Five Pillars of Civic Investment

The Civic Education Innovation Grant is the Foundation's flagship program, established in 2002 in response to declining civic knowledge and voter participation rates across southeastern Pennsylvania. This program provides multi-year operational and programmatic funding to schools, non-profits, and community-based organizations delivering high-quality, non-partisan civic education programming that teaches democratic participation, media literacy, constitutional principles, and informed voter engagement.

We seek proposals that go beyond traditional textbook instruction to incorporate experiential learning methodologies: mock government exercises, candidate forums, community issue mapping, investigative journalism projects, and service learning tied to real civic institutions. Programs that embed civic education within existing school curricula are especially encouraged, as are initiatives serving communities with historically low voter registration and turnout rates. The Foundation has invested over $2.4 million in civic education since 2002, reaching more than 28,000 students and adult learners across Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks Counties.

Eligible Applicants

• Registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations with civic education as a core or significant program area
• Public, charter, and independent schools, or school districts (through a fiscal sponsor if needed)
• Community-based organizations and neighborhood associations with demonstrated civic education capacity
• College and university centers, institutes, or extension programs focused on civic engagement

Application Timeline

Letters of Intent are due by February 28 annually. Invited full proposals are due April 15. Award notifications are issued by June 1. The grant period runs July 1 through June 30 of the following year. Renewal applications for years two and three require interim narrative and financial reporting.

Now entering its thirteenth year, the Youth Civic Leaders Fellowship is the Foundation's signature youth development program. Each spring, we select a cohort of 20 to 28 Philadelphia-area high school juniors and seniors who demonstrate exceptional civic leadership, community service commitment, and academic promise. Fellows receive a stipend of $2,500 to $7,500, a structured summer civic internship placement at a City Council office, neighborhood advisory committee, non-profit board, or community development organization, and year-round mentorship from Foundation alumni and civic leaders.

The Fellowship is designed to provide young people with direct, substantive experience in civic institutions and community governance. Past Fellows have coordinated constituent service events, assisted in neighborhood planning processes, organized voter registration drives, facilitated youth advisory board meetings, and contributed to policy research at municipal agencies. The program culminates in a Civic Leadership Showcase where Fellows present their projects to an audience of community leaders, elected officials, and Foundation supporters.

Since its inception in 2012, the Fellowship has supported over 280 young civic leaders. Alumni have pursued careers in public service, law, education, community organizing, urban planning, and social work. Over 90 percent of Fellows report that the program significantly influenced their career trajectory and civic engagement habits. Individual applicants and nominating schools are both welcome to apply.

Eligibility Requirements

• Current high school junior or senior enrolled in a Philadelphia-area school (Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, or Bucks County)
• Demonstrated civic engagement through volunteer service, school government, community organizing, or similar activities
• Minimum 2.8 unweighted GPA (exceptions considered with strong civic leadership record)
• Availability for a 6-week summer internship placement (late June through early August)
• Two letters of recommendation (one academic, one community leader or service supervisor)

Application Timeline

Applications open January 15 and close March 15 annually. Semi-finalist interviews are conducted in April. Final selections and internship placements are announced by May 15.

The Neighborhood Catalyst Grant is the Foundation's largest program by dollar volume, providing capital and programmatic funding for community-driven neighborhood revitalization projects in underserved Philadelphia neighborhoods. This program supports a wide range of physical and social infrastructure improvements including commercial corridor activation, streetscape enhancements, community garden and green space installations, adaptive reuse of vacant or underutilized properties, affordable housing preservation through community land trusts, and pedestrian safety improvements.

What distinguishes the Catalyst Grant from conventional capital funding is our insistence on genuine community leadership. We require that applicants demonstrate meaningful resident engagement in project design, governance, and implementation. Projects must be led by or in deep partnership with community-based organizations whose boards and staff reflect the demographics of the neighborhoods they serve. The Foundation provides not only grant funding but also technical assistance, convening support, and connections to complementary public and philanthropic resources. Since 2006, the Catalyst Grant has invested over $3.2 million in 28 neighborhood revitalization projects across Philadelphia, leveraging an additional $11.4 million in matching public and private investment.

Eligible Applicants

• Registered 501(c)(3) community development corporations, neighborhood associations, and civic organizations
• Municipal agencies and redevelopment authorities (in partnership with a community-based lead organization)
• Community land trusts, land banks, and cooperative housing organizations

Application Timeline

Letters of Intent are due April 1 annually. The Foundation conducts site visits and stakeholder consultations in May and June. Invited full proposals are due July 15. Award notifications are issued by September 1.

The Arts and Culture Enrichment Micro-Grant provides rapid-deployment small grants for creative projects that enrich civic and cultural life in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. This program is intentionally accessible, with a streamlined one-page application and quarterly review cycles, making it possible for grassroots arts organizations, individual artists, and community groups to access Foundation support without the overhead of a full grant proposal.

We fund a broad range of arts and cultural projects including public mural installations, community performance series, cultural festivals, literary events, youth arts workshops, oral history projects, and collaborative art-making in public spaces. The common thread is that funded projects must create opportunities for diverse community members to engage with one another through shared creative experience. We especially welcome proposals from artists and organizations working in neighborhoods that are historically underserved by mainstream arts institutions. Since 2005, the micro-grant program has funded over 85 projects reaching more than 18,000 participants.

Eligible Applicants

• Registered 501(c)(3) arts and cultural organizations
• Community-based organizations proposing arts programming as a component of civic engagement
• Individual artists (with a fiscal sponsor or as unincorporated projects under $2,500)
• School-based arts programs and after-school arts enrichment initiatives

Review Schedule

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed quarterly (January 15, April 15, July 15, October 15). Applicants receive decisions within 30 days of the review date. Projects must begin within 90 days of the award.

The Capacity Building Partnership is a selective, intensive organizational development program for emerging Philadelphia-area non-profits that are ready to professionalize their operations and scale their impact. Each annual cohort consists of six to ten organizations that receive a combination of direct grant funding ($15,000 to $40,000) and structured consulting support over a twelve-month period. The program covers strategic planning facilitation, board governance training, financial management and internal controls assessment, fundraising strategy development, communications and branding guidance, and program evaluation framework design.

Unlike traditional capacity building grants that simply fund consultant engagements, the Partnership embeds peer learning throughout the process. Cohort members participate in monthly convenings where they share challenges, benchmark progress, and build relationships with fellow non-profit leaders. The Foundation also connects participants with pro-bono professional service providers in accounting, legal, human resources, and information technology. Graduates of the program have collectively increased their organizational budgets by an average of 67 percent within two years of completing the Partnership.

Eligible Applicants

• Registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations operating in the greater Philadelphia region
• Annual budget between $100,000 and $750,000 (organizations at the inflection point between start-up and mature operations)
• Minimum two years of continuous operation with at least one full-time staff member
• Board of Directors with a minimum of five members and a commitment to active governance

Application Timeline

Applications open November 1 and close January 15 annually. Interviews and organizational assessments are conducted in February. Cohort selections are announced by March 1. The twelve-month engagement period runs April through March.