Search Through Chester County Grants for Nonprofits in Pennsylvania

Grants

Social impact organizations and leaders often need early investors and additional resources such as thought partnership to try new ways of tackling emerging or persistent problems. They need to be able to take risks, test hypotheses and challenge assumptions.

The Catalyst Fund is Barra’s core grantmaking program.

These grants provide early-stage dollars that enable an organization to test an idea that might not work—yet. Since 1963, we have provided this type of risk capital to nonprofits in the region that are aiming to test a new idea, assess the results, learn from them and share those lessons with others in an effort to advance knowledge and inspire transformative change that strengthens communities.

The Catalyst Fund provides grants that act as risk capital for early-stage, bold approaches that have the potential to result in outsized impact and thriving, equitable communities.

Our Areas of Interest

Our four areas of interest—Arts & Culture, Education, Health and Human Services—help us organize our grantmaking, but we recognize possible overlaps and resist making them rigid lines of work. These areas of interest collectively contribute to creating a stronger and more vibrant community. As such, all projects and initiatives supported by Barra should aim to improve the lives of under-resourced individuals, families and communities.

The Catalyst Fund

There are proven models and best practices that work. And then there are intractable and emerging problems that require a different approach, imagination and fresh, bold thinking.

The Catalyst Fund supports early-stage, novel approaches that have the potential to result in durable, transformative and equitable change, particularly in under-resourced communities.

These timely early-stage Catalyst Fund ideas should:

• Address a precisely defined and timely problem or opportunity
• Demonstrate a break from existing practice
• Be informed by the people most affected by the issue being addressed
• Create outsized impact for communities
• Have the potential to inspire deep change in a field, sector, region or system
• Address the needs of under-resourced communities and/or needs for a vibrant cultural sector in the Greater Philadelphia region
• Stem from a shift in underlying assumptions, often built upon new or emerging evidence or arguments; or, a shift in cultural/social awareness

Connelly Foundation Grant

Inspired by our Catholic heritage, the mission of the Connelly Foundation is to create access for those in need and opportunity for those with vision.

Since its founding in 1955, the Connelly Foundation has been a responsive and proactive grantmaking organization awarding grants to nonprofits in the Philadelphia area that demonstrate outstanding performance in meeting community needs.

Focus Areas

To achieve its mission to create access for those in need and opportunity for those with vision, the Connelly Foundation provides grants toward costs associated with programs, direct services, general operations, and capital projects to nonprofit organizations and institutions working in the following fields:

Education: Promoting Access to and Excellence in PreK-12 Catholic Education 

The Connelly Foundation is committed to helping Philadelphia-area Catholic schools thrive. The Foundation’s grantmaking and signature education initiatives prioritize: 

• Programs that support or improve the academic quality of local Catholic schools 
• Investments in talent that attract, develop, and retain high-quality teachers and leaders in schools and systems 
• Efforts for strategic improvement around enrollment growth and financial sustainability 
• Strategies to increase access to a high-quality Catholic education.

Human Services: Essential Needs and a Path to Stability

The Connelly Foundation’s Human Services grantmaking reflects the compassion of our Founders, John and Josephine Connelly, and their respect for human dignity. Inspired by our Catholic heritage, we seek to alleviate urgent, basic needs through access to food, emergency shelter, clothing, and critical home repair. We strive to create pathways to stability and independence through investments in youth and workforce development.

• Our Human Services Funding Priorities:
  • Basic Needs: Alleviating urgent needs through access to food, emergency shelter, clothing, and critical home repair
  • Investing in Youth: Supporting evidence-based or outcome-focused youth out-of-school time programs
  • Workforce development: Creating pathways to sustainable employment and stability through foundational skill building, entrepreneurship, and workforce development programs

Culture & Civic Life: Rewarding Destinations that Inspire 

In a region where civic and cultural opportunities abound, the primary focus of our "investment" in the arts is to support access and the development and delivery of educational programs.

Grants are awarded to organizations that strive to engage a broad audience and bridge cultural boundaries.  

The Foundation seeks to identify and support sites and projects that provide a deep appreciation of Philadelphia's rich heritage. 

