What FirstEnergy Foundation does

The FirstEnergy Foundation is the corporate philanthropy arm of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), one of the largest investor-owned electric systems in the United States. The Foundation operates as a grant-making entity, distributing charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations across six states — Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York — that align with FirstEnergy's service territories. Its grant portfolio addresses food insecurity, first responder training, workforce development, higher education in engineering disciplines, youth and family services, and adaptive programs for veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The Foundation runs two principal programs: the multi-year 'Gifts of the Season' holiday-season initiative, which has distributed over $1.2 million cumulatively since its 2016 inception, and targeted thematic initiatives such as a $2.5 million hunger-relief allocation announced in September 2025 that targets approximately two million meals across 21 New Jersey food banks and pantries and other state-level partners. Individual grants typically range from $10,000 to $25,000, with the hunger-relief initiative representing a step-change in deployment scale.

The Foundation has no standalone revenue model or product; its funding derives entirely from the parent utility's earnings. Its distribution channel is direct grant award to vetted nonprofit and educational partners, with no commercial GTM, pricing structure, or proprietary technology stack. Marketing and grant announcements are pushed through FirstEnergy Corp.'s corporate newsroom and PR distribution channels (including PR Newswire).

Name

FirstEnergy Foundation

Legal name

FirstEnergy Corp.

Website

https://firstenergycorp.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The FirstEnergy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) that distributes grants to nonprofit and educational organizations across six states, focusing on hunger relief, first responder training, workforce development, and veteran and youth services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Corporate philanthropy
• Community grantmaking
• Hunger relief grants
• First responder support
• Nonprofit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Personnel

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

FirstEnergy Foundation is the corporate charitable-giving arm of FirstEnergy Corp that funds and distributes grants to nonprofit and community organizations. Its giving focuses on four priority areas: hunger relief, first responder training, education (including STEM/workforce), and veteran and disability services, with grants awarded across the six-state service territory of its corporate parent.

Product overview

FirstEnergy operates as a platform of electric utility companies serving over 6 million customers across six states, consisting of multiple regional utility brands (Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison, Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power, Jersey Central Power & Light, Mon Power, and Potomac Edison) supported by core technology products including Smart Meters for advanced metering infrastructure, Text & Email Alert Services for customer communications, Online Account Management for self-service, 24/7 Power Center Outage Maps for real-time outage tracking, and Home Energy Analyzer for usage insights. The company also provides EV charging resources through partner platforms. The Illuminating Company serves as one of the major Ohio utilities, and the company is deploying smart meters across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey service territories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gifts of the Season grant program Recurring community grant program that delivers seasonal philanthropic support to nonprofit and community partners within the FirstEnergy service territory; active continuously since 2016.
• Hunger Relief Grants Multi-state grant initiative providing $2.5 million in funding to food banks and hunger-relief nonprofits across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Maryland.
• First Responder Training Grants Grants to fire departments, EMS agencies, and community colleges to fund first responder training equipment, gear, and program support within the FirstEnergy service territory.
• Education Grants (including York College Electrical Engineering support) Grants to post-secondary educational institutions in the service territory — including support to York College of Pennsylvania's electrical engineering program — to advance STEM and utility-adjacent workforce education.
• Veteran and Disability Services Grants Grants to veteran-services and disability-services nonprofits — including funding for adaptive equipment — to support veterans and individuals with disabilities in the service territory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2 million meals delivered to communities through hunger relief grants

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Butler County Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation provided a $10,000 grant to Butler County Community College to improve emergency responder training through new rescue equipment. This initiative supports first responder training for local fire departments, volunteer teams, and public safety partners in western Pennsylvania.
• Ronald McDonald House MorgantownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation awarded a grant as part of its 'Gifts of the Season' program to support families and youth in West Virginia. The grant assists in providing shelter and services.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County, Md.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation awarded a grant to support youth learning opportunities in Maryland as part of its 'Gifts of the Season' program.
• Rescue Mission of the Mahoning ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant as part of its $100,000 'Gifts of the Season' initiative to support food and shelter programs during the holiday season in Ohio.
• Martin Luther King Kitchen for the PoorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to support food programs during the holiday season in Ohio.
• Endless Mountain Mission CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation awarded a grant to support food, shelter, and workforce training for individuals and families facing hardship in Pennsylvania.
• Erie Center for Arts and Technology (ECAT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation awarded a grant to support workforce training and expand employment opportunities for students in Pennsylvania.
• New Jersey Food Pantry OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation awarded two $10,000 grants to nonprofits in New Jersey—one to a food pantry and another to a burn prevention program—to support community needs during the holiday season.
• York College of PennsylvaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to enhance York College's Electrical Engineering program, providing students with access to advanced tools and labs to gain practical experience.
• New Jersey Food Banks and PantriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation allocated $600,000 specifically for 21 food banks and pantries in New Jersey as part of a $2.5 million hunger relief initiative. This represents the Foundation's largest hunger-relief effort to date, aiming to deliver approximately 2 million meals.
• IM Able FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirstEnergy Foundation donated $25,000 to support adaptive fitness programs, including for veterans with disabilities, in Pennsylvania. The donation aims to expand inclusive outdoor activities and training.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Duke Energy Foundation: Corporate philanthropic arm of Duke Energy, one of the largest US investor-owned electric utilities, distributing grants across its multi-state service territory for community, workforce, and environmental causes — directly comparable as a utility corporate foundation.
• American Electric Power Foundation: Charitable giving arm of AEP, a major US investor-owned electric utility holding company with operations across multiple states — directly comparable in mission, structure, and geographic scale as a corporate foundation backing local nonprofits.
• Exelon Foundation: Corporate foundation of Exelon Corporation, a large US utility holding company focused on the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest — directly comparable as a utility-affiliated grantmaking organization serving overlapping geographic areas.
• PG&E Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a major investor-owned California utility — directly comparable corporate-foundation model, though operating in a different region with distinct regulatory environment.
• Southern Company Charitable Foundation: Charitable foundation of Southern Company, a major US investor-owned electric utility holding company — directly comparable corporate-foundation structure with multi-state grantmaking focused on community and workforce development.
• Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation: Corporate foundation of Dominion Energy, a large US utility serving the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast — directly comparable in operating adjacent service territories (Virginia, West Virginia, the Carolinas) to FirstEnergy's footprint.
• Consolidated Edison Foundation: Philanthropic arm of Con Edison, a major investor-owned utility serving New York and New Jersey — overlapping with FirstEnergy's New Jersey service territory and directly comparable in foundation structure.
• Eversource Energy Foundation: Corporate foundation of Eversource, a large Northeast US investor-owned utility — directly comparable utility-affiliated grantmaking entity with community-investment focus across multiple states.
• DTE Energy Foundation: Corporate foundation of DTE Energy, a Michigan-based investor-owned utility — directly comparable as a utility-affiliated philanthropic organization making community grants in its service territory.
• Consumers Energy Foundation: Charitable arm of Consumers Energy, a Michigan-based investor-owned utility subsidiary of CMS Energy — directly comparable as a corporate utility foundation making local community grants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/firstenergycorp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FirstEnergyTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/firstenergyCareers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firstenergy-corp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments25 records

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Frequently asked questions about FirstEnergy Foundation