Search Through Grants for Community Centers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the U.S.

History

The Charlotte Cushman Foundation was created in 1999 by the Board of Managers of the Charlotte Cushman Club of Philadelphia.

The Club had been organized in 1907 by Lydia Elliot Morris in response to a need for safe, respectable lodgings for actresses appearing at local theaters. Inspired by the great American actress Charlotte Cushman (1816-1876), who often lamented the hardships of touring, funds were raised to set up a comfortable boarding house.

Many famous performers visited the Club, attending post curtain parties with members and offering their support. In different buildings over the years, the Club eventually became not only a residence but also a social center for the theater community, with a large collection of plays, books and memorabilia.

In 1957 the Board initiated a Lifetime Achievement award presented in person at the Club to such stars as Helen Hayes, Henry Fonda, Angela Lansbury, Richard Burton, Katharine Hepburn and Zoe Caldwell. Between 1972 and 2002 special event funding allowed the Club to offer scholarships to promising young performers.

Beginning in 1995 the Club sponsored the Charlotte Cushman Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play, presented at Philadelphia’s annual Barrymore Awards.

In 1999 the Board of Managers determined that the Club had “outlived its original residential and educational purposes” and chose to redefine its mission. The Club records were given to the library of the University of Pennsylvania and the clubhouse and its contents were sold. Proceeds from the sale were added to the existing endowment to fund the Foundation.

That year the Charlotte Cushman Board Room and exhibit were established at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts. Since 2001 the Charlotte Cushman Foundation has provided grants to over sixty local theater companies in support of actors’ salaries.

Mission

The DanPaul Foundation will use its resources to help train teachers and parents in early childhood development, protect children from abuse and neglect, stimulate children's personal social responsibilities, and offer them opportunities for enrichment and growth.

The Foundation will also encourage children to be concerned and informed about the environment and the underprivileged, particularly with regard to clean air and water, and adequate housing and nutrition for all.

Beliefs

The DanPaul Foundation believes that children should have ample opportunities for enrichment in their lives, and thus strives to provide many different ways to enrich and expand children's minds through direct programs and monetary support to organizations doing similar work.

We have provided or currently provide grants related to the following program areas:

• Workshops, Conferences, + Seminars: We strive to offer educational workshops, conferences, and seminars for parents and teachers on topics related to early childhood development.
• Student Scholarships: We aim to help students attending post-secondary education institutions by providing need-based and academic scholarships.
• Scientific Endeavors: We desire to advance scientific endeavors which seek to improve the quality of life for everyone in the world.
• Clean Air + Water: We hope to pass on knowledge and practical life skills to youth regarding their personal responsibility to the environment, teaching them about issues surrounding clean air and water.
• Child Advocacy: We believe in protecting children from abuse and neglect and particularly love to support programs that provide education and assistance to children as well as organizations advocating or caring for vulnerable children.
• Homelessness: We want to encourage young people to take a personal interest in seeing that adequate housing and proper nutrition, especially for the underprivileged and homeless, are available.
• Poverty + Neglect: We seek to help those in poverty as well as educate youth about their responsibility to consider the underprivileged and take care of those most in need of life's basic essentials like adequate housing and proper nutrition.
• Refugee Enrichment: We wish to help refugee youth by supporting programs that provide them enrichment and help them transition to life in a new country.

The DanPaul Foundation provides grants to 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizations as defined by the IRS. The Foundation is interested in providing funding to programs that directly serve the health, education, development, and welfare of the world's youth.

Grants range from a few hundred dollars up to $15,000 per calendar year.

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

The mission of the Independence Foundation is to build leadership, provide services, and encourage systems and cultural change through the support of organizations in the fields of healthcare, human services, legal aid, and the arts. The Foundation invests in people and programs that protect, improve and enrich the life experiences of residents of the Philadelphia and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties, with a focus on the vulnerable and excluded. Its work is based on the belief that a region that promotes physical well-being, provides equal access to justice and services, and appreciates the value of the arts will thrive for generations to come.

Independence Foundation primarily provides unrestricted funding to nonprofits to best help them achieve their missions. Our general operating support offers flexibility to our grantees by allowing funds to be used when and where they’re most needed. 

Funding Initiatives

Arts And Culture

Independence Foundation believes in bolstering the well-being of the region by supporting a variety of opportunities for involvement and participation in the arts. The arts can bind people through shared experience and understanding. Art plays a transformative role in society, one that enriches community and connects people. The Foundation supports programs in the arts that enhance the common artistic spirit through creation or performance. 

Programs which connect the arts with non-traditional participants and increase both access to and awareness of the arts, are of special interest. The Foundation awards general operating grants aimed at strengthening organizations by supporting creative work and administrative capacity, based on community involvement, artistic merit, and leadership in the field. With the exception of organizations currently funded, we do not give grants to dance, music, media arts or broadcasting, museums or historical societies, though we do continue to fund individual artists in some of these disciplines through our Fellowships in the Arts.

