National Grid Foundation 2022 Annual Report

BEAM CENTER

Apprenticeship Program

Photo: Zélie Lewis.

Chairman’s Letter

Eileen Cohen

As one year ends and another begins, it is gratifying to know that National Grid Foundation’s support lifted many of our neighbors and communities. The founding premise to enhance the quality of life by helping people and providing them with the tools to build hope has been a driving force for 24 years.

The Foundation rose to the occasion and is starting 2023 continuing to put people first. In response to the blizzard during the Christmas holiday, this organization is supporting Buffalo and its residents. The historic blizzard and flooding afterward decimated parts of the city that was still recovering from the Tops Friendly Market tragedy. The Board of Directors and I agreed to partner with National Grid to provide a matching gift of $500,000. The grant will benefit local agencies that offer direct assistance to residents throughout the area.

We have been tested in recent years with Covid and the aftermath of the pandemic. What is true is how the Foundation and its partner organizations responded – pivoting and continuing to provide support –although in new and different ways. The new normal is ever changing, but we endure. Again, it’s in our nature.

Costs for home heating fuel had significantly increased along with other necessities in 2022. It’s troubling that so many families have had difficulty paying their heating bills. The impending larger heating bills created an even more dire situation. Due to higher costs, some families who never sought help before now needed to request assistance. It’s an economic trickledown effect we don’t like to hear.

For the third consecutive year, the Board of Directors opened their hearts and agreed to additional funds for the emergency assistance heating programs. Nearly $1 million in total grants were approved for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, United Way of Long Island and United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. These organizations deliver fuel-neutral assistance to the neediest members of our communities.

I am proud we were able to lend a warmer helping hand because we do not want anyone choosing between buying food and keeping their home warm.

The Foundation also authorized special, one-time gifts in honor of our Board Directors’ service. Each organization was selected by a member of our Board to receive $2,500 in support of its mission that aligns with ours: The development of individuals, families and building stronger communities.

Board Director Angel Taveras has stepped down from the Foundation. The Board and I want to thank him for his five years of service. We appreciate his friendship and the talents he brought to our organization. Angel will continue his good work which will benefit many people.

Next year, National Grid Foundation will celebrate a milestone birthday – its 25th anniversary. Established in 1998 with a mission to work with diverse non-profits, we continue the effort by working together to inspire and transform our communities. I am proud of the work we have done, and I also look forward to the future.

A Message from the Executive Director

Edward White

What is our “Why?” It is a question National Grid Foundation does its best to answer each year. For 24 years, we have followed our mission of lending a hand-up with the optimism of advancing progress to create a better future. The Foundation also has faith in those people it helps to take ownership of the work and ultimately the success that comes afterward. Cultivating change takes time and teamwork, but is truly worth it. That’s “why” we do what we do.

Throughout 2022, as we continued to improve and design our new normal, another mission came to light –Mission Inspiration. It fueled the year for the Foundation. What inspired us was our partner organizations taking hold of the reins and getting back to work building a better world.

National Grid Foundation supported 85 non-profits which brought needed programs to underserved and underrepresented communities. Some of the inspiring examples include programming that helped students conquer challenges and achieve academic success; workforce development solutions to assist unemployed/underemployed adults; curriculums that taught young people the importance of protecting our environment; and emergency home-heating initiatives that brought warmth to cold homes.

We welcomed five new organizations in 2022: Say Yes Buffalo, Buffalo, NY; WVI Dolphin Foundation, New York, NY; Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Boston, MA; New England Center for Arts and Technology; Boston, MA; and the Waltham Boys and Girls Club; Waltham, MA. They join a full roster of organizations that put people’s needs and their communities first.

Mother Nature reminded us and the residents of Buffalo, NY that weather cannot be predicted or managed. Blizzards battered the city, where more than 100 inches of snow fell in November and December! Unfortunately, there were injuries and deaths due to the unprecedented storms. National Grid crews from other locations were sent to assist in the massive restoration.

The year presented new apprehensions as food, gasoline and home-heating fuel costs skyrocketed. National Grid Foundation’s Board of Directors once again led with their hearts as well as their minds and directed additional funds to three agencies providing emergency home-heating assistance. The Foundation provided nearly $1 million, which will help so many of our neighbors stay warm during the cold weather.

I’m so proud to work for this organization. The staff and I are witnesses to the triumph of the human spirit. All year and every year, National Grid Foundation has done what is right because it is right. It’s vital to our “Why?” I invite you to visit our website where you can read issues of Destiny newsletter and previous annual reports.

