Funding Announcement

FAIRMONT, W.Va. – October 29, 2026 -- The FirstEnergy Foundation is awarding $125,000 to seven West Virginia and Maryland organizations providing emergency shelter, housing assistance and support services, part of a housing initiative that grew from $100,000 to $500,000 in 2026 and now reaches 38 organizations across five states.

Recipients serve communities in the territories of Mon Power in West Virginia and Potomac Edison in Maryland and West Virginia, both FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) electric companies. The Shelter, Safety and Stability initiative covers homelessness, domestic violence and related housing challenges.

Homelessness rises in both states

West Virginia counted nearly 1,925 people experiencing homelessness in January 2025, up 8.2% from the previous year. The number of homeless families with children rose 27%.

ARLINGTON, Va. – October 29, 2026 -- March of Dimes has awarded $150,000 each to two early-career researchers, committing $300,000 in total through its 2026 Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Awards. The recipients are Dr. Helen Vuong, PhD, of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and Dr. Laurie Eldredge, MD, PhD, of the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Vuong to test whether the maternal gut microbiome carries iron's effects to the fetal brain

Vuong, an assistant professor in Minneapolis, studies the intersection of the maternal gut microbiome and fetal neurobiology. Her grant targets iron, an essential micronutrient that is deficient in 50 percent of pregnant women globally.

Portland – October 28, 2026 -- Postpartum Support International (PSI) has launched a legal justice program backed by $120,000 in new funding, led by a $100,000 "Decriminalizing Mental Illness" grant from the Sozosei Foundation, the philanthropic arm of healthcare company Otsuka. Two $10,000 gifts from private donors complete the funding.

The program trains attorneys and other legal professionals, prepares perinatal mental health specialists to act as expert witnesses, and supports women and families drawn into the legal system because of perinatal mental illness. PSI says unrecognized or misunderstood conditions in criminal, family or employment proceedings can separate families, end careers and lead to incarceration.

PSI President and CEO Wendy Davis said nowhere are the consequences of that misunderstanding greater than in a courtroom.

Chicago – October 21, 2026 -- Delta Dental Plans Association has committed three years of funding to five organizations building early-exposure pipelines into oral health careers, under its 2026 Future Workforce Fund.

President and CEO James W. Hutchison said a strong workforce requires "sustained investment, collaboration, and a commitment to learning what works." The funding is meant to help the grantees deepen their impact, strengthen evaluation and share approaches that other communities can replicate. The source does not disclose the total award amount or per-grantee allocations.

Five organizations receive 2026 Future Workforce Fund awards

The awardees and their programs are:

Durham – October 15, 2026 -- Vulcan Elements, a U.S. rare earth magnet manufacturer, will lead a three-year research project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E to develop magnetic materials potentially more powerful than rare earth magnets, the company announced.

Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Piotr Kulik will head the effort. The project was competitively selected for ARPA-E funding. Kulik is also an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF).

Project targets magnets that exceed current performance limits with less rare earth input

The work covers discovery, modeling, synthesis and validation of new high-performance magnetic materials. According to the source, the research could yield magnets that surpass current limits on magnetic performance while reducing requirements for rare earth inputs.

Washington – October 15, 2026 -- The National Park Foundation (NPF) has awarded more than $1 million in grants to support over 20 projects that bring immersive science learning to middle and high school students in national parks across the U.S.

The grants fund NPF's Field Science program for the 2026-27 school year. Projects combine classroom-aligned engagements, extended in-park experiences, out-of-school-time programs and community involvement. NPF developed them with parks, local schools, community centers and science education programs.

New York – October 14, 2026 -- The Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation have launched Cities Deliver: AI Solutions for Public Services, a $50 million initiative that will award grants of $500,000 to $2 million to organizations helping city governments deploy artificial intelligence, with a target of reaching up to 100 million urban residents.

Global open call runs from October 14 to November 29, 2026

The call is open to eligible nonprofit and civil society institutions that work with city governments. Every project must be led by an eligible organization, include a committed city government partner and serve a charitable purpose. Applicants who advance from the initial submission will be invited to a next selection stage.

Valley View – – October 12, 2026 -- Peak Nano has secured R&D funding from the Greater Akron Polymer Innovation Hub to develop nanolayered biodegradable multilayer polymer films for food, beverage and medical packaging, one of eight projects selected from more than 40 regional proposals.

Peak Nano targets hard-to-recycle multilayer barrier films

The Ohio company aims to replace conventional multilayer packaging film, which can contain many tightly bonded layers of polymers and additives that are difficult or impossible to recycle. Over time these materials fragment and shed micro- and nanoparticles into soils and waterways. Peak Nano says its alternative will keep barrier performance intact while being engineered for biodegradability.

Western New York – – October 12, 2026 -- National Grid has committed $2 million over five years to Northland Workforce Training Center, funding a new Clean Tech Lab and Experience Center that held its formal ribbon cutting on Sept. 25.

National Grid's 2025 grant targets electrical construction and clean energy students

The money, pledged in 2025, supports students pursuing careers in electrical construction and clean energy. It is distributed over five years and flows through National Grid's Sustainability organization, where the Social Impact and Community Engagement team invests in nonprofits across the utility's service area.

Napa Valley, Calif. – October 07, 2026 -- Winegrowers and wineries have pledged $2.5 million to launch Phase One of the Grapevine Red Blotch Virus Research Initiative, a public-private collaboration targeting one of the wine industry's most costly unresolved vineyard threats.

Industry leaders back coordinated three-year research push

The initiative has drawn commitments from Christian Mouiex/Dominus Estate, Darioush Winery, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Joe Wender and Ann Colgin, Louis P. Ciminelli/Laelius Winegrowing, Opus One Winery, Phillips Family Farming/Vine Hill Ranch, Tom Gamble/Gamble Estates, Pete Richmond/Silverado Farming Company, and The Araujo Family. Phase One is structured as a three-year program funding multiple projects at research institutions, with defined milestones tracking progress from lab discovery to vineyard application.