Health Care

Independence Foundation believes that high quality, comprehensive primary care and related services result in better health, improved quality of life, reduction in health disparities, and lower costs to the health care system. 

Funding within the health care initiative focuses on the following: 

• Existing nurse-managed health care centers undertaking capacity building projects to expand and/or improve the provision of primary care and related services
• Programs that support health policies and/or infrastructure for nurse-managed and other safety net providers
• Projects designed to inform health care-related planning
• Clinical, community, and/or educational programs designed to improve the health of older adults 

Human Services

Independence Foundation believes that the health of a community can only be as strong as the well-being of its citizens. Our region faces many challenges and continually changing demographics have contributed to increased demand for services, while local and federal funding for these services has declined. Community-based organizations fill in the gaps by providing much needed outreach and support.

The Foundation supports organizations that provide direct services to people who do not ordinarily have access to them for the most basic of needs. The current Human Services funding agenda focuses primarily on programs that address the following areas:

• adequate food and food distribution
• affordable housing and access to shelter by homeless persons
• services which support independence for people living with disabilities

Legal Aid

The Independence Foundation is committed to the support of free legal services for the underserved of the Philadelphia region. Grants provide core operating support to strengthen the administrative capacity and the direct service programs of those agencies that deliver critical legal services.

Agencies funded under the Public Interest Legal Aid Initiative address civil legal issues confronting individuals from diverse populations who do not traditionally have adequate access to legal representation, including the indigent, the elderly, the disabled, and the homeless.

Reentry, Recidivism & Restorative Justice 

The Foundation funds community-based organizations doing the following - either by directly assisting individuals, or working to change systems that cause or contribute to the harm addressed:  

• Providing supports to families and individuals involved with and affected by the criminal justice system
• Working to reduce the number of people who imminently face incarceration or a return to prison
• Providing resources to formerly incarcerated individuals that help them become integrated and contributing members once they are released back into society
• Working to reduce harm to families and neighborhoods caused by incarceration

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

PNC Foundation

Strengthening and enriching the lives of our neighbors in communities where we live and work.

Vision & Mission

For decades, we have provided resources to seed ideas, foster development initiatives and encourage leadership in nonprofit organizations where imagination and determination are at work enhancing people's lives everyday.

The PNC Foundation's priority is to form partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations in order to enhance educational opportunities, with an emphasis on early childhood education, and to promote the growth of communities through economic development initiatives.

Foundation Grant

The PNC Foundation supports a variety of nonprofit organizations with a special emphasis on those that work to achieve sustainability and touch a diverse population, in particular, those that support early childhood education and/or economic development.

Education

The PNC Foundation supports educational programs for children and youth, particularly early childhood education initiatives that meet the criteria established through PNC Grow Up Great. Specifically, PNC Grow Up Great grants must:

• Support early education initiatives that benefit children from birth to age five; and
• Serve a majority of children (>50%) from low- to moderate-income families; and
• Adhere to all other standard PNC Foundation guidelines, as outlined on the PNC Foundation website, applicant eligibility quiz, as well as the Foundation policies and procedures; and
• Include one or a combination of the following:
  • direct services/programs for children in their classroom or community;
  • professional development/workforce development for early childhood educators;
  • family and/or community engagement in children’s early learning
• Additional considerations:
  • The grant focus should include math, science, reading, vocabulary development, the arts, financial education, or social/emotional development.
  • The grant recipient, or collaborative partner, should have early childhood education as an area of focus. If the organization’s focus is beyond birth to age five, the specific grant must be earmarked for birth to age five.
  • Incorporate opportunities for PNC volunteers in classroom or non-classroom-based activities.

Economic Development

Economic development organizations, including those which enhance the quality of life through neighborhood revitalization, cultural enrichment and human services are given support. Priority is given to community development initiatives that strategically promote the growth of low-and moderate-income communities and/or provide services to these communities.

• Affordable Housing
  • The PNC Foundation understands the critical need for affordable housing for low-and moderate-income individuals.
  • We are committed to providing support to nonprofit organizations that:
    • give counseling and services to help these individuals maintain their housing stock;
    • offer transitional housing units and programs; and/or
    • offer credit counseling assistance to individuals, helping them to prepare for homeownership.
• Community Development
  • Because small businesses are often critical components of community growth and help foster business development, the PNC Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that
    • offer technical assistance to, or loan programs for, small businesses located in low-and moderate-income areas or
    • support small businesses that employ low-and moderate-income individuals.
• Community Services
  • Support is given to social services organizations that benefit the health, education, quality of life or provide essential services for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.
  • The PNC Foundation supports job training programs and organizations that provide essential services for their families.
• Arts & Culture
  • Support is given for cultural enrichment programs benefitting the community.
• Revitalization & Stabilization of Low-and Moderate-Income Areas
  • The PNC Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that serve low-and moderate-income neighborhoods by improving living and working conditions.
  • Support is given to organizations that help stabilize communities, eliminate blight and attract and retain businesses and residents to the community.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust is devoted solely to the funding of charitable, scientific, medical and educational organizations.