Criteria 

• The degree to which the proposal directly addresses and furthers the Connelly Foundation’s objectives and goals .
• The significance of the problem or need addressed by the proposed program .
• The overall quality of the proposal and whether the organization has made a convincing case that funding to the organization will facilitate more effective and efficient service delivery to constituents
• The history and stability of the organization with regard to board, management, and financial support
• The organization’s track record, prior accomplishments and unique role in providing service to its specific constituencies
• The reasonableness of the prepared budget

The Chester County Community Foundation connects people who care with causes that matter, so their philanthropy makes a difference now and forever. 

Field of Interest &  Donor Advised Funds

Proposals received any time throughout the year are eligible for funding consideration from the Foundation’s Field of Interest Funds & Donor Advised Funds. Grant awards typically range from $500 - $7,500. Grant decisions are made intermittently throughout the year, as Fund Advisors desire. Proposals are electronically shared with Fund Advisors to assist them in making grant decisions.

Nonprofits should be specific about their mission, goals, and measurable outcomes. Grants may be made to charitable nonprofits working in all fields of interest including:

• arts, culture and humanities;
• education;
• community improvement;
• environment;
• religion;
• health; and
• human services.

General operating grants are encouraged. 

Immediate Response Action Fund

Goals

Important and urgent needs of women and girls are now arising more frequently than anyone could have predicted. As a result, we created the Immediate Response Action Fund (IRAF) in 2017 to quickly distribute funds to organizations to address those needs as they arise. The IRAF grant application and evaluation processes allow WOMEN’S WAY to assess urgent situations more thoroughly and quickly, and determine how to respond most effectively. IRAF funds are restricted grants designated to respond to a specific event, opportunity, or challenge.

Funding

The Fund will provide one-time small grants up to $10,000 for a grant period of up to 12 months. If approved, the grant will be processed in no more than 10 business days after receipt of application.

AED Mini-Grant Program

The Phoenixville Community Health Foundation has established this mini-grant program to streamline requests for financial assistance toward the purchase of one or more Automatic External Defibrillators.

You will need to upload a formal estimate or documentation of the AED equipment to be purchased.

Funding

The maximum grant award is $2,000 for one unit and $4,000 for two units.

Capacity Building Mini-Grant Program

Intended to assist nonprofit organizations with training and educational programs that strengthen the governance structure, program accountability, and program sustainability.

Programs that may qualify for this funding are:

• board of director training,
• staff development/leadership,
• DEI training,
• strategic planning,
• outcome-based training/resources,
• marketing/branding (new brochures, new websites, video promotion, social media campaigns, etc.) and
• strategic planning.

You will need a program budget for this request.

The maximum grant award is $2,500 per year

Information Technology Mini-Grant Program

Types of equipment eligible are computer hardware, software upgrades, printers, training associated with equipment/program upgrades, tablets, and laptops

Funding

The maximum grant award is $5,000

Our Mission

Quest for the Best® strives for a better tomorrow by providing funds and/or services to those who are committed to strengthening the common good of mankind.

The legal professionals of Quest for the Best® provide business and transactional legal services to organizations recognized as tax exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code serving the disadvantaged and enhancing the quality of life in Pennsylvania.

We do not undertake litigation, criminal or intellectual property matters. Each request is reviewed individually, and Quest for the Best® reserves the right to determine if we will accept a matter after review of all facts provided.

Grantmaking Criteria

We consider requests for funding that meet the overall mission and goals of Quest for the Best.

These include initiatives that:

• Include plans for long-term sustainability
• Have secured co-funding
• Support specific programs, projects and equipment

Focus

We focus on the following areas: police and nurse training, education for underserved communities, funding for wildlife and environmental conservation, and humanitarianism, specifically clean water, homelessness, hunger, and support for those suffering through the opioid epidemic.

Our Mission

Quest for the Best® strives for a better tomorrow by providing funds and/or services to those who are committed to strengthening the common good of mankind.

