CITGO Awards $800,000 to Caring For Our Coast Nonprofits

Grants support habitat restoration, community engagement, and environmental education across Gulf Coast and inland habitats

HOUSTON, Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Environmental progress is happening now as sixteen nonprofits expand their reach and deepen their impact with $800,000 in new grants from CITGO Petroleum Corporation's Caring For Our Coast (CFOC) initiative. This year's support will provide vital resources for ongoing restoration, wildlife protection, and environmental education across the Gulf Coast and in Lemont, Illinois.

Since 2014, CITGO has awarded more than $9.1 million to nonprofit organizations committed to environmental protection, education, and resilience.

"Stewardship grows when learning meets action," said Kresha Sivinski, CITGO Vice President Human Resources and Support Services. "By partnering with these nonprofit organizations, we're expanding hands-on education and volunteer opportunities that restore ecosystems and build a legacy of environmental responsibility for generations to come."

2025 Caring For Our Coast Grant Recipients

• Artist Boat, Inc. – Houston – $85,000
  Funds conservation through land acquisition for protection of critical barrier island ecosystems, stewardship through habitat restoration, and adaptive management for improved land stewardship.
• Buffalo Bayou Partnership – Houston – $20,000
  Supports a waterway cleanup to remove trash and debris from Buffalo Bayou, addressing stormwater runoff and protecting Galveston Bay.
• The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana – Lake Charles – $40,000
  Advances habitat restoration and environmental education, including Cameron Parish Chenier Restoration Planting and the Coastal Leadership Institute.
• Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program – Corpus Christi – $30,000
  Supports stewardship of habitats and wildlife through public engagement, volunteer cleanups, and educational restoration projects.
• Coastal Bend Bays Foundation – Corpus Christi – $25,000
  Funds four programs to educate, engage, and empower diverse audiences across the Texas Coastal Bend, including Earth Day – Bay Day Festival and Coastal Cleanups.
• Friends of Padre, Inc. – Corpus Christi – $15,000
  Supports the annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup, mobilizing up to 2,500 volunteers to remove marine debris from Padre Island National Seashore.
• Friends of The Forest Preserve District of Will County – Lemont – $35,000
  Funds restoration of 68.5 acres of rare prairie and wetlands at Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve, enhancing biodiversity and supporting endangered species.
• Galveston Bay Foundation – Houston – $65,000
  Supports community-based conservation initiatives to restore and preserve native habitats, improve water quality, and engage residents in stewardship.
• Houston Audubon Society – Houston – $50,000
  Funds restoration and management of critical bird habitat and expands equitable access to nature across the Greater Houston Gulf Coast region.
• Houston Parks Board – Houston – $50,000
  Supports restoration of native habitat and stabilization of slopes along Halls Bayou Greenway, benefiting underserved communities.
• National Recreation and Park Association – Gulf Coast – $100,000
  Funds efforts to build climate-ready coastal communities through enhancement of riparian areas and engagement in environmental education and volunteer service events.
• Restore America's Estuaries – Gulf Coast – $80,000
  Supports collaboration with diverse organizations to lead volunteer coastal conservation and restoration events, with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Tampa Bay Watch – Florida – $50,000
  Funds expansion of access to marine science education for underserved students through immersive, hands-on learning experiences.
• Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Foundation, Inc. – Corpus Christi – $50,000
  Supports oyster reef restoration and community education through the Sink Your Shucks™ oyster shell recycling program.
• The Conservation Foundation – Lemont, Ill. – $30,000
  Funds ecological restoration and environmental education at O'Hara Woods Nature Preserve.
• The Wilder World Trust – Lemont, Ill. – $75,000
  Supports long-term ecological health through shoreline restoration, invasive species removal, and community engagement.

About CITGO

CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry and operates under the well-known CITGO brand. CITGO owns and operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and/or jointly owns 43 active terminals, eight pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,300 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 829,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO ranks as the fifth largest and is one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products, and supplies a network of approximately 4,000 locally owned and independently operated branded retail outlets, all located east of the Rocky Mountains. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc.

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SOURCE CITGO Petroleum Corporation