In 2024 alone, Comcast will have donated more than $5 million to dozens of community-based partners in Philadelphia. The funds were invested in local organizations’ programs and events to further digital equity by developing workforce skills, increasing access to educational opportunities, and removing barriers to build a stronger, more prosperous community. The support is made possible through Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.
“Nowhere more than in our hometown has Comcast’s commitment to digital equity grown and evolved since we launched this effort 13 years ago,” said Dan Bonelli, Senior Regional Vice President of Comcast’s Freedom Region, which serves Southeastern Pennsylvania. “Our local partners have been instrumental in this journey to impact all aspects of the digital divide that contribute to societal disparities and limit economic opportunity.”
Comcast has partnered with more than 50 nonprofits in 2024, including:
- Beyond Literacy
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia
- Caring People Alliance
- Coded by Kids
- Easterseals of Southeastern Pennsylvania
- Esperanza
- Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
- Girls Inc., of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey
- HopeWorks
- JEVS Human Services
- LUCY Outreach
- Per Scholas
- Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association (SEAMAAC)
- Second Street Youth Center
- Special People in Northeast (SPIN)
- The Welcoming Center
- The Urban League of Philadelphia
In addition to monetary grants, Philadelphia residents also benefit from access to 74 Comcast Lift Zones, the most of any city in the country. Lift Zones provide a robust, and free, WiFi solution in supportive neighborhood locations like nonprofits, community centers, gyms and parks and recreation facilities. They offer students, adults, senior citizens and veterans more ways to get online and fully participate in educational opportunities and the digital economy. Lift Zones also offer access to hundreds of hours of free educational and digital-skills content. Many sites have digital navigators on staff who can help people learn how to use a computer and get online. Nationwide, Comcast has surpassed 1,250 Lift Zones.
The company also works to interest community members in digital careers. In 2024, hundreds of students toured the Comcast Technology Center and learned about career opportunities, while still others benefitted from mentorships or visits from employees and partners.
“Philadelphia is our home, and Comcast is dedicated to building a future of unlimited possibilities with our neighbors,” said Bonelli.
