Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility varies by program. Our Civic Education Innovation Grant, Neighborhood Catalyst Grant, and After-School Excellence Grant are open to registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, public and charter schools (with a fiscal sponsor if needed), community-based organizations, and in some cases municipal agencies. The Youth Civic Leaders Fellowship accepts individual applications from high school juniors and seniors in the Philadelphia area. The Capacity Building Partnership is limited to registered 501(c)(3) non-profits with annual budgets between $100,000 and $750,000 and at least two years of continuous operation. The Arts and Culture Enrichment Micro-Grant accepts applications from organizations and individual artists (with a fiscal sponsor or as unincorporated projects for awards under $2,500). We encourage you to use our Grant Eligibility Finder for a quick preliminary assessment or review the detailed criteria on our Programs page.

The Foundation's primary geographic focus is the greater Philadelphia region, including the city of Philadelphia and the surrounding suburban counties of Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks. Several programs also serve the broader Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley regions. The Capacity Building Partnership is open to non-profits operating anywhere in Pennsylvania. Projects located within the city of Philadelphia generally receive priority consideration, particularly those serving neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty, low civic participation rates, or limited access to philanthropic resources. We do not currently fund projects outside of Pennsylvania.

Grant amounts vary by program. The Civic Education Innovation Grant provides $10,000 to $50,000 per year, renewable for up to three years. The Youth Civic Leaders Fellowship awards $2,500 to $7,500 per fellow. The Neighborhood Catalyst Grant ranges from $25,000 to $150,000, with multi-year funding possible for phased projects. The Arts and Culture Enrichment Micro-Grant provides up to $5,000 per project. The Capacity Building Partnership awards $15,000 to $40,000 combined with twelve months of structured consulting support. We recommend that applicants request the amount they genuinely need for the proposed work rather than inflating or deflating their budget to match a perceived preference. The Foundation's Grant Review Committee evaluates budget reasonableness as part of the proposal review process.

Most programs use a two-stage application process: a brief Letter of Intent (LOI) followed by an invited full proposal. The LOI is a two-page document describing your organization, the proposed project, the community served, and the requested amount. LOIs are reviewed by program staff and the Grant Review Committee. Applicants whose projects align with Foundation priorities are invited to submit a full proposal with detailed narrative, budget, and supporting documents. The Capacity Building Partnership uses a single-stage application. The Arts and Culture Micro-Grant uses a streamlined one-page application reviewed quarterly. Specific deadlines for each program are listed on our Apply page. From LOI submission to final award notification, the process typically takes three to five months depending on the program.

Yes, organizations may submit applications to multiple programs simultaneously, provided each application is for a distinct project or program. For example, a community development corporation could apply for a Neighborhood Catalyst Grant for a physical improvement project and a Capacity Building Partnership for organizational development in the same cycle. However, the Foundation will not fund the same project through two different programs. If you are unsure whether your work spans multiple program areas, we encourage you to contact our program team for guidance before submitting.

The Foundation provides both project-specific and general operating support depending on the program. The Civic Education Innovation Grant and After-School Excellence Grant can fund program-specific operating costs including staff salaries, materials, and overhead directly attributable to the funded program. The Neighborhood Catalyst Grant funds capital costs and project-specific program expenses. The Capacity Building Partnership explicitly funds organizational development, which may include core operational improvements. The Arts and Culture Micro-Grant funds project-specific costs. We do not currently offer unrestricted general operating grants outside of the Capacity Building Partnership, but we recognize that strong programs require adequate institutional support and evaluate budgets accordingly.

All grantees are required to submit interim and final narrative and financial reports. For grants of twelve months or longer, an interim report is due at the six-month mark, and a final report is due within 60 days of the grant period's end. Each report includes a narrative summary of activities, outcomes, and challenges; a financial report comparing actual expenditures to the approved budget; and supporting documentation such as participant counts, media coverage, or evaluation data. Multi-year grantees submit annual renewal applications with updated budgets and progress narratives. The Foundation provides report templates and our program staff are available to assist with reporting questions throughout the grant period. We view reporting as a learning opportunity rather than a compliance burden, and we encourage candid reflection on both successes and challenges.

The Grant Review Committee evaluates applications based on several criteria: alignment with the Foundation's mission and program-specific priorities; demonstrated community need and the applicant's understanding of that need; quality and feasibility of the proposed approach; organizational capacity to implement the proposed work; budget reasonableness and cost-effectiveness; community engagement in project design and governance; potential for sustainable impact beyond the grant period; and the applicant's track record of accountability with previous funders. For Neighborhood Catalyst Grants, the committee also considers the quality of resident engagement, the leveraging potential for additional public and private investment, and the applicant organization's rootedness in the community being served.

Individual applicants are eligible for the Youth Civic Leaders Fellowship (high school juniors and seniors) and for Arts and Culture Enrichment Micro-Grants (individual artists, with a fiscal sponsor or as unincorporated projects for awards under $2,500). All other programs require organizational applicants. Unincorporated community groups may apply through a fiscal sponsor arrangement with a registered 501(c)(3) organization. We are happy to help connect prospective applicants with potential fiscal sponsors in the region; please contact our program team for assistance.

The Foundation does not review unsolicited full proposals. All applicants must begin with either a Letter of Intent (for the Civic Education, Youth Leadership, and Neighborhood Catalyst programs), a single-stage application (for the Capacity Building Partnership), or the rolling micro-grant application (for Arts and Culture). We strongly encourage prospective applicants to use our Grant Eligibility Finder and to submit a preliminary inquiry through our Apply page before preparing a formal LOI. Our program staff are available by phone or email to discuss preliminary ideas and assess fit before you invest time in a written submission.