The Board endeavors to support soundly-managed charitable organizations that give service with a broad scope, have a substantial effect on their target populations, and contribute materially to the general welfare. The Board does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

Stoneleigh Fellowship

The Stoneleigh Fellowship provides accomplished leaders with multiyear funding to transform systems that serve youth.

Addressing the challenges facing our community’s young people requires visionary leadership. It means bringing different systems together and advancing new ways of thinking about what is possible. That’s why we provide exceptional individuals with the time and space to undertake groundbreaking research, improve policies and practices, change the narrative, and fundamentally transform how youth are served.

Stoneleigh Fellows come from many disciplines and professional backgrounds and work to advance change in youth-serving systems, such as youth justice, child welfare, education, and health. Our Fellows have included:

• Philadelphia’s Police Commissioner who expanded the city’s nationally recognized Police School Diversion Program to reduce youth arrest rates and prevent the collateral consequences of justice system involvement
• An attorney who worked within the School District of Philadelphia to create a comprehensive school safety strategy
• A researcher leading a five-year study on the health of young, child welfare-involved mothers and their children to identify strategies to break intergenerational cycles of abuse and neglect
• An emergency room doctor who replicated his hospital-based violence intervention model locally and nationally

What distinguishes the Stoneleigh Fellowship?

• Freedom to Pursue a Transformative Idea: Our founders believed that individuals need dedicated time and space to develop the kinds of ideas that can generate lasting systems change. We provide salary support that allows Fellows to step back from their day-to-day job duties and use the majority of their time to pursue this work.
• Ability to Design and Execute New Solutions: Because we invest in people with a strong track record of working within or alongside systems, we give our Fellows the latitude to develop the best solution to the problem they’ve identified. Stoneleigh’s staff also work closely with Fellows to ensure their success by providing expert advice and connections to key influencers and funders. We recognize that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. We support Fellows to explore ideas that haven’t been tried before or to perfect the implementation of evidence-informed solutions. We also meet Fellows where they are professionally through flexible Fellowship terms and levels of support.
• In It for the Long Haul: We understand that advancing change in large, complex systems doesn’t happen overnight. That’s why we provide Fellows multiple years of support to delve into these entrenched problems. In addition, Fellows become lifelong members of Stoneleigh’s alumni network—a committed group of social change leaders working to improve youth-serving systems.

What does an ideal Fellowship project look like?

Feerating new knowledge through applied raches:

• Research: Generating new knowledge through applied research
• Policy: Changing how systems work to better meet the needs of young people
• Practice: Developing new approaches to program design and delivery, and expanding promising programs

Because we believe that youth are best served when systems work together to holistically address their needs, Stoneleigh prioritizes projects designed to create or strengthen partnerships between or among agencies.

Funding

The award primarily covers a Fellow’s salary; in some cases, it also supports travel or other expenses related to advancing project work. While the amount depends on the personal circumstances of each Fellow and project, awards typically range from $100,000 to $150,000 annually. In addition to the financial award, Stoneleigh’s staff work closely with Fellows to amplify the impact of their projects and provide ongoing opportunities for networking and professional development.

Fellowships are generally awarded for two to three years with the possibility of extension.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

The Childrens Hospital Of Philadelphia Research Institute

For a century, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute has advanced breakthrough treatments and innovations that have changed lives and pushed pediatric scientific knowledge forward. It’s truly amazing what an elite scientific research institution can accomplish with an engaged professional community, the shared resources on a premier academic campus, and the commitment to excellence at a world-renowned children’s hospital. From laboratory discoveries, to new public policies, to health gains, we want to give every child the best opportunity for a bright future.

Mission

We advance the health of children by turning scientific discovery into medical innovation.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute fulfills Hospital's long-standing dedication to pediatric research and its endeavors are the embodiment of the Hospital's “bench to bedside” philosophy. All research activities at Children's Hospital are administratively organized under the aegis of the CHOP Research Institute.

Pediatric Hospital Epidemiology and Outcomes Research Training Program

Clinical Futures manages the Pediatric Hospital Epidemiology and Outcomes Research Training (PHEOT) program – a two year research fellowship designed to provide physicians with training in hospital epidemiology and outcomes research. The PHEOT program trains the next generation of clinical scientists who will help us to understand how to best measure and improve outcomes, assure patient safety, and manage costs for hospitalized children. Funded by a Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development training grant, PHEOT combines formal coursework and mentored research projects to help trainees develop expertise in comparative effectiveness research, quality measurement, severity adjustment and economic evaluation as they relate to pediatric hospital care.

Pediatric epidemiology trainees benefit from the combined resources of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Research Institute, including Clinical Futures, PolicyLab, the Pediatric Advanced Care Team, the General Pediatrics Inpatient Service, and the Center for Simulation, Advanced Education and Innovation, among others.

