2017 Grantees

Racial & Economic Justice Fund

The Racial & Economic Justice Fund supports groups that are engaged in direct-action community organizing in the Philadelphia region to promote racial and economic justice at the local, state, national, or international policy levels. You can learn about eligibility criteria here.

215 People’s Alliance is a cross-race collaborative dedicated to fighting for equity and justice in Philadelphia at the ballot box and in the street.  | Website | Facebook | Twitter

ACT UP Philadelphia works to end the AIDS crisis in Philadelphia by using direct action to address social inequities that impact people living with HIV/AIDS and people at risk of infection.  | Website | Facebook

Asian Americans United nurtures and trains new generations of Asian Americans to work for social justice. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Black and Brown Workers Collective is a direct-action social justice collective that challenges, resists, and dismantles oppressive systems that impact the lives of Black and Brown workers. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Caucus of Working Educators is a social justice caucus of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers determined to energize its union and mobilize students, families, and communities across the city to create the schools Philadelphia children deserve. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Eastwick Friends & Neighbors Coalition mobilizes community members to demand an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable future for Eastwick residents. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Faith in New Jersey is an interfaith, cross-race network of faith leaders and communities working together to advance a social justice agenda at the local, state, and federal levels. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

GALAEI, a queer Latinx social justice organization, builds leaders, provides economic opportunity, promotes sexual empowerment, and engages in organizing for the advancement of the Latinx and queer community. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Girls Justice League, a girls’ rights organization, takes action to advance social, educational, and economic justice for girls, young women, and all those who identify as female in Philadelphia. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Media Mobilizing Project fights for long-term education justice across the city of Philadelphia, emphasizing the direct participation of students, parents, school staff, and community members. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia builds community across faith, ethnicity, and class to end injustices against immigrants. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

Norris Square Community Alliance organizes Norris Square residents to gather, build community, and improve the physical, economic, social, cultural, and educational aspects of their neighborhood. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Philadelphia Coalition for Affordable Communities organizes community, disability, faith, labor, and urban agriculture groups to ensure that Philadelphians with low incomes are not displaced by gentrification. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Philly Thrive advocates for a green economy for all by organizing Philadelphians to limit fossil fuel expansion and win political support against toxic energy hub projects. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Put People First! PA organizes poor and working-class residents throughout Pennsylvania to push for a universal, equitable, transparent, and accountable health care system through base building and direct action. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Soil Generation is a Black-led coalition of growers building a grassroots movement for food sovereignty through advocacy, organizing, and community education. | Website | Facebook | Instagram

Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania is a multi-ethnic membership-based organization working to transform the taxi industry and improve working conditions through organizing, advocacy, litigation, direct legal services, and access to health care. | Facebook | Twitter

Urban Creators is a grassroots organization in North Philadelphia that empowers neighborhoods to transform neglected landscapes into dynamic, safe spaces that foster connectivity, self-sufficiency, and innovation. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project (YASP) holds art and poetry workshops for young people who are incarcerated in adult jails and raises awareness about the school-to-prison pipeline while building a youth movement to resist and dismantle it. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Youth United for Change (YUC) iis a democratic, youth-led organization whose members are working-class youth committed to ensuring a high-quality education system for all young people. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube

Future Fund

The Future Fund supports organizations that are working on emerging issues or developing new approaches to social justice activism. These groups may employ one or more effective strategies, including cultural work, media advocacy, and political education. You can learn more about eligibility criteria here.

The Advocate Center for Culture and Education unites community residents, volunteers, service providers, and educational institutions to improve the lives and well-being of North Philadelphia residents. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Contemporary Black Canvas is a podcast that celebrates the depth and breadth of the Black artistic and intellectual traditions from across the African diaspora and Africa. | Website

Heart-to-Heart; Comienzos East serves people who are incarcerated and their families through education, skills building, therapeutic support, and advocacy. | Website | Facebook

Johnson House Historic Site, Philadelphia’s only accessible and intact stop on the Underground Railroad, trains emerging leaders aged 18 to 35 in participatory democracy, organizing, dialogue, and collective action in order to unite and amplify the voices of today. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

LGBT Elder Initiative advocates for services and resources that are competent, culturally sensitive, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elders in the Philadelphia region and beyond. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Sisterly L.O.V.E. (Leading Others Via Education) develops leadership skills and community among trans women/femmes in Philadelphia. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Urban Tree Connection works with neighborhoods to develop community-driven greening and gardening projects on vacant land, help residents become strong leaders, foster deep community cohesion, and ultimately create livable communities. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

UrbEd fights for high-quality education for urban students by working with community members, educational organizations, and policy leaders. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

VietLead builds self-determination, leadership, and sustainability skills in the Vietnamese community through intergenerational farming, youth development, health navigation, and civic engagement. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Women’s Medical Fund protects and expands abortion access for low-income women and teens through direct service and advocacy. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Yes! And… Collaborative Arts’ Shadow Company is a teen-led and teen-run program that provides high-quality arts education. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Phoebus Criminal Justice Initiative

The Phoebus Criminal Justice Initiative is a fund that gives grants to organizations that address the root causes of the crises within our criminal justice system. You can learn more about eligibility criteria here.

Address This!, a project of Books Through Bars, provides innovative, radical educational courses via correspondence to individuals currently incarcerated throughout Pennsylvania. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Ardella’s House addresses pressing issues for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and aims to improve women’s lives while also changing the systems that create barriers. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

The Elevation Project is a reentry program that works to discover and meet the unique needs of people returning to society from a lengthy prison sentence through therapeutic groups, job readiness training, and job placement. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Hearts on a Wire Collective is a group of trans and gender-variant people and allies working in solidarity with them both inside and outside of prisons that publishes quarterly zines and provides needs-responsive support. | Website | Facebook

Human Rights Coalition supports families in coping with the stress and hardships created by having a loved one incarcerated, and works to transform the prison system to a model of rehabilitation and successful reintegration to society. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

I’m FREE (Females Reentering Empowering Each Other) is a group of formerly incarcerated women supporting each other in reconnecting with society and their families, revitalizing their sense of purpose, and freeing themselves from an institutionalized way of living. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Pennsylvania Prison Society, a social justice organization advocating on behalf of prisoners, their families, and formerly incarcerated people, is starting a peer support group for returning citizens to promote collective activism. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

POWER (Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower and Rebuild) is a coalition of people of faith committed to bringing about justice by pressing for the needs and priorities of all Philadelphians to be reflected in the systems and policies that shape the city. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube

Reentry Think Tank connects returning citizens with artists, activists, and legislative experts to make media campaigns that destroy stereotypes about returning citizens, connect returning citizens with organizations and individuals in power across the city, and work across the city to advocate for social, educational, and political platforms that will help those in reentry succeed in their communities. | Website

Sisters Returning Home seeks to protect, defend, and amplify the uncensored voices of prisoners in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania by recording and distributing essays and interviews with incarcerated people. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Urban Creators is a grassroots organization in North Philadelphia that empowers neighborhoods to transform neglected landscapes into dynamic, safe spaces that foster connectivity, self-sufficiency, and innovation. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Veterans Legal Foundation is a coalition advocating for the expansion of legal and social services for incarcerated military veterans. | Website | Facebook

Why Not Prosper is a faith-