02/07/2024
Citizens Champions Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Through Local Grant Program
$350,000 awarded to seven nonprofits helping drive positive climate impact as part of Citizens Champions in Action grant program
Providence, RI (Feb. 7, 2024) – Citizens announced today seven nonprofits selected as its 2024 Champions in Action®. Each Champion in Action will receive $50,000 in unrestricted funding, as well as promotional support from local media partners and volunteers from Citizens to support their work improving energy efficiency within their own operations or expanding access to clean or renewable energy services in the communities they serve.
“At Citizens, we are committed to building a more sustainable future for all those we serve,” said Rachel Mattes Greenberg, Head of Sustainability at Citizens. “In addition to reducing our own emissions and helping advise clients on their transitions to a lower-carbon future, we are proud to support organizations that are making our local communities more climate resilient.”
Citizens’ Champions in Action program celebrates and supports local nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $5 million who are driving meaningful change. Twice a year, a nonprofit in one of seven Citizens markets is selected to receive funding, promotional and volunteer support to advance programming and services focused on a relevant topic that aligns with one of Citizens’ sustainability and impact focus areas – Fostering Strong Communities, Building the Workforce of the Future, and Driving Positive Climate Impact.
2024 Champions in Action - Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency:
Clean Energy NH
New Hampshire |
Clean Energy NH strives to decarbonize New Hampshire’s energy system by 2050. The Champions in Action award will enable them to build capacity and scale their Energy Circuit Rider program which has a proven track record of assisting low-income communities to save money and reduce emissions through energy efficiency and clean energy technologies. |
DownCity Design Rhode Island |
DownCity Design works to empower students, educators, and community members to use design skills to improve the places where they live, work, and play. The Champions in Action award will support the purchase and installation of a roof-top solar panel system at their recently renovated Community Design Studio. |
Franklin Food Pantry Massachusetts |
The Franklin Food Pantry provides nourishing food to more than 1,100 families facing food insecurity each year. The Champions in Action award will be used to help purchase solar panels for their new facility which will enable them to reduce operating costs and improve their environmental footprint while providing equitable access to food and other goods. |
Philadelphia Orchard Project
Eastern Pennsylvania |
Philadelphia Orchard Project works with community-based groups and volunteers to plan and plant orchards in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods where people have limited access to fresh fruit. The Champions in Action award will support the organization’s nursery and high tunnel systems that are powered by an off-grid, solar-powered system, setting a model for sustainable renewable energy solutions for urban farms. |
Sustainable Princeton New Jersey |
Sustainable Princeton’s vision is for Princeton to be a model town that examines every action through the lens of sustainability, ensuring a healthy environment, a strong economy, and the well-being of all community members now and in the future. The Champions in Action award will support the organization’s capacity to provide Princeton businesses and residents of all income levels access to energy efficiency incentives, rooftop solar, and community solar opportunities. |
The Citizen Science Lab
Western Pennsylvania |
The Citizen Science Lab is devoted to top-tier STEM activities that heighten the academic and financial futures of youth by fueling a passion for STEM and green technology. The Champions in Action award will support their Integrating Computational and Experimental Technology program which exposes middle and high school students to the physiology, biochemistry, and voltage potential of microbial fuel cells made from river sediment which present a viable, clean alternative for a variety of power sources. |
THE POINT Community Development Corporation
New York |
THE POINT CDC promotes the right of the residents of the South Bronx to live with clean air and water, and access to green space. The Champions in Action award will support THE POINT's plan to establish the first community-shared solar project in the Bronx -- with an aim to generate over 2 megawatts of clean energy and provide financial benefits to over 600 low-to-moderate income households in the area. |
Champions in Action recipients will benefit from:
- A $50,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from Citizens
- Local media coverage and public service announcements
- Volunteer support from Citizens colleagues
- Public relations and promotional support
Since the program’s launch 21 years ago, Citizens has awarded more than $11 million in unrestricted grants and promotional and volunteer support to more than 380 Champions in Action nonprofit winners across the bank’s footprint. The initiative is part of Citizen’s broader efforts to help the communities it serves thrive through its strategic community investments and colleague volunteerism. In 2023, more than 8,800 Citizens colleagues contributed more than 232,000 volunteer hours to support more than 3,300 community organizations.
For information on the Champions in Action program and Citizens’ Sustainability and Impact efforts, click here.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $222.0 billion in assets as of December 31, 2023. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,100 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn or Facebook.
###