The components of the program include:

Coursework at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)

All fellows complete Masters-level coursework in study design and biostatistics at UPenn as part of either the Masters of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) degree offered through the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, or the Masters of Science in Health Policy Research (MSHP) degree offered through the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics.

Applied Experience and Professional Development

Fellows are guided by an advisory team of seasoned methodology, content, and biostatistics mentors in the successful completion and publication of at least one hospital-based research project. PHEOT fellows also benefit from a host of professional development activities, including works-in-progress sessions, a seminar series to teach academic medicine skills, and opportunities to present research at national meetings.

Mentoring

Fellows are matched with a primary mentor from among the faculty at CHOP and UPenn, based on mutual research interests.

Clinical Responsibilities

In order to maintain their clinical skills and continue to practice in the setting where their research ideas arise and protocols may be implemented, fellows in the PHEOT program are assigned clinical experiences that comprise up to 20 percent of their time. Clinical experiences may include time spent as an attending physician on CHOP's General Pediatric Inpatient Service, the pediatric or neonatal ICU, the Pediatric Advanced Care Team, or various subspecialty units.

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards a number of four-week fellowships for research in its collections during each academic year.

Fellowship Details

Historically, the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania have offered many opportunities for support in the form of one-month fellowships for advanced research in residence in either or both institutions. For this year, the two programs will be administered separately. As part of its continued commitment to supporting researchers, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will award a number of fellowships for research in its collections during the academic year. 

The Collection ​

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of America and the Atlantic world, as well as mid-Atlantic regional history, from the 17th through the 20th centuries. HSP collections are strong in local newspapers and printed ephemera, prints and photographs of the Philadelphia region, and graphics by local artists. They possess extraordinary strength in the history of women and African Americans, popular literature, business and banking, popular medicine, philanthropy and reform, education, natural sciences, technology, art, architecture, German Americana, American Judaica, and a host of other subjects. 

Now enriched by the holdings of the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, HSP holds more than 19 million personal, organizational, and business manuscripts, as well 560,000 printed items and 312,000 graphic images concerning national and regional political, social, and family history. The Balch Institute collections bring the HSP added strength in documenting ethnic and immigrant history, with significant holdings of ethnic newspapers, records of benevolent societies and other local and national ethnic organizations, and personal papers of prominent leaders in ethnic and immigrant communities across the nation. Explore HSP’s library catalog. 

Fellows are also encouraged to use the collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia, located next-door to HSP in Philadelphia’s Center City. The two independent research libraries have complementary collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of the United States in its Atlantic world context from the 17th through the 19th centuries, as well as Mid-Atlantic regional history to the present. 

Albert M. Greenfield Fellowship

Each year the Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards one Albert M. Greenfield Fellowship for research in 20th-century history. The fellowship supports one month of residency in Philadelphia for advanced, postdoctoral, and dissertation research.

Funding

The stipend is $2,000. 

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards a number of four-week fellowships for research in its collections during each academic year.

Fellowship Details

Historically, the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania have offered many opportunities for support in the form of one-month fellowships for advanced research in residence in either or both institutions. For this year, the two programs will be administered separately. As part of its continued commitment to supporting researchers, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will award a number of fellowships for research in its collections during the academic year. 

The Collection ​

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of America and the Atlantic world, as well as mid-Atlantic regional history, from the 17th through the 20th centuries. HSP collections are strong in local newspapers and printed ephemera, prints and photographs of the Philadelphia region, and graphics by local artists. They possess extraordinary strength in the history of women and African Americans, popular literature, business and banking, popular medicine, philanthropy and reform, education, natural sciences, technology, art, architecture, German Americana, American Judaica, and a host of other subjects. 

Now enriched by the holdings of the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, HSP holds more than 19 million personal, organizational, and business manuscripts, as well 560,000 printed items and 312,000 graphic images concerning national and regional political, social, and family history. The Balch Institute collections bring the HSP added strength in documenting ethnic and immigrant history, with significant holdings of ethnic newspapers, records of benevolent societies and other local and national ethnic organizations, and personal papers of prominent leaders in ethnic and immigrant communities across the nation. Explore HSP’s library catalog. 

Fellows are also encouraged to use the collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia, located next-door to HSP in Philadelphia’s Center City. The two independent research libraries have complementary collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of the United States in its Atlantic world context from the 17th through the 19th centuries, as well as Mid-Atlantic regional history to the present. 

Balch Fellowship

Prior to its merger with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies maintained an active fellowship program. This legacy of support for scholarship in ethnic and immigrant studies has been continued at HSP with the Balch Institute Fellowships. Each year, two or three fellows are awarded a stipend to support one month of residency in Philadelphia to enable them to research on topics related to the ethnic and immigrant experience in the United States and/or American cultural, social, political, or economic history post-1875. Past Balch fellows have done research on immigrant children, Italian American fascism, German Americans in the Civil War, Pan-Americanism, African American women's political activism, and much more.