The legal professionals of Quest for the Best® provide legal services to Pennsylvania organizations recognized as tax exempt or seeking tax exempt status under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, with priority offered to nonprofit organizations located in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

We do not undertake litigation, criminal or intellectual property matters. Each request is reviewed individually, and Quest for the Best® reserves the right to determine if we will accept a matter after review of all facts provided.

Legal Services Grants

With over a century of combined experience, the attorneys and paralegal at Quest for the Best® are prepared to serve your nonprofit with all its legal needs.

Incorporation Assistance.

• Name Search
• Incorporation
• Obtain Tax ID Number
• Draft By-Laws

Tax Exempt Assistance

• Assist with 501(c)(3) Application
• Sales Tax Exemption Application

Employment

• Personnel Manuals and Policies
• Employment Contracts
• Laws on Hiring

General Legal Consultation

• Charitable Registration Guidance
• Contract Review
• Board of Directors’ Roles and Responsibilities
• Develop Policies and Procedures

Policies

The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust is a private foundation which makes grants primarily for three specific purposes. With few exceptions, grants are limited to organizations within Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties as well as the City of Camden, New Jersey.

Mission

Ensuring basic human needs, supplementing higher education scholarships, supporting maritime education/maritime heritage preservation, and enabling basic medical research in the areas of heart disease, cancer and AIDS.

Vision

Helping organizations and individuals achieve their goals, 

Basic Needs

The Trust awards grants to nonprofits that provide direct assistance to those in our community who are in need of food, clothing or shelter. We prioritize requests that benefit disadvantaged and vulnerable children and older adults who reside within the five county Greater Philadelphia region (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties) or the City of Camden, NJ. The Trust monitors basic needs trends in the region to help us reassess and adjust our grantmaking.

W. W. Smith funds efforts to provide food, clothing, or shelter assistance for children and older adults in the five-county Greater Philadelphia area (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia counties) or the City of Camden, NJ.

Funding Duration & Award Size

• Grants are awarded for a one (1) year term.
• Organizations that receive three (3) consecutive years of funding must then wait two (2) years before being eligible to reapply. We make this determination based on the calendar year of your notice of award.
• The minimum award is $5,000.
• There is no maximum award limit. Grants typically range from $10,000 to $40,000. Higher-dollar awards are possible for certain projects. Please contact the Grant Administrator when planning your grant request amount.

The Fund for Women and Girls

Mission

The Fund leads and unites the community through philanthropy and advocacy to ensure that women and girls have resources and opportunities to thrive.

Vision

Women and girls have equality and security, making our communities stronger and more vibrant for everyone. The Fund is a vital partner and leader, convening individuals and organizations with boldness, connectivity, and creativity around a shared commitment to gender equity and the well being and self-determination of women and girls.

Core Grants

To receive funding proposals from nonprofit organizations that demonstrate a commitment to women and girls in Chester County for grant funding. Grant recipients should have a gender lens, with consideration for those who have lived female experiences. That is, they should demonstrate an understanding of the unique challenges women and girls face, and the ways in which systems, institutions, and policies must change to advance women’s equality. In addition, the proposed requests should be specific and should provide deliverables, milestones, and/or achieve measurable outcomes. The work outlined in the proposal should be connected to long-term positive impact for women, girls, and individuals with lived female experiences.

Any organization applying for a general operating or capacity building grant must demonstrate that women, girls, individuals with lived female experiences, or mothers and their children in Chester County make up at least 75% of the organization’s total target population.

Organizations applying for program or project support must demonstrate one of the following:

• direct services supported by a Fund grant primarily benefit women, girls, individuals with lived female experience, or mothers and their children in Chester County; or
• the proposed work will produce impacts that increase resources and opportunities for women and girls in Chester County.

Advocacy and Funding Priorities

The Fund will consider funding organizations that address the following priorities as determined in its annual Advocacy Plan:

• Women's economic empowerment
• Gender-based violence prevention
• Access to reproductive and wellness care

Examples of services provided by our grantees include, but are not limited to:

• Vocational training and workforce preparation
• Access to reproductive and gender affirming care
• STEM and other educational programming for girls and gender expansive youth
• Services, supports, and resources for teenage mothers
• Improved access to women’s health services
• Domestic violence services (prevention or response to)
• Housing and homelessness prevention
• Youth development programming focused on girls' leadership and empowerment

Through investment in these areas, The Fund will play an active role in providing equality and security for women, girls, and individuals with lived female experiences, making our communities stronger and more equitable for everyone.

