Communities across the District of Columbia and Maryland are taking meaningful steps to build a sustainable and resilient future. Through Pepco’s Sustainable Communities Grant Program, in partnership with Sustainable Maryland, nine local nonprofits and municipalities are receiving more than $120,000 in funding to advance projects that restore ecosystems, strengthen infrastructure, and create spaces where communities can thrive. 

This year’s program includes two types of grants: environmental stewardship grants, which support projects like workforce development for sustainable careers, expanding green spaces, and promoting environmental education, and resiliency grants, which help communities strengthen local infrastructure and improve emergency preparedness. Delivered in partnership with Sustainable Maryland, the program brings together local expertise and community leadership to make sure funding goes where it can have the biggest impact. 

“When communities are given the tools and support they need, great ideas can take root and transform neighborhoods,” said Amber Perry, senior vice president of Governmental, Regulatory and External Affairs, Pepco. “Over the past five years, the Sustainable Communities Grant Program has grown into a powerful partnership that’s restoring natural habitats, improving green spaces, and building resilience across the region. This year’s grantees reflect local leadership at its best, tackling real-world challenges with creativity, commitment, and deep community knowledge.” 

Meet this year’s environmental stewardship grant recipients: 

• Friends of the National Arboretum ($8,700): Improving the Washington Youth Garden through infrastructure restoration and new seating to enhance educational programming. 

• Dreaming Out Loud ($10,000): Supporting The Farm at Kelly Miller Open Space Improvement Project in Ward 7 to strengthen local food production and promote environmental stewardship. 

• Town of University Park ($10,000): Transforming a grass lot into a native pollinator meadow with walking paths and interpretive signage to support biodiversity and community engagement. 

• Community Native Planting Project ($10,000): Expanding demonstration gardens and incubator plots at Eco City Farms with native plant landscapes and pollinator-friendly gardens that enhance ecological resilience. 

• Live Peace Tech Corporation ($10,000): Engaging middle and high school students in creating a South Asian American Youth “Peace Forest” at the Nepal Education and Culture Center. 

• Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region ($10,000):
  Advancing the Kingman Rangers Program, a workforce development initiative focused on environmental restoration and green job training on Kingman and Heritage Islands. 

Meet this year’s resiliency grant recipients: 

• My Senior’s Keeper Foundation ($25,000): Launching Blight 2 Bloom, a transformative environmental restoration project converting an underutilized Ward 7 site into a community-centered green space featuring solar energy, stormwater management, and workforce development opportunities. 

• Takoma Park ($16,000): Supporting the development of the Takoma Park Resilience Hub, including coordinated planting and preparation tracks, community input, and programming that enhances resiliency and emergency preparedness. 

• City of Greenbelt ($25,000): Purchasing a mobile cold storage trailer to strengthen local food access and distribution through the Greenbelt Farmers Market and local food assistance partners. 

Over the past five years, the Sustainable Communities Grant Program has invested more than $620,000 in local organizations. These investments are helping communities restore critical habitats, expand access to green spaces, and build the infrastructure needed to thrive in a changing climate — creating a stronger, more sustainable region for us all.