Funding

The stipend is $2,500. 

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards a number of four-week fellowships for research in its collections during each academic year.

Fellowship Details

Historically, the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania have offered many opportunities for support in the form of one-month fellowships for advanced research in residence in either or both institutions. For this year, the two programs will be administered separately. As part of its continued commitment to supporting researchers, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will award a number of fellowships for research in its collections during the academic year. 

The Collection ​

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of America and the Atlantic world, as well as mid-Atlantic regional history, from the 17th through the 20th centuries. HSP collections are strong in local newspapers and printed ephemera, prints and photographs of the Philadelphia region, and graphics by local artists. They possess extraordinary strength in the history of women and African Americans, popular literature, business and banking, popular medicine, philanthropy and reform, education, natural sciences, technology, art, architecture, German Americana, American Judaica, and a host of other subjects. 

Now enriched by the holdings of the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, HSP holds more than 19 million personal, organizational, and business manuscripts, as well 560,000 printed items and 312,000 graphic images concerning national and regional political, social, and family history. The Balch Institute collections bring the HSP added strength in documenting ethnic and immigrant history, with significant holdings of ethnic newspapers, records of benevolent societies and other local and national ethnic organizations, and personal papers of prominent leaders in ethnic and immigrant communities across the nation. Explore HSP’s library catalog. 

Fellows are also encouraged to use the collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia, located next-door to HSP in Philadelphia’s Center City. The two independent research libraries have complementary collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of the United States in its Atlantic world context from the 17th through the 19th centuries, as well as Mid-Atlantic regional history to the present. 

 Esther Ann ​​McFarland Fellowship

Each year the Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards one Esther Ann McFarland Fellowship in memory of Judge William Lewis for research on either 17th-century Pennsylvania, with a preference for research on New Sweden or on the influence of the early Swedish settlers on the development of Pennsylvania, or on African American history. The fellowship supports one month of residency in Philadelphia for advanced, postdoctoral, and dissertation research.

Funding

The stipend is $2,500. 

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards a number of four-week fellowships for research in its collections during each academic year.

Fellowship Details

Historically, the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania have offered many opportunities for support in the form of one-month fellowships for advanced research in residence in either or both institutions. For this year, the two programs will be administered separately. As part of its continued commitment to supporting researchers, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will award a number of fellowships for research in its collections during the academic year. 

The Collection ​

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of America and the Atlantic world, as well as mid-Atlantic regional history, from the 17th through the 20th centuries. HSP collections are strong in local newspapers and printed ephemera, prints and photographs of the Philadelphia region, and graphics by local artists. They possess extraordinary strength in the history of women and African Americans, popular literature, business and banking, popular medicine, philanthropy and reform, education, natural sciences, technology, art, architecture, German Americana, American Judaica, and a host of other subjects. 

Now enriched by the holdings of the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, HSP holds more than 19 million personal, organizational, and business manuscripts, as well 560,000 printed items and 312,000 graphic images concerning national and regional political, social, and family history. The Balch Institute collections bring the HSP added strength in documenting ethnic and immigrant history, with significant holdings of ethnic newspapers, records of benevolent societies and other local and national ethnic organizations, and personal papers of prominent leaders in ethnic and immigrant communities across the nation. Explore HSP’s library catalog. 

Fellows are also encouraged to use the collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia, located next-door to HSP in Philadelphia’s Center City. The two independent research libraries have complementary collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of the United States in its Atlantic world context from the 17th through the 19th centuries, as well as Mid-Atlantic regional history to the present. 

Indian Rights Association Fellowship

Each year the Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards one Indian Rights Association Fellowship in the field of Native American studies. The fellowship supports one month of residency in Philadelphia for advanced, postdoctoral, and dissertation research. Though topic and time period are open, applicants must demonstrate a need to conduct research in the HSP’s Indian Rights Association Records (see finding aid). 

Funding

The stipend is $2,500. Fellowships are tenable for any one-month period between June and May.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards a number of four-week fellowships for research in its collections during each academic year.

Fellowship Details

Historically, the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania have offered many opportunities for support in the form of one-month fellowships for advanced research in residence in either or both institutions. For this year, the two programs will be administered separately. As part of its continued commitment to supporting researchers, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will award a number of fellowships for research in its collections during the academic year. 

The Collection ​

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of America and the Atlantic world, as well as mid-Atlantic regional history, from the 17th through the 20th centuries. HSP collections are strong in local newspapers and printed ephemera, prints and photographs of the Philadelphia region, and graphics by local artists. They possess extraordinary strength in the history of women and African Americans, popular literature, business and banking, popular medicine, philanthropy and reform, education, natural sciences, technology, art, architecture, German Americana, American Judaica, and a host of other subjects. 