Next year, National Grid Foundation will celebrate a milestone – 25 years! We will do our best to make a difference in the next 25 years.

WHY ... Says it all!

National Grid Foundation is more than a funding source. Through its partnerships, the Foundation is afforded the opportunity to work with a host of diverse non-profit organizations. Our experience has shown that by working together we can bring about change that inspires people and transforms communities.

Why do you like working at National Grid Foundation?

“National Grid Foundation is like a hidden gem, National Grid’s best kept secret that I can’t help bragging about. I believe our grants can improve and change the path of children and young adults for the better; This means everything to me.”

Kelly Rubbins-Boatwright Program Manager/Social Impact and Community Investment

“I love being able to solve problems. Sometimes it takes finances, sometimes it takes connecting people with others in their community, and sometimes it’s both. My colleagues and I are always looking for programs that can do the same. Helping to help people do better, think better and make opportunities available to accomplish this. That’s what we do best at National Grid Foundation.”

“Working for the Foundation is the best and most rewarding position of my career. Each and very day I know that through my Foundation role, the team and I facilitate local impact: Helping children, families, job search and career-building youth and adults to improve their personal challenges.”

Deborah Drew Director, Philanthropic Development

“I have a front-row seat to see how community organizations work to improve current conditions and then fuel the future. It’s wonderful to learn how children improve their reading scores or conquer educational/ behavioral challenges; how students learn about the world around them and how to protect the environment; how an organization can feed a community; and how public agencies help keep residents warm during the winter. There are so many more inspirational examples of how organizations make a difference in people’s lives.”

Pamela Focá Creative Adviser/ Brand Evangelist

Christine Berardi Communication Lead/Editor

To find out more about our support within our communities visit:NationalGridFoundation.com / Destiny Newsletter

On Point for College Alumni

On Point for College is an organization that assists young people enroll and succeed in college. National Grid Foundation supports On Point’s Summer Pre-College Orientation Program which provides opportunities for inner-city and first-generation youth from Syracuse, New York, and surrounding areas.

Here are highlights of three On Point graduates:

Today, Kumari is a nurse practitioner for OPTUM/United Healthcare and is an adjunct professor at SUNY Polytechnic, Utica. She has worked within the refugee community to help eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. Along with her husband Bikash, also a nurse practitioner, she has hosted a variety of educational health fairs throughout Central New York. She is the Upstate New York representative to the Refugee Congress.❧

a degree in Marketing. With support services from On Point for College, Naseer had several internships with companies in and around Syracuse before he completed the Grid for Good program and was offered the position of project manager.

Born in Bhutan, Khumari and her family had to flee when she was six years old. After spending 17 years in a refugee camp in Nepal, the family resettled in Syracuse, NY in 2009.

Kumari enrolled at On Point for College in 2010 and received support until she found the right fit for her undergraduate studies at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2016 and with a Master’s in Nursing in 2018. The American Red Cross awarded Kumari the Real Hero Award in 2017. Kumari also was the recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award in 2018, received the Star Student Award from On Point for College, and the Ellen P. Coher Award for excellence in healthcare. Kumari relied on her career coach at On Point to help her apply for a full-time position after graduation.

Naseer Thomas is an ambassador for National Grid’s Grid for Good program. He is currently employed as a project manager at the company. Naseer has been active in public policy since he was young. He even made a presentation to the Syracuse City School District Board on ways to increase literacy rates while he was still a high school student. After graduating from Henniger High School in Syracuse, Naseer enrolled at SUNY Oswego and graduated in 2021 with

In 2014, Rodney entered the On Point for College program as a junior at the Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central. After graduating from ITC in 2015 and with the help of On Point, Rodney enrolled at SUNY Buffalo, graduating in 2020 with a degree in Industrial Technology. He then completed National Grid’s Grid for Good Tier 2 and Tier 3 programs. After working with an On Point mentor and participating in two internships, Rodney is now working at National Grid as an Associate Gas Operation Supervisor.

Kumari Regmi

Kumari along with husband Bikash and their daughter.

