PSEG is Brightening Communities, One Partnership at a Time

PSEG Foundation’s Neighborhood Partners Program Powers Community Good
Aug 22, 2025 9:00 AM ET
PSEG volunteer with a basket of eggplant

Over the years, the PSEG Foundation and the Neighborhood Partner Program has supported hundreds of local nonprofits in carrying out their missions, helping them best serve the communities they know deeply. As a dedicated community partner, the PSEG Foundation is focused on strengthening the capacity, resilience, and impact of local nonprofits to create lasting, positive change. Because investing in communities isn’t just a motto or trend — it’s a long-term commitment to building a better future together, one grant and one good neighbor at a time.

Since 2014, the PSEG Foundation’s Neighborhood Partners Program (NPP) has helped hundreds of local nonprofits do what they do best — support the people and places they know by heart.
And at the heart of NPP are three guiding pillars: environmental sustainability, social justice and equity, and economic empowerment. Organizations receive funding to expand outreach, strengthen operations, and scale programs that directly impact people’s lives.

“Our mission is deeply rooted in community investment," shared Calvin Ledford Jr., president, PSEG Foundation. "We’ve grown from simply funding good ideas to building long-term partnerships with nonprofits we now consider trusted collaborators.”

Take America’s Grow-A-Row, for example. Headquartered in New Jersey, With over 400 acres of farmland, the organization grows and donates fresh produce to food-insecure families by distributing an astounding 3.6 million pounds of fruits and vegetables to those in need.

In Camden, Cathedral Kitchen offers more than meals, it provides pathways out of poverty. Through a free, 15-week culinary program, the organization has trained nearly 600 unemployed and under-resourced residents, with 90% securing jobs within three months of graduation.

More Than Bootstraps, is a New Jersey nonprofit that offers a peer-powered mentorship program for first-generation college students, and has grown from 11 to 50 active participants, building a support system that bridges the gap between ambition and opportunity.

In Central Jersey, HomeFront provides not only shelter and meals (over 1.8 million served), but also stability, self-sufficiency programs, and hope for families experiencing homelessness.

These stories are just a glimpse into what’s possible when large institutions back grassroots dreams with programs such as NPP. To date, the Foundation has invested nearly $8 million in more than 400 nonprofit organizations across New Jersey and Long Island. These partners represent a wide range of missions, but they share a common goal: building more equitable, sustainable, and empowered communities.

In 2024, about 2,500 employees donated approximately 24,000 hours to support various initiatives including food, clothing, blood, gift and school supply drives, as well as mentoring, assisting with meal prep and hygiene kits, caring for animals, environmental clean-ups and tree plantings. Additionally, last year about 900 nonprofits benefited from approximately $1.8 million in employee giving and matched dollars. In the past 10 years, that impact was over $9 million in PSEG Foundation matches to organizations focused on areas including health and human services, education, civic and community services and arts and culture.

Through all of its programs, the Foundation serves a wide spectrum of communities often overlooked or underserved. Whether it’s a small food pantry or a growing job-readiness initiative, the goal is the same: support organizations that are meeting real needs, right now.

By funding local changemakers who know their neighborhoods best, the PSEG Foundation ensures real impact flows from the ground up through the Neighborhood Partners Program. A focus on these organizations reinforces the commitments to our pillars, our communities, and our customers. Together, leading change on issues and opportunities impacting our communities and working towards collaborative solutions - now and into the future.