Now enriched by the holdings of the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, HSP holds more than 19 million personal, organizational, and business manuscripts, as well 560,000 printed items and 312,000 graphic images concerning national and regional political, social, and family history. The Balch Institute collections bring the HSP added strength in documenting ethnic and immigrant history, with significant holdings of ethnic newspapers, records of benevolent societies and other local and national ethnic organizations, and personal papers of prominent leaders in ethnic and immigrant communities across the nation. Explore HSP’s library catalog. 

Fellows are also encouraged to use the collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia, located next-door to HSP in Philadelphia’s Center City. The two independent research libraries have complementary collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of the United States in its Atlantic world context from the 17th through the 19th centuries, as well as Mid-Atlantic regional history to the present. 

Dilworth Fellowship

Each year the Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards one Richardson Dilworth Fellowship for Law, Politics, and Reform. The fellowship supports one month of residency in Philadelphia for advanced, postdoctoral, and dissertation research on legal or political history topics, or on the history of reform movements.

Funding

The stipend is $2,500. 

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards a number of four-week fellowships for research in its collections during each academic year.

Fellowship Details

Historically, the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania have offered many opportunities for support in the form of one-month fellowships for advanced research in residence in either or both institutions. For this year, the two programs will be administered separately. As part of its continued commitment to supporting researchers, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will award a number of fellowships for research in its collections during the academic year. 

The Collection ​

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania has collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of America and the Atlantic world, as well as mid-Atlantic regional history, from the 17th through the 20th centuries. HSP collections are strong in local newspapers and printed ephemera, prints and photographs of the Philadelphia region, and graphics by local artists. They possess extraordinary strength in the history of women and African Americans, popular literature, business and banking, popular medicine, philanthropy and reform, education, natural sciences, technology, art, architecture, German Americana, American Judaica, and a host of other subjects. 

Now enriched by the holdings of the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, HSP holds more than 19 million personal, organizational, and business manuscripts, as well 560,000 printed items and 312,000 graphic images concerning national and regional political, social, and family history. The Balch Institute collections bring the HSP added strength in documenting ethnic and immigrant history, with significant holdings of ethnic newspapers, records of benevolent societies and other local and national ethnic organizations, and personal papers of prominent leaders in ethnic and immigrant communities across the nation. Explore HSP’s library catalog. 

Fellows are also encouraged to use the collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia, located next-door to HSP in Philadelphia’s Center City. The two independent research libraries have complementary collections capable of supporting research in a variety of fields and disciplines relating to the history of the United States in its Atlantic world context from the 17th through the 19th centuries, as well as Mid-Atlantic regional history to the present. 

​​Robert L. McNeil Jr. Fellowship

​​Robert L. McNeil Jr. Fellowships will support research in early American history. Each year the Historical Society of Pennsylvania awards four Robert L. McNeil Jr. Fellowships for research in early American history. These fellowships support one month of residency in Philadelphia during the summer of the fellowship year for advanced, postdoctoral, or dissertation research.

Funding

The stipend is $2,500. The Robert L. McNeil Jr. Fellowships began in the 2012–2013 academic year and are generously endowed by a bequest from Robert L. McNeil Jr.

The Childrens Hospital Of Philadelphia Research Institute

For a century, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute has advanced breakthrough treatments and innovations that have changed lives and pushed pediatric scientific knowledge forward. It’s truly amazing what an elite scientific research institution can accomplish with an engaged professional community, the shared resources on a premier academic campus, and the commitment to excellence at a world-renowned children’s hospital. From laboratory discoveries, to new public policies, to health gains, we want to give every child the best opportunity for a bright future.

Mission

We advance the health of children by turning scientific discovery into medical innovation.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute fulfills Hospital's long-standing dedication to pediatric research and its endeavors are the embodiment of the Hospital's “bench to bedside” philosophy. All research activities at Children's Hospital are administratively organized under the aegis of the CHOP Research Institute.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center

The Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania advances research into the causes and treatment of developmental disabilities. One of the IDDRC’s goals is to develop a novel biomarker for language disability in autism.

The IDDRC team also creates research Centers of Excellence to favor interdisciplinary investigations into IDD, and it constructively partners with the IDDRC Network to realize the goals of the IDD branch of the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The Center supports 79 federally funded projects, of which 11 are from the NICHD, and four are foundation-funded projects.

Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

The Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities provides the advanced training necessary to promote individuals into successful independent neuroscience/neurological/neurodevelopmental research careers. The program focuses on understanding intellectual and developmental disabilities caused by chromosomal defects, inborn errors of metabolism (e.g., aminoaciduria, urea cycle defects), or hypoxia and trauma (e.g., perinatal insult, traumatic brain injury).

Experimental training is complemented by an educational program including the Neuroscience Grants Club, Quantitative Skills Workshop, and Neuroscience Chalk Talks. In addition, trainees interact with internationally renowned scientists who present their research at lectures sponsored by the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center.