Photo credit: Jennifer Trapnell/The Bhutan News Service

Naseer Thomas

Photo credit: City of Syracuse

Rodney Robinson

Photo credit: Rodney Robinson

THE SYNERGY POINT

Thanks to the connections made between National Grid Foundation, On Point for College and National Grid many On Point students receive assistance to reach college and future employment. Several On Point graduates (such as Naseer Thomas and Rodney Robinson profiled here.) have found jobs at National Grid. Connecting the dots: the Foundation provides the grant to On Point which helps students through their college years. On Point then works with numerous companies including National Grid to assist graduates find meaningful work. Win, Win, Win!

On Point for College + Grid for Good program

Through the Grid for Good program, National Grid hired 6 On Point students in 2022. A total of 9 On Point graduates are employees.

students currently enrolled in college.

students earned college degrees at more than 200 colleges and universities.

Molloy University’s Teaching Green Institutes Bring Education Full Circle

By Christine Berardi

What did you do this summer?

Nearly 40 Long Island middle and high school teachers traded fun in the sun to participate in Molloy University’s Teaching Green Institutes.

In July, educators became the students learning about the environment and STEM-related subjects. Participants conducted environmental science lab activities while focusing on sustainability and exploring and evaluating environmental problems to formulate possible preventative measures/solutions.

They learned about wind and solar power using kites and solarpowered cars, the local flora, fauna, and marine life examining horseshoe crabs and other marine life, bird nests and beach grass, and observing Piping Plover nests and frogs among other things.

The teachers will bring the information from the summer workshops to their classrooms and share with their students this fall. It’s an educational win-win! ❧

Teaching Green Institutes Stats

In 2022, participants represented

24 different schools in 19 public school districts.

84% Teachers work in underserved communities; 16% work in low-moderate income areas

Teachers receive 3 graduate credits or 2 in-service credits

547 teachers have completed Teaching Green Institutes since 2011

At the Fire Island Ranger Station, Eric Powers, biologist, teacher and outdoors-man, leads the Teaching Green Institute for High School Teachers and educates the group on shells, fish bones vs mammal bones vs bird bones, horseshoe crabs, and how to use scientific equipment.

High school teachers gather outside the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness and Visitor Center. They learned about local whales and how they feed using baleen, a filter feeding system inside the whale’s mouth. The group then viewed the Humpback Whale skull, which was large enough to fit almost half the group.

Walking on the beach, participants conducted a biodiversity study. Teachers also saw 15 Piping Plover chicks running along the beach. Piping Plovers are an endangered species. Volunteers were out monitoring the safety of the birds.

Photos: Molloy University

Beam Center

Beam Project Governors Island

Tree Chuang

During the Apprenticeship, participants met with artist Xinan Ran, the designer behind this year's Beam Project Governors Island, Tree Chuang. Xinan introduced a storytelling activity that allowed participants to apply the textile skills they had learned thus far. The students were given an emotion, like happiness, sadness, anger, or nervousness, and were tasked with illustrating that emotion using a small, square piece of fabric and any scraps or decorative materials they could find. Apprentices attached different types of fabrics with pins and fabric tape, cut them into different shapes, and combined textures, colors, and patterns to express their emotion. One Apprentice, Lombe, even used skills and scrap fabric from this project to create a bag that she now uses daily!

Beam Center Stats

2022 theme - Fabric of Our Lives which gave apprentices the opportunity to work together creating a tapestry of embroidered patches, hand-stitched by each member. This created a tapestry that told the stories of their lives.

■ 207 student apprentices from ■ 20 partner schools

■ A cohort of 29 newly immigrated and multilingual youth joined the program

■ 100% of students who complete apprenticeship are offered a job

Job placement fields include: Arts/Entertainment, Biological and Physical Sciences, Communications and Marketing, Education and Youth Development, Engineering and Computer Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Social Impact.

Photos: Beam Center

After his death in 2014, the Foundation created the Basil A. Paterson Memorial Scholarship so today’s law students may have opportunities for future success. The $100,000 scholarship provides partial scholarships to St. John’s Law students.

Basil A. Paterson Memorial Scholarship Recipients

2014 –2015 — Eugene Ubawike

2015 –2016 — Keith King

2016 –2017 — Gregory Brown, Jr.

2017–2018 — Gregory Brown, Jr.

2022 Fall’s Entering Class:

2018 –2019 — Samantha Ojo

2019 –2020 — Jeleesa Omala

2020 –2021 — Jeleesa Omala

2021 –2022 — Ashley Flores

Basil A. Paterson was a National Grid Foundation board member and chairman for 16 years.