Types of Grants

Grant requests can be for:

• Program/Project Grant:
  • Funding for a specific initiative or new endeavor
• General Operating Grant:
  • Funding for the general purpose or work of an organization, including personnel, administration, and other expenses for an existing program.
• Capacity Building Grant:
  • Funding specifically to enhance organizational capacity and address important issues of organizational development and effectiveness (e.g. strategic planning, leadership development, technology infrastructure, etc.).

Funding

In each of the funding priority areas; women’s economic empowerment, gender-based violence prevention, and access to reproductive and wellness care, the following parameters apply:

• Grant size: $5,000-$15,000 (per year)
• Anticipated number of grants available: 5-8
• Length of grant period: 2 years

Goals

The Visionary Leadership Fund is a separate endowment managed by the Valentine Foundation. Created in 2005, this endowment provides a dedicated source of funding for leadership development for women executives and aspiring leaders in organizations that improve the lives of women and girls in the Greater Philadelphia region. The Fund for Visionary Leadership enhances these organizations and creates positive social change by making valuable leadership training accessible to those working in the non-profit sector with the goals of:

• Supporting the Effectiveness of Current Women Leaders
• Developing the Next Generation of Women Leaders
• Fostering a Community of Women Leaders

The Valentine Foundation envisions a society in which all women, and girls, and non-binary individuals thrive. We encourage submissions from women executive and aspiring leaders from groups that have historically been under-represented in leadership roles.

Our definition of “women and girls” includes anyone who is cis-gender or trans woman/girl, or non-binary.

The groups we focus on who have historically been under-represented in leadership roles include, but are not limited to, those who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ+, and/or People with Disabilities.

Our grantmaking goal is to close the gender, racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and other equity gaps in non-profit leadership. We do this by actively funding the leadership development of as many current women executive and aspiring leaders from groups that have historically been under-represented in leadership roles as possible, within our means and mission.

Characteristics of Visionary Leadership

The Valentine Fund for Visionary Leadership is committed to advancing, encouraging, and developing visionary leadership skills in both aspiring and executive-level women nonprofit leaders. The Fund understands visionary leadership, apart from management and executive authority, to include the following characteristics:

• Demonstration of innovation and entrepreneurial vision: (Takes initiative, is not risk averse, seeks new solutions, partnerships, tries alternative approaches)
• Credibility: (Demonstrates knowledge of issues from the standpoint of content and policy. Demonstrates capacity for strategic synthesis of knowledge and practice).
• Demonstration of the capacity to influence others with or without the formal authority or title.
• Demonstration of the capacity to respect followers, promote their voices, and protect their interests.
• Exhibition of generosity: Shares knowledge, power, and resources in the interest of an aim.
• Demonstration of life decisions and actions consistent with a set of core values and ethics.
• Demonstration of effectiveness. Achievements, even if modest, that reflect intelligence, creativity, vision, advocacy, and a healthy balance of outrage and optimism.
• Ability to think expansively about long term challenges
• Seeks new solutions

Funding

A total grant pool of $40,000–$45,000 will be awarded to successful applicants.

Our grantmaking goal is to close the gender, racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and other equity gaps in non-profit leadership. We do this by actively funding the leadership development of as many current women executive and aspiring leaders from groups that have historically been under-represented in leadership roles as possible, within our means and mission.

Our definition of “women and girls” includes anyone who is cis-gender or trans woman/girl, or non-binary.

The groups we focus on who have historically been under-represented in leadership roles include, but are not limited to, those who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ+, and/or People with Disabilities.

Please refer to FAQ for additional guidelines.