About the Training Program

The Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities has been continuously supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke since 1998. An executive committee selects trainees from postdoctoral fellows (MDs, PhDs, and MD/PhDs) who apply for the program. Members of minority groups underrepresented in science are encouraged to submit applications. Individuals supported by the program pursue full-time research training in basic, translational, and/or clinical research in selected world-class laboratories at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. Training includes planning, executing, and publishing primary research.

Trainees are carefully supervised to ensure they take full advantage of the robust opportunities offered through the program. Progress is monitored with a series of obligatory oral presentations and regular written reports from both trainees and their mentors. Program participants are expected to become future leaders in neurodevelopmental disabilities research, assume positions at major medical schools and pharmaceutical companies, or pursue related careers.

Program Overview

The Training Program in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDD T32) is intended for both physicians with clinical training in pediatrics, neurology, neuropathology or a related field, and doctoral-level researchers who have done neuroscience (or related) research and wish to apply their expertise to the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

While trainees devote most of their time to research activities in an established research group, they also participate in activities designed to improve related skills and facilitate their advancement. Components of the Training Program include: 

Development of Research Skills

Research training performed under the tutelage of a mentor(s) is the primary focus of all trainees in this program. The research project, developed collaboratively between trainees and their mentor(s), should address an issue of relevance to intellectual and developmental disabilities. The project can be basic science or translational research if it is hypothesis-driven. The research project should provide a learning vehicle for the trainee and complement other career development activities undertaken during the training experience. Trainees and their mentors are strongly encouraged to design projects that could provide a pathway to an independent research career for the trainee.

Other components are: Development of Scientific Writing and Presentation Skills; Quantitative Literacy Improvement; Responsible Conduct of Research; and Scientific Rigor and Reproducibility.

Voter Participation

In Philadelphia’s 2031 general election, voter turnout increased, compared to 31% in 2023. In Pennsylvania’s 2032 presidential election, the gap in voter turnout rates between voters of color and white voters decreased compared to the gap in 2024.

Voting is one of the most powerful tools for change that citizens have in our democracy, but the level of citizen engagement is low and uneven among certain demographic groups. Because lags in voter participation along the lines of race, income, age, and education level distort our system of government, the Foundation seeks to support nonpartisan efforts to educate eligible voters, especially in underrepresented groups, on the importance of voting and how to access the electoral process.

There are 8.7 million registered voters in Pennsylvania and just over 1 million in Philadelphia. However, in most elections, fewer than half of these voters cast a ballot. Pennsylvanians who do not vote are at risk of seeing their interests unrepresented and the issues most important to them unaddressed.

2020 Census data showed that mirroring national trends, Pennsylvania is becoming more racially diverse. Yet, residents of color turn out to vote at lower rates than white residents [1]. As communities of color compose more of the state’s population, engaging residents of color with non-partisan information on voting helps to ensure that all Pennsylvanians have the opportunity to be heard. Here in Philadelphia, the city’s share of statewide votes cast has been declining, suggesting that voter participation is lagging compared to other counties in the state.

In advancing this objective, we are dedicated to connecting more people to more opportunities and more resources. Possible efforts include approaches that help more people understand how to vote and why it matters, especially people who are currently underrepresented in the electorate so that more people have the opportunity to decide who represents them, and how issues and interests are prioritized.

We measure progress on this objective by reviewing trends in voter turnout in midterm and general elections, using publicly available data reported by the Pennsylvania Department of State and the Philadelphia City Commissioners. We will also partner with a research center to analyze gaps in voter turnout by race and understand trends over time.

The William Penn Foundation is strictly non-partisan and funds only charitable activities as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. As a private foundation, we cannot earmark funds for voter registration.

The Swan Historical Foundation, Inc. in Titusville, NJ and the David Center for the American Revolution at the Library & Museum of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia invite applications for an inaugural short-term residential research fellowship in Revolutionary-Era Material Culture (defined as 1750-1820). 

The Swan Historical Foundation, Inc. (SHF) is a 501c3 corporation dedicated to promoting interest in the era of the American Revolution and to collecting and exhibiting artifacts from the period. SHF owns a collection of approximately 1,200 items, housed primarily at the New Jersey Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville, NJ. SHF’s intent is to support education and research on the material culture of the era of the American Revolution and to promote familiarity with the SHF collection in the scholarly community. Applicants’ research topic need not focus specifically on items in the SHF collection, but should fit within the period of the collection’s scope (1750-1820). In return, SHF would appreciate a brief article (800-1200 words) for its newsletter about a relevant topic of the fellow’s choosing.

The David Center for the American Revolution integrates the rich manuscript, microfilm, and print collections of the David Library with the early American history collections of the APS to create a one-stop-shop for the study of the American Revolution. The David Library collections consist of approximately 8,000 volumes, 9,000 reels of microfilm, and the large Sol Feinstone manuscript collection. The Sol Feinstone Collection, a rich collection of letters and documents, was assembled by DLAR Founder Sol Feinstone (1888-1980) over a period of fifty years. It includes material on almost all notable Americans from before the Revolution to the 1850s, as well as prominent Europeans and documents related to military affairs. This adds to the APS Library's Early American History Collections, which are particularly strong for the period from 1750 to 1840. In addition to the Benjamin Franklin Papers and the Thomas Paine Collection, the APS has a wide assortment of documents from the revolutionary era. Among these are official government documents and correspondence, military records that range from the Continental Army to Pennsylvania county records, and personal correspondence from various historical actors.

