Commitment To Our Community

CNX has been part of our Appalachian region for 160 years, and the pride we have for Appalachian communities is hard to put into words. So we’re putting it into action. The CNX Foundation is committed to supporting grassroots projects and community organizations that may otherwise struggle to compete for funding with more established entities.

CNX has committed $30 million toward improving our communities and generating long-term, sustainable returns for the region, our industry, and our company. “We are on a mission to change the trajectory of our region and to improve the lives of our neighbors,” said CNX President and CEO Nick DeIuliis. “Our industry is the lifeblood of the regional economy and the foundation of our social fabric. These investments will provide returns for our local communities for years to come. This is what sustainability and ESG mean to CNX.”

The CNX Foundation philosophy aligns with our Tangible, Impactful, Local focus, and seeks to help those who need it most. We are not interested in simply donating money. We facilitate creative problem-solving by bringing together a diverse range of partners and resources to invest in challenges that are often overlooked or ignored. 

Mission of the Foundation

Mission Statement

CNX Foundation invests tangibly, impactfully, and locally to target urban and rural communities within the Appalachian Basin facing socio-economic challenges. These investments should demonstrate a return to both the targeted community and the advancement of the goals of the Foundation.


Understanding our philosophy starts with understanding the meaning of the Tangible, Impactful, and Local initiatives we support: 

Tangible

We are focused on making a real and measurable difference in the communities we serve.

Impactful

We seek to identify true needs within our community so our support will have an immediate and long-lasting impact in helping specific programs within the region meet their goals.

Local

Our efforts are rooted in supporting communities in our operational footprint so we can foster more opportunities for growth, close to home.

CNX Foundation

CNX Foundation is dedicated to supporting organizations that focus their efforts on addressing community initiatives in the following key areas:


Food Insecurity
A lack of consistent access to enough food to support a healthy lifestyle leads to food insecurity, affecting many communities throughout the United States, including our Appalachian region. Factors that contribute to food insecurity are, but not limited to, housing, wages, health, and social influence. CNX works within these communities to end food insecurity through education, awareness, and access to food pantries, soup kitchens, and more.

Children’s Health and Wellness
Habits are developed at a young age and it is challenging to break bad routines without the proper resources. CNX works to provide the children of Western Pennsylvania and surrounding areas in grades K-12 with health and wellness education and resources as a preventative action taken to support future generations, gain understanding, develop healthy lifestyles, and help them reach their maximum potential.

  • Youth Sports and Athletic Groups – We value the importance of these groups to their communities and…as such, we have launched the CNX Dream fields initiative designed to rehabilitate and revitalize sports fields across the Appalachian basin. Dream Fields embraces the belief that clean, safe, well-maintained fields improve the players’ overall experience and keep children playing the games they love longer. Click here to learn more about Dream Fields.


Broadband and Information Technology Access
Many communities are falling behind due to the lack of technological equity, leading to gaps in economic growth, household income, educational performance, healthcare access, and employment searches. Providing technological and infrastructural resources for education and employment opportunities helps enrich lives and strengthen society.

Recidivism and Re-entry
Life after incarceration is often difficult and discriminatory for individuals attempting to reinvent themselves into society, causing an overwhelming prevalence of homelessness, unemployment, and poverty. CNX Foundation seeks to work with individuals and organizations that understand the challenges these individuals face and can help foster a pathway forward for those previously incarcerated.

Domestic Abuse Awareness
A pattern of behavior that is physically, emotionally, or mentally harmful in any relationship is domestic abuse and is challenging to escape. With survivors at the center of the cause, efforts must be made to move into the future and prevent it through advocacy, awareness, education, and support.


Opioid Epidemic and Societal Impact
Society continues to be harmed by the ever-growing opioid epidemic, causing tens of thousands to suffer and experience effects from addiction. In order to begin to prevent opioid abuse from increasing, education, awareness, and strong preventative actions must be taken by individuals of all ages.

Career Awareness/Technical and Vocational Training
Trade and vocational careers have developed a negative stigma, causing a shortage of employees in vital realms of work. Career awareness
paired with technical and vocational training gives the future workforce and incoming employees a better look at the options available, allowing them to best meet their interests, skill sets, and society’s needs.

Water Quality Safety and Awareness
Clean water is a vital resource in our local communities and beyond. Research, prevention, policy, and programs should continue to be funded and utilized in order to protect and improve water quality and provide equal access to basic living necessities to future generations.

Veterans and Active Military
Supporting our nation’s veterans is an impactful way for CNX Foundation to recognize those who have served our country. With this initiative, we will aid veterans in a wide variety of areas including healthcare, mental health services, job training, housing, and more. Through financial commitments and volunteering time, we hope to honor their service in a way that reflects our gratitude. This pillar emphasizes particular support for veterans of Vietnam and veterans from 9/11.


Community investment is more than a financial commitment. We strive to enhance our communities by lending our time and talent to organizations across the region. In 2023, the CNX Foundation invested $3.1 million dollars in 121 initiatives aligned with its Tangible, Impactful, Local community focus. At the end of 2023, we have contributed $15 million as part of our pledge to invest $30 million through 2026 in local initiatives supporting underserved causes within our operating footprint.

