Allentown - The PPL Foundation this month completed the first of three planned grant programs for 2024, awarding more than $200,000 in grants to 30 nonprofit organizations working to build stronger communities in eastern and central Pennsylvania.
In all, the PPL Foundation expects to award nearly $1 million in grants this year in Pennsylvania to support the foundation's focus areas: education; diversity, equity and inclusion and sustainable communities.
Funds from the first round of grants will be used to facilitate community conversations on diversity and inclusion, improve equity in access to higher education, and support innovation and entrepreneurship among underrepresented residents in our communities.
'Through its grants, the PPL Foundation invests in innovative approaches that help build stronger, more equitable communities where all are respected, valued and free to reach their full potential,' said Lissette Santana, president of the PPL Foundation. 'We're proud to support nonprofit organizations working to improve lives and promote greater equity and inclusion in the communities we serve.'
The recent Powering Equity grants, ranging from $2,500 to $17,000, were awarded to:
African American Museum of Bucks County, Langhorne
Allentown Art Museum
Allentown Symphony Association
ASSETS Lancaster
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Bethlehem
Bloomsburg Area YMCA
Children's Museum, Bloomsburg
Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem
Greater Valley Young Men's Christian Association, Allentown
IM ABLE Foundation, Wyomissing
Leadership Northeast, Wilkes-Barre
LEAF Project, Landisburg
Lehigh University Summer Engineering Institute, Bethlehem
Lehigh Valley Inter-Regional Networking & Connecting Consortium, Bethlehem
Lycoming College, Williamsport
Moravian University, Bethlehem
Nathaniel Gadsden's Writers Wordshop, Harrisburg
NEPA Rainbow Alliance, Wilkes-Barre
Northampton County Area Community College Foundation, Bethlehem
PA CASA, Bethlehem
Pennsylvania College of Technology Foundation, Williamsport
Pocono Services for Families and Children, East Stroudsburg
Servant Stage Company, Strasburg
The Arc of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Scranton
The Arc Susquehanna Valley, Sunbury
The Cooperage Project, Honesdale
United Way of Berks County, Reading
United Way of Lancaster County
YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties, Quakertown
YWCA Lancaster
The foundation's next round of grants - Empowering Communities - is focused on enriching the vitality of the community through programs that support environmental stewardship and education, economic development and workforce development. Applications for Empowering Communities grants are being accepted through June 15.
About the PPL Foundation
The PPL Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization. Funded by PPL Corporation shareowners, the foundation was formed to support community initiatives in the areas served by PPL Corporation's utilities. Through strategic partnerships, the PPL Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that are engaged in innovative and groundbreaking work to create vibrant, sustainable communities; advance diversity, equity and inclusion and support children's success from cradle to career in both Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Contact:
Lissette Santana
Email: losantana@pplweb.com
PPL CORPORATION 