Terms

This funding opportunity provides one month of support for researchers to work in the artifact collections of the Swan Historical Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, and other repositories in the Greater Philadelphia Region. The fellowship is open to scholars in all fields who show a demonstrated need to use the collections for their project. Applicants will be judged on the strength of the project and the demonstrated need to use collections. For those who need materials at institutions other than the APS or Swan, a letter of support from a curator or other relevant person at the proposed repository is highly encouraged.

Successful applicants are awarded a stipend of $3,000. The stipend is paid after the awardee arrives at the APS’s Library & Museum to begin their fellowship. The purpose of the stipend is to defray the costs of working in Titusville and Philadelphia. All awardees will have a small additional stipend to cover a trip to the Swan Foundation to see its collection. Awards are taxable income, but the Society is not required to report payments. It is understood that recipients will discuss their reporting obligations with their tax advisors. The Society does not provide fellows’ housing but will share suggestions for possible accommodations with the successful applicant.

Fellowships may be taken starting any day no earlier than June 1, 2025 and must be completed by May 31, 2026. Fellows are required to be in residence for four consecutive weeks. Fellows do not have to decide on the dates of their fellowship right away; they have one year to decide, although most take their fellowships during the summer period.

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.

Art Works

Founded in 2021 by Forman Arts Initiative and Philadelphia Foundation, Art Works is a joint $3 million grant program designed to support Philadelphia arts and cultural organizations and artists working in partnership with BIPOC and other underserved communities.

Art Works accepts applications from local cultural nonprofit (or fiscally sponsored) organizations with annual operating budgets between $250,000 and $5 million as well as individual artists with a commitment to incorporating community perspectives into their work.

• Four Philadelphia-based artists will be selected annually to receive two-year grants of $25,000 per year. Grants can be used freely by artists. Some artists may wish to use the grant to support the development of new work while others may use it to pay for living or studio expenses. Artists will be chosen based on how closely their work aligns with Art Works’ programmatic goals.
• Four community-based organizations will be selected annually to receive two-year, unrestricted grants ranging from $75,000-$150,000.  Organizations will be chosen based on how closely their work aligns with Art Works‘ programmatic goals.

In addition to the awarded funds, all grantees will have access to experiential professional development workshops and pro bono professional consulting services designed to provide strategic and tactical support on a range of topics including legal, marketing, communications, budgeting and finance, among others.

Art Works also provides grantees the opportunity to host co-operative education students from Drexel University to support programs and operations.

These placements, administered by Drexel’s Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships, are designed to provide students with meaningful work experience in the arts and culture sector. 

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. 

The Honorable Phyllis W. Beck Public Interest Law Fellowships

The Honorable Phyllis W. Beck Public Interest Law Fellowship program enables some of the best and brightest law school graduates to come to the Philadelphia area and obtain employment with a local organization that provides free legal services to the underserved.

About the Fellowship

Renamed in 2024 in honor of the former Chair of the Board of Directors of the Independence Foundation, the Honorable Phyllis W. Beck, the Public Interest Law Fellowships were originally established in 1996. Through the fellowship program, the Foundation funds the compensation and employment benefits for accomplished young lawyers who have decided to direct their considerable talents to public interest service.

Program Description

Fellows work for a sponsoring legal services organization serving the disadvantaged whose work has been funded previously by Independence Foundation. The Foundation requires that the focus of all Fellowship work be on direct representation of disadvantaged clients. The Foundation also assists the Fellows in repayment of their often substantial educational loans.

Project Development

Fellowship applicants must identify a sponsoring organization (must be a public interest law firm funded by the Independence Foundation - currently the Foundation funds these public interest law firms). Together with the sponsoring organization the applicant will develop the project. A potential sponsoring organization must be a civil legal services organization serving the disadvantaged and must have its principal office in Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, or Chester County, Pennsylvania. 

A project typically consists of a new substantive area of legal practice or type of legal service which is consistent with the sponsoring organization’s overall mission but in which the organization has generally not previously engaged. For example, an Independence Foundation Fellow at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled provided focused legal services to disabled men and women who were victims of caregiver, domestic or other abuse (a new area for them). In rare instances Fellowships are granted to support public interest law projects that do not involve developing a new area of practice but rather consist of the development of a new approach that more effectively, innovatively and comprehensively delivers a type of legal service the organization has previously attempted to provide. For example, an Independence Foundation Fellow at SeniorLAW Center expanded and improved on the organization’s ability to serve financially and physically abused senior citizens by delivering legal services to these clients in their own homes and by engaging in extensive community education to help these seniors avoid abusive situations.