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Powering Equity Grants

Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion through programs that move racial and social justice forward such as:

• Diversity Education and advocacy programs
• Programs focused on protecting underrepresented residents (ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and veterans)

Core Grant Program

In 2021, The Nelson Foundation developed and committed to a new strategic direction centered on racial equity and social justice. As a result, the Foundation has overhauled its grantmaking practices and processes to be more equitable and to reduce the burden on applicants. The new core grant program launched January 1, 2023 and is detailed below.

The core grant program provides multi-year, general operating support to organizations serving young people and their families and communities in the Greater Philadelphia Region in an effort to eradicate racial inequity and social injustice. Core grants are awarded as three-year grants with a grant size of $60,000 ($20,000 paid annually).

BACKGROUND

The GSK IMPACT Awards program honors up to ten local nonprofit organizations in recognition of their exceptional achievements, overall excellence, and best practices in contributing to a healthier Greater Philadelphia Region. Individual Awards are $50,000 in urestricted funding. To be eligible, the minimum annual gross revenue for 501(c)(3) nonprofits is $100,000, the maximum is $5,000,000.

GSK is proud to continue its partnership with the Philadelphia Foundation to administer this awards program. The GSK IMPACT Awards is one of several charitable programs GSK offers in the United States as part of its commitment to building healthier communities and a healthy America.

CHALLENGE

Much of what influences our health happens outside the doctor's office – in our communities. Factors such as access to healthy foods and recreational spaces undeniably contribute to our health. Where we are born, raised, live and work matters to our health; yet too many individuals are living in communities that are hazardous to our health.

SOLUTION

The more we understand the connection between our health and our community, the more we can improve it. GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. GSK goes beyond discovering, developing and delivering new medicines and vaccines and addresses health challenges where they often start – in our communities.

PROCESS

GSK and the Philadelphia Foundation staff review nonprofit registrations and invite eligible organizations to complete the application process. We work together to select 15 finalists. Virtual site visits are managed and conducted by Philadelphia Foundation staff. A panel comprised of local community health experts and GSK representatives evaluate the finalist applications and site visit reports to select up to ten winners.

Pottstown Regional Community Foundation (PRCF) directs every grant toward measurable community impact. Guided by our Results Grantmaking Framework, we ensure that investments produce sustainable outcomes across Western Montgomery County, Northern Chester County, and Eastern Berks County.

Our equity-centered framework empowers nonprofits, collaboratives, and public partners to address the systemic factors shaping Education Innovation, Health Intervention, and Economic Opportunity across our region.

Capacity Building Awards

Capacity building grants strengthen an organization’s ability to achieve lasting impact by enhancing its infrastructure, governance, operations, and sustainability. These awards may support investments in staff training, leadership development, fundraising systems, capital improvements, technology upgrades, strategic planning, evaluation methods, or DEI integration. The ultimate goal is to build stronger nonprofits that can serve more people more effectively. 

Investing Beyond Grant Dollars

PRCF recognizes that strategic funding alone is not enough. Healthy communities depend on healthy organizations. By investing in nonprofit capacity building, we ensure that grantees have access to high-quality support in areas like governance, leadership, operations, and evaluation. This commitment equips nonprofits to respond to challenges, pursue growth opportunities, and serve their communities more effectively.

Our Capacity Building Approach

Strengthen Organizational Systems

• Governance, finance, human resources, and technology

Develop Staff & Board Leadership

• Strategic planning, equity-centered leadership, and board development

Enhance Evaluation & Impact Measurement

• Data collection, reporting, and continuous learning

Promote Long-Term Sustainability

• Fund development, donor engagement, and financial planning

Why Capacity Building Matters

Nonprofit organizations are on the front lines of addressing economic equity, education equity, and health equity across our region. By strengthening these organizations from the inside out, PRCF ensures that investments in programs and services are sustainable, scalable, and effective over the long term.

Applicants must select the appropriate form based on request size and project type:

• Full Application: For requests over $10,000 (up to a standard maximum of $150,000). Larger requests above this threshold are considered by invitation only.
• Abbreviated Application: For smaller requests of $10,000 or less.

Focus Areas

Grantmaking is the primary strategy used by Welfare Foundation in its philanthropic work. Depending on the performance of its investments, the Foundation will typically award approximately $5 million in grants each year and has made grants to nonprofits totaling approximately $130 million in the past 25 years.