Northland Workforce Training Center

Northland Workforce Training Center delivers education, training and workforce development services that are industry driven and employment focused to residents. The organization works closely with industry partners to guide the curriculums at SUNY Alfred State College and SUNY Erie on the knowledge and skills students will need when hired at a company.

The program works to reduce major barriers that prohibit students from enrolling and completing postsecondary education such as transportation, childcare, academic readiness, and cost. Northland’s training approach combines evidence-based best practices regarding awareness, recruitment, career planning, education, training, and job placement.

In the summer, Northland offered a paid preparatory “Jumpstart” program to establish the foundational knowledge necessary for incoming students enrolling in the Fall 2022 Mechanical Engineering program.

Northland Workforce Training Center Stats

Since opening in 2018...

■ 876 students enrolled

■ 292 students enrolled in Fall 2022 semester

■ Current in-industry placement rate for employment is 87.2%

■ 14 incoming students including 3 women participated in the Jumpstart program

Northland worked with SUNY Erie to develop 30 hours of mathematics instruction and with Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance to develop 17.5 hours of hands-on training focusing on entry-level industrial and manufacturing skills.

Photos: Northland

“Children were very engaged & extremely interested in the hands-on learning opportunities and the information. This was a hit!”

Lowell and Lawrence teacher

The feedback from the teachers in these school programs continues to be exceedingly positive. The Discovery Museum asked teachers through a survey to rate the program's impact on there outcomes.

On a seven-point scale, with 7 representing “greatly increased,” teachers on average rated the programs as follows:

Provides opportunities for students to use science vocabulary.

Encourages children to ask questions driven by their own curiosity. Increases students’ confidence with science.

Increases students’ interest in science.

6

5.8 5.8 6.3

■ 1,849 Lowell and Lawrence PreK-4th-grade students enrolled during the 2021 22 school year.

■ 600 More students than projected.

■ 87 Individual Field Trip Programs In person for the first time since the pandemic for Lowell and Lawrence students.

■ 185% Increase over last year with close to 40,000 students reached.

Photo: Discovery Museum

Year Up’s key strengths include employer relationships, as well as their proven ability to support, assess, and prepare career-ready talent. Year Up equips young adults with the skills they need to compete for jobs by providing wraparound support, assessing employer needs, and matching talent with employer requirements.

To achieve their goals, Year Up specifically focuses on building relationships with employers who have the potential to make 200+ hires per year, and have the desire to adopt equitable talent practices. Target industries include financial services, healthcare, technology, professional services, media and communications, and advanced manufacturing.

Year Up graduates achieve the strongest results with these large and influential employers who also offer great opportunities for systems change on a significant scale.

Photo: Year Up

75%

85% 67%

Full-year program retention, demonstrating the efficacy of Year Up's program.

Graduates employed and or enrolled in post secondary education.

Graduates hired into full-time jobs related to their Year Up training.

National Grid Foundation Responds to Covid with Increased Workforce Development Support

National Grid Foundation strives to help its diverse partner organizations create opportunities to today’s and tomorrow’s educational and environmental issues. It also provides aid to emergency heating fund programs.

In its history, the organization has supported non-profits that offered job training so individuals can move ahead in their careers and make a better life. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic upended many aspects of life. This emphasized issues such as job/ career training where many people were unemployed or underemployed.

Due to this extraordinary event, the Foundation didn’t miss a beat and increased support to Workforce Development Training programs. It always saw the need and turned up the response due to the pandemic.

In 2022, National Grid Foundation supported at total of 85 organizations:

* All heating fund assistance programs are all "fuel-neutral," meaning assistance is given regardless of type of fuel needed.

All Environmental and Workforce Development grants have an educational component.

National Grid Foundation was created to enhance the quality of life across its grant making territory. The Foundation’s ongoing challenge is to create opportunities for solutions to educational and environmental issues. Its objective is based on the principle that giving people the tools to build hope is an essential ingredient in the development of individuals, families, and communities. Since its inception in December of 1998, the Foundation now in its 24th year has granted more than $35 million to local community organizations.

Rhode

Island Service

Transitions

to Pennsylvania Power & Light Corporation

In May 2022, National Grid announced that it had completed the sale of The Narragansett Electric Company to PPL Corporation. Over the course of a year, National Grid worked with PPL to plan a smooth transition which affected employees, businesses and customers.

