey, New York, and across the nation,” Dan Kaepernik, CEO of The Headstrong Project, said in the news release. The organization, which serves Long Island, received $5,000 for its “Triumph Over Trauma” program.

Other Long Island nonprofits benefitting from the program include Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Long Island, Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Girls Inc. of Long Island, Habitat for Humanity of Long Island, The Safe Center LI, and Young Men’s Christian Association of Long Island.