Traditionally, the Welfare Foundation has primarily focused on capital grants (but not endowments) in the following seven nonprofit sub-sectors: 

• Social Services
• Housing
• Health/Hospitals
• Education
• Environment
• Civic
• Arts/Humanities

​While we have in the past, and will continue in the future, to provide some operating support on an occasional basis, it will remain the exception and not the norm. 

Our Mission

The William Penn Foundation is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all.

Arts and Culture Programming

The Foundation seeks to support efforts that connect more Philadelphians to high-quality arts and culture experiences that reflect the cultural diversity of the region and contribute to its vibrancy. We will prioritize support for performances, exhibitions, and other arts and culture projects designed to address historic inequities of access to arts and culture experiences.

We are requesting proposals for projects up to two years in duration that will increase opportunities for people across the region to engage with a range of high-quality arts and culture experiences. This funding opportunity is for organizations with less than $750,000 in annual operating expenses. Projects should have activities beginning after February 2026. Proposed projects must focus on inclusive and equitable opportunities presented in welcoming ways to people with diverse abilities and backgrounds. After reviewing proposals WPF will conduct site visits and gather additional information from a limited number of applicants.

Organizations that propose projects in partnership with other applicants will be considered on their individual merits. However, the Foundation recognizes that making significant progress on the objective is difficult and encourages organizations to include partnerships that leverage complementary strengths, resources, and expertise to reach proposed goals. Proposals that include a “series” or multiple activities must be unified by a clear curatorial premise.

Objective

This specific Request for Proposals (RFP) was created to help organizations to advance the following objective:

• By 2035, 250 arts and culture programs or projects funded by WPF will be intentionally designed, developed, and presented to prioritize creative experiences and inclusive, welcoming practices to engage people of diverse abilities and backgrounds.

The foundation recognizes that there are many ways that organizations and communities can contribute to advancing this objective. With that understanding, this RFP imposes few limitations on the approach that applicants may take.

All projects must make arts and culture experiences accessible to audiences and be driven by skilled artists and culture bearers. Proposals may focus on one artistic discipline or be multi-disciplinary and may have a small geographic focus or seek to provide programming on a citywide or county scale. Regardless of the approach, all applicants should describe a compelling explanation for how their proposed work will make tangible improvements in the quality of life for residents of Philadelphia. 

Funding

WPF has $3 million available to advance this objective through this RFP. WPF values diverse approaches from various organizations and communities to address the objective. We aim to attract and fund a range of projects. There is no minimum amount of funding that projects may request. And while there is no absolute maximum amount that can be requested, the most competitive proposals will be those with total grant requests of under $300,000 (over two years). The grant amount requested should be commensurate with the contributions that the project will make to the overall objective.

The Edna W. Andrade Fund -- a Donor Advised Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation -- is pleased to announce the availability of grants for local or national museums or nonprofit art organizations to benefit visual fine artists from Greater Philadelphia.

The fund was established through the estate of Edna Andrade. Edna Andrade was a leading Philadelphia teacher and artist who was associated with the Op Art movement of the 1960's.

Grants will be awarded in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. 

The purpose of the fund is to benefit visual fine artists from the Greater Philadelphia area by providing funds for the following:

• For grants to local or national museums or other charitable organizations that request funding for the purchase or commission of works of art by specific artists from the Greater Philadelphia area
• For grants to local or national museums for the funding of one-person exhibitions of specific artists from the Greater Philadelphia area
  • The Greater Philadelphia area is defined as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties in New Jersey.
• For grants to nonprofit organizations as fiscal agents for individual artists or groups of artists from the Greater Philadelphia area who propose to start or are engaged in continuing educational, cultural, humanitarian or environmental projects.

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Empowering Communities Grants

Enriching the overall vitality of the community through programs that protect the environment and improve people’s lives, these grants support programs focused on:

• Environmental stewardship and education
• Economic development
• Workplace development

Mission

The Detwiler Family Foundation invests in local organizations to enrich and improve the lives of children in our community. We strive to serve children dealing with difficult life challenges by facilitating access to education and the arts.