This transaction touched National Grid Foundation as well. The Foundation’s grant-making area mirrors the company’s service territory. When service transitioned to PPL Corp., Rhode Island non-profits no longer would be eligible to apply for a Foundation grant.

The Foundation is proud to have supported wonderful community organizations throughout Rhode Island. Organizations such as Providence College, Catholic Social Services, Books are Wings, FirstWorks, Boys and Girls Clubs and others provided life-changing services and programs to children and families.

Photos: FirstWorks

National Grid Foundation Board of Directors Diversity of Skills and Experiences

One of the Foundation’s many strengths is the diversity of our board. Diversity comes in many different forms from ethnic, age, gender and years of service to types of experiences and professions. We value the work that these outstanding leaders do on behalf of the communities we are so proud to support.

Audit

Brand Comm./ Public Relations

Accounting/Financial

Governance

Government/Legal

Operations

Community Leadership

Board of Directors Independence

82% Independent

 Independent

 Nonindependent

Board of Directors by Gender

55% Female

 Female

 Male

Board of Directors Tenure

 0 – 3 years

 4 – 6 years

 7 – 11 years

 12 – 17 years

Board of Directors Ethnic Diversity

 Identify as White/Caucasian

 Identify as other than White/Caucasian

Board of Directors

Leadership Team

Edward White Executive Director Kelly Rubbins Executive Assistant

Christine Berardi Communications Lead

Deborah Drew Program Director

Pamela Focá Creative Adviser

Eileen R. Cohen Chair

Calvin Corriders Director

Melanie W. Littlejohn Director

Dr. Gary V. Simpson Vice – Chair

Eboné M. Carrington Director

Lorraine Lynch Director

Carmen Fields Vice – Chair

Hon. Louis Elisa, II Director

Marcy Reed Director

Stephen W. McCaffrey Chief Counsel

Angel Taveras Director

Don Lowery Treasurer

2022 National Grid Foundation Partner Organizations

 Audubon Society of Rhode Island

 Baruch College Fund

 Beam Center

 Books are Wings

 Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center

 Boston Public Library

 Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest

 Boys and Girls Club of Pawtucket

 Boys and Girls Club of Wakefield - Stoneham

 Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project

 Brooklyn Public Library

 Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology

 Catholic Charities of Diocese of Albany

 Change is Simple

 Citizen Schools

 Citizens Committee for New York City

 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory - DNA Learning Center

 College Bound Dorchester

 Community Workshops

 Coro Leadership NY

 Courageous Sailing

 Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School

 Discovery Museum

 Dress for Success Central Massachusetts

 Earthwatch Institute

 Family Service League

 FirstWorks

 Fiver Children’s Foundation

 Freedom House

 Freshkills Park Alliance

 Friends of the Children-Boston

 Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute

 Grassroots Gardens WNY

 Green Technology Club Corp

 HEAF

 Helen Keller Services

 Justice Resource Institute Inc dba STRIVE Boston

 La Collaborative (Chelsea Collaborative)

 Latino STEM Alliance

 Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester

 Long Island Pine Barrens Society

 Madison Square Boys and Girls Club Inc.

 Mercy Works Inc.

 Molloy University

 New England Center for Arts & Technology (NECAT)

 New Ground

 New York City Police Foundation

 Northland Workforce Training Center

 On Point for College

 Phillips Academy, Andover

 Read to Succeed, Inc.

 Rebuilding Together NYC

 Resilient Coders

 Save the Harbor Save the Bay

 Say Yes Buffalo

 School on Wheels of MA

 SEAT Center

 Seven Hills ASPiRE

 Solar One

 St. Francis College

 Steps to Success

 Tech Kids Unlimited

 The Campaign Against Hunger

 The Center for Brooklyn History

 The Compass School

 The Concord Baptist Church of Christ

 The HOPE Program

 The Learning Community

 United Way of Long Island

 United Way of Mass Bay

 UTEC

 Vanderbilt Museum and Reichert Planetarium

 VIA

 Wade Institute for Science Education

 Waltham Boys & Girls Club

 WriteBoston

 WVI Dolphin Foundation

 Year Up Inc.

 YMCA of Central MA

 YMCA of Greater Boston

 YMCA of Greater NY

 YMCA of Long Island - Great South Bay

 Young People’s Project

 Youthbuild Boston

 Zephyr Education Foundation

Building communities and changing lives by partnering and supporting organizations with a vision for a better future.

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach the stars to change the world.

and social activist.

— Harriet Tubman — American abolitionist