The CNX Foundation—with significant commitment and involvement from our CEO—makes Tangible investments in our community and its most valuable asset: its people. At the request of the CEO, CNX’s Board of Directors approved a $1.5 million reduction in annual CEO compensation for 2024. Following similar reductions in CEO compensation in 2023 ($1.5) and in 2022 ($1 million), the funds will once again be reallocated to support CNX Foundation initiatives, including a collaboration between CNX and the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) See more here.

CNX is partnering with CCAC to remove barriers and create career pathways for veterans, survivors of domestic violence and opioid addiction, and the formerly incarcerated by providing the knowledge and skills needed to access and thrive in the region’s evolving energy economy. Additional funding will support the Emergency GAP Fund, providing direct assistance to students experiencing financial hardship.


CNX Dream Fields CNX Mentorship

CNX Foundation welcomes organizations within our region to fill out an application below. Grant requests will be accepted from October 1st through November 30th, each year. Applications must be submitted online.



FAQ


Are there specific organizations or programs that CNX Foundation will NOT fund?
CNX Foundation does not fund the following:

  • Political parties, candidates or public policy advocates
  • For-profit activities, businesses, associations or organizations
  • Tax-supported entities, including public schools
  • Fraternal, social, union or hobby/recreational clubs or organizations
  • Personnel costs
  • Sporting events
  • Scholarship programs


In what geographic area does CNX Foundation award grants?
CNX Foundation tends to award grants in the same geographic footprint of CNX business operations. CNX Operates in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Virginia. We also recognize the need to support the underprivileged across the region we call home.

How often does CNX Foundation review grant applications?
CNX Foundation reviews grants submitted during the open application period from October 1 – November 30. Grants are reviewed in December – January, with awards being made during the first quarter of the year.

Who makes the funding decisions for grants awarded through CNX Foundation?
CNX Foundation Board of Directors reviews and approves the funding of grant requests. The board is comprised of CNX leaders from across the company and key community members.

Are there restrictions to using the grant within a specific timeframe?
While there are no specific guidelines on when dollars awarded for programs and initiatives are spent, it is customary for grants to be used in one year.

Follow CNX Foundation on Facebook and Instagram, and continue to check this page for updates as we engage with our community.

Contact: communityrelations@cnx.com


  • Supporting Substance Recovery

    CNX Foundation invested $1 million to help patients in recovery take the first steps toward healing. Located in the heart of rural southwestern Pennsylvania, the facility (Penn Highlands Mon Valley) is the first of its kind to provide recovery care to these communities. The unit has physicians and nursing staff available around-the-clock, along with therapists, to support patients on their journey to recovery.

    “Having the support of an organization that understands how important it is to serve the community is invaluable,” said Peter Adamo, Regional Market President Southwestern Region for Penn Highlands. “The opioid crisis affects not only the patient, but those we consider ‘extended patients’—their family members. If we do not turn this crisis around, it will continue to devastate entire communities across our region. I am so appreciative of the CNX Foundation and I am looking forward to our continued relationship.”


  • Supporting Local First Responders

    CNX donated over $101,000 to first responders at more than twenty organizations—including $28,000 to Russell County, Tazewell County, and Buchanan County, Virginia—to support facility improvements, equipment, and supplies. CNX Foundation was proud to support the West Finley Volunteer Fire Company (VFC) with a $10,000 donation to fund its ALS battery system, which helps volunteer firefighters perform chest compressions in the field for up to 40 minutes. CNX Foundation is grateful to the West Finley VFC and other Appalachian first responders for providing essential services to our local communities.

    Alleviating School Lunch Debts

    CNX Foundation hosted two events—a golf outing and a clay shoot—to raise awareness for school lunch debts across the Appalachian region. Forty-three sponsors raised over $41,000 to pay off school lunch debts in seven school districts and helped alleviate financial burdens for struggling families and, in some instances, unlocked high school diplomas that were being kept from students for lack of payment. Beneficiary school districts included:

    • Central Greene School District
    • West Greene School District
    • Kiski Area School District
    • McGuffey School District
    • Russell County Public Schools
    • Buchanan County Public Schools
    • Tazewell County Public Schools

    “On behalf of the district, thank you for providing such a generous donation to assist our student lunch debt. We sincerely appreciate your generosity and will be sure to notify the families you have helped support. Thank you!” ~Jaclyn Walker, Director of Food Services at Kiski Area School District

  • Supporting Local Military and Veterans

    The holidays can be tough on military families, especially if a loved one is deployed or unable to be home. CNX Foundation provided 115 holiday meal boxes to veteran families across the Appalachian region.

    In Southwest Virginia alone, 72 veterans at the Veterans Administration clinic in Tazewell County, Virginia received Thanksgiving food boxes—courtesy of the CNX Foundation—as a thank you for their service to our country.

    “This project was one small way we could say thank you to the veterans in our community for their service,” said Brian Green, Vice President of CNX Resources Virginia Operations. “We appreciate all that each of them have done through their service in various branches of the military to ensure that all of us enjoy the freedoms we enjoy today.”