Improving The Lives Of Children In Our Communities

The Detwiler Family Foundation invests in local organizations to enrich the lives of children in our community who are dealing with difficult life challenges. We strive to support projects and programs that improve the health, safety and welfare of children with a focus on facilitating access to education and the arts.

The foundation focuses on creating a local impact by serving specific communities in the United States. We believe in the power of community investment and strive to build relationships with organizations that directly impact the areas near where we live and work.

Areas of Service

The Detwiler Family Foundation supports organizations that enrich the lives of children and families though programing that focuses on the following areas of service:

• Children and Families Experiencing Food/Housing Insecurity
• Children in need of Mental Health/Medical Services
• Education and After School Programming for Disadvantaged Children
• Children with Disabilities
• Arts and Cultural Programs Benefiting Children Experiencing Trauma 

Organizations may apply for a grant to support specific projects or programs that will enhance the organizations ability to serve the children in our communities.

Grants

The Detwiler Family Foundation has defined a grant structure that reflects our commitment to our local communities. We award several grants a year to organizations that further our mission.

Project Grants (75%): The Detwiler Family Foundation accepts applications for Project Grants on a rolling basis. Funding applications should be for programming in one of the following categories:

• The Arts
• Education/Literacy
• Community Resource Improvement

Matching Grants (25%); The foundation supports successful fundraising through our Matching Program. Organizations with ongoing fundraising efforts may apply for funds that are conditional on the success of other efforts.

Art and Change Grant

The Art and Change Grant (ACG) provides grants of up to $2,500 to fund art for social change projects by women, trans, and/or gender nonconforming artists and cultural producers living in Greater Philadelphia.

The grant is project-based and open to artists and cultural producers working in any medium, including traditional and nontraditional as well as multimedia and experimental forms.

Change Partner

Leeway believes art for social change work happens through relationships — working with others collaboratively, often in community. Because of this, we ask artists to submit an application together with a Change Partner that affirms your grounding in a community-based process. Change Partners cannot benefit financially from the grant.

A Change Partner is:

• someone the applicant has built a relationship with who is a member of the community that the project seeks to engage or in which it takes place; or
• a person, organization, or business that has a connection to the project in some form.

Eligible Change Partners can live within or beyond the Greater Philadelphia Area and may include mentors, editors, art spaces, theaters, nonprofit organizations, dance studios, radio stations, production companies, etc. – or anyone who can support the project.

Your Change Partner Form must be completed and signed by your Change Partner.

Art for Social Change: What We Mean

Leeway supports artists and cultural producers involved in art for social change that positively affects and engages communities and audiences. Creating social change must be integral to the ideas, beliefs, and goals that are woven throughout your art and your process of creating and sharing your art.

IMPACT OF ART WITH VISION

Art for social change is art with a vision and an intentional analysis. It is an artistic or creative cultural practice that may operate in traditional or nontraditional mediums, modes, or disciplines.

Art with a vision impacts people in many ways. It can:

• Raise consciousness
• Alter how we think about ourselves, our society, or our culture
• Create a vision of a more just world
• Be a tool or strategy for organizing and movement building
• Preserve or reclaim traditional cultural practices using your artistic practice as a form of resistance or empowerment
• Create space for expression and build a sense of community
• Challenge racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, ableism, or other oppressions
• Question mainstream culture and beliefs
• Shift or transform the perception of power and/or privilege and the dynamics associated with justice, equality, and/or accountability
• Value healing justice practices focused on strengthening communities, not just individuals
• Engage and utilize a reciprocal process — where there is teaching and learning simultaneously and the consent for engagement is mutual, as is the benefit for yourself as an artist and the community you are engaging

Social Change Intent/Vision

We ask you to identify at least one but no more than three social change categories that best describe the intent or vision behind your project. There is no correct or incorrect way to choose; you should pick one that resonates with you as the core intent or vision of your work. You will have an opportunity to define further what that vision is for you in question 3 of the application.

