News Releases - 2023

17 Mar 2023

Delivering on the Appalachia First Vision: CNX Foundation Puts Local Communities at the Heart of its Tangible, Impactful, and Local Commitment in 2022

PITTSBURGH, March 17, 2023 – CNX Foundation, the philanthropic arm of CNX Resources, invested $3.3 million in communities and employees across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and Ohio in 2022, the Foundation announced today.

Aligning with CNX’s Appalachia First vision to catalyze a new, vibrant middle class in the region, the Foundation funded projects and organizations – including its Mentorship Academy for underserved youth and The HQTM for local small businesses and nonprofits – that share a commitment to making tangible, impactful, and local differences in their communities.

Vice President of External Relations and CNX Foundation Board Chair Brian Aiello said, “We are proud of everything we were able to accomplish in the last year. The momentum we gained in 2022 is incredibly exciting and we look forward to continuing our work providing long-term, positive impacts on the social fabric of our region.”

Below is a breakdown of the Foundation’s efforts throughout 2022:

Philanthropic Investments
CNX Foundation funded 55 initiatives in 2022, including townships, fire, police, and emergency service departments across the Appalachian Basin. In addition, the Foundation funded programs with the following local partners:

In addition to long-term planning investments, the Foundation also funded acute needs such as as relief efforts following devastating floods in Buchanan County, VA last July. The Foundation contributed nearly $90,000 to support the American Red Cross and the United Way’s aid locally.

Other initiatives, like Blueprint’s “2-Generation, Whole Family Approach Strategy,” embrace a long-term strategy helping families achieve educational, career, financial and wellness goals.

Mentorship Academy
Now in its second year, the Mentorship Academy welcomed 60 students to the initiative providing local high school students with family-sustaining career paths. Founded by CNX Resources President and CEO Nick DeIuliis, the program is geared toward helping youth from economically disadvantaged regional Appalachian communities realize their full potential and discover opportunities for upward mobility.

President and CEO Nick DeIuliis commented, “Our Mentorship Academy prepares youth for new opportunities in the natural gas economy while supporting pathways into other industries and career paths. Last year, CNX increased its talent pool by hiring six Mentorship Academy students. These new employees, nurtured by their mentors, now have relationships with peers and business leaders as well as enthusiasm for the region’s career opportunities and vital support in pursuing those careers.”

UPMC/CNX M.O.V.E.S.
In December, CNX Foundation announced UPMC/CNX M.O.V.E.S., a collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) to identify career opportunities for Mentorship Academy students in the healthcare sector. The program is launching with UPMC Orthopaedics and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. The goal of the program is to help students identify entry points in the healthcare field, exposing them to the wide variety of paths their careers could take, whether it’s radiation technology, nursing, pharmacy or, someday, practicing medicine or conducting cancer research.

“We are excited to work with CNX on the M.O.V.E.S. initiative,” said MaCalus V. Hogan, M.D., chair of Orthopaedic Surgery, UPMC, and David Silver Professor and Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “We look forward to providing valuable mentorship and career development opportunities through UPMC Orthopaedics and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center that set students up for successful careers across the spectrum of healthcare.”

The HQ™ at CNX
The HQ™ at CNX Resources also flourished in 2022. The HQ™ provides space for nonprofits and minority and women-owned business enterprises to work while collaborating and networking with similarly-minded companies.

Last year, eight companies moved into the HQ™: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh, Dress for Success Pittsburgh, K&J Cafe and Catering, Leadership Washington County, The Language and Behavior Center, Transitional Paths to Independent Living (TRPIL), True Fit Marketing and Waynesburg University.

The HQ™ concept helps organizations expand the geographic region they serve by offering exposure to additional counties. This extends the organizations’ reach while fulfilling their philanthropic goals. In many ways, the HQ™ is the physical embodiment of Appalachia First, bringing together groups dedicated to improving lives across the region and building on their natural synergy and drive.

Shona Eakin, TRPIL/VFI CEO said, “The HQ is a great opportunity for our nonprofit to meet with others to discuss opportunities to partner. We believe this satellite workspace facility will be a good spot for our human resources department to interview potential direct care workers that support our consumers as well as other staff members because of its proximity to Allegheny County. This will be a great space to collaborate, come up with new ideas and solutions for critical issues in our community.”

CNX Impact
In December, CNX Foundation wrapped its annual Impact campaign that empowered employee teams to identify and lead community giving programs.

CNX Chief Risk Officer Hayley Scott said, “Impact is an opportunity for employees to direct giving to communities where they see the most need. My team participated in food and toy drives and helped decorate the Washington City Mission food hall for Thanksgiving, while other Impact teams identified specific programs across our operating area. It’s inspiring to look back on the work accomplished and to see how our employee-directed effort extended CNX’s giving reach to truly maximize impact.”

Through the program, participating employees worked on executive-led teams to identify specific community areas of most impact. The latest campaign began in mid-November and wrapped at year’s end, resulting in more than $185,000 in community grants and 650 employee hours volunteered.

Over the course of the November/December campaign, employees accomplished the following:

  • Volunteered over 650 hours between November and December
  • Packed 36,000 pounds (1,650 boxes) of food, 800 holiday bags and 600 children’s bags for Washington Food Helpers
  • Packed 326 boxes of dry goods for Corner Cupboard Food Bank
  • Distributed food among 1,209 vehicles across five distributions
  • Participated in food drives for Corner Cupboard Food Bank and Good Samaritan Food Bank, collecting 1,131 pounds of canned food
  • Donated 50 meals to Family Pines Retirement Home
  • Sponsored 90 children during the Christmas season, ensuring they would receive gifts under the tree
  • Donated over 600 toys for Toys for Tots, the LeMoyne Center and Blueprints families
  • Fed Thanksgiving Dinner to over 225 people with Faithbridge Community Church – K&J Cafe closed for the afternoon so meals could be prepared in its kitchen
  • Made $9,000 in employee contributions, including a CNX Foundation employee match

With one of the largest, most efficient and environmentally sustainable sources of natural gas in the world, Appalachia is poised to become a leader for the new natural gas economy. The philanthropic investments, the HQ™, CNX Impact and the Mentorship Academy work in concert to support the people who call Appalachia home so underprivileged and underserved community members are poised to succeed. Last year was just the start of a multi-faceted approach to bring this vision to life. CNX Foundation is excited to continue making tangible, impactful and local differences in the years to come.

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About CNX Foundation
The CNX Foundation is a registered 501c(3) philanthropic organization that invests tangibly, impactfully, and locally, targeting urban and rural communities within the Appalachian Basin that face socio-economic challenges. With a commitment of $30 million over six years and a focus on underserved populations, the CNX Foundation seeks to set a new standard for how corporations engage with their communities. Additional information, including funding criteria and grant application details can be found at www.cnx.com/foundation.

Contact:
Brian Aiello
[email protected]
724-485-3078