• Cultural preservation/restoration
• Decarceration
• Demilitarization
• Disability justice
• Economic justice
• Environmental justice
• Feminism
• Housing justice
• Immigration justice
• Indigenous sovereignty
• LGBQA social movements
• Racial justice
• Transgender justice/gender self-determination

Annual Grant Cycle

PCHF has four grantmaking initiatives:

• Health & Human Services:
  • To ensure equitable access to high-quality and affordable health and human services for all residents in the Greater Phoenixville region.
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services:
  • Promote and strengthen access to timely mental health and substance abuse services, especially crisis intervention.
• Housing & Public Safety:
  • Support efforts to prevent homelessness and services for those experiencing housing security, and expand opportunities for healthy, safe, and affordable housing.
• Capacity-Building & Development:
  • Enhance the quality of services in the region by investing in nonprofit capacity building and development, and by encouraging partnership and innovation.

The Chester County Community Foundation connects people who care with the causes that matter, so their philanthropy makes a difference now & forever. We are a collection of Field of Interest & Donor Advised Funds with $5M + granted annually to nonprofits in Chester County & beyond.

The goal of capacity building grants is to strengthen the effectiveness of NPO’s serving the region, see page 4 for more details on the areas including:

• Mission, Vision & Strategy
• Governance & Leadership
• Partnerships & Collaborations
• Operations & Technology
• Fundraising, Development & Marketing

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Energizing Education Grants

Supporting equitable and engaging high-quality educational opportunities for all students, these grants fund programs focused on:

• STEM (with a focus on programs that inspires students to pursue careers in the energy industry)
• Literacy and summer learning
• College and career readiness

Independence Public Media Foundation

The Independence Public Media Foundation connects creators, industry experts, community organizations, and philanthropists to support community-driven media-making and storytelling. We’re committed to transforming the Greater Philadelphia region into a hub for community-owned media, redefining the role of community in philanthropy, and evolving to best meet the needs of the people we serve.

Community Voices Fund

About the Fund

Independence Public Media Foundation's (IPMF) Community Voices Fund supports creative, community-centered media and media-making across Greater Philadelphia..

Grant Awards

The Community Voices Fund will award one-year, non-renewable project grants at three different amounts:

• Level 1: $10,000
  • Typically geared toward new or smaller-scale projects, community engagement, or experimentation.
• Level 2: $20,000
  • Generally seeks to support larger-scale projects or collaborations that result in innovative media that builds stronger networks and collective power.
• Level 3: $30,000
  • Will support existing programs to expand, evolve, or deepen their work focused on movement building or new, larger-scale projects that result in innovative media that builds stronger networks and collective power.

Please consider what level of funding works best for your proposed project and the scale of the work. Proposals will only be considered for the level of funding you request, so be sure to make a strong case for that tier and your project's budget. Historically, the average Community Voices grant has been $20,000. 

About Our Grants

Impact100 Philadelphia provides high-impact grants that support a nonprofit organization’s core mission. Our goal is to address unmet needs in the Philadelphia region and raise the profile of smaller nonprofit organizations. Impact100 grant funds may be spent on necessary infrastructure, staff salaries, primary programs or services, or other expenses that strengthen an organization and enhance its ability to do its core work. 

A central question in our application is Why now? We ask applicants why this juncture in particular is the time that a $100,000 grant will have a large impact on the organization.

Our Focus Areas are Arts & Culture, Education, Environment, Family, and Health & Wellness.

Arts and Culture:

Promote, develop, and enhance artistic expression and creative thinking through culturally diverse art or art education, utilizing varied media and art forms such as exhibitions, performances, or some other method.

Education:

Teach, inform and educate individuals or specific groups, addressing equitable access to create or advance future opportunities for children and/or adults on a wide range of issues and causes.

Environment:

Improve, preserve, and protect community public spaces or natural resources providing equitable access while promoting a just, safe, healthy and sustainable world.

Family:

Strengthen and enhance the lives of children, older adults, and all families to achieve a better life and a healthy, secure future.

Health & Wellness:

Empower wellness as a way to strengthen and improve the mental and physical well-being of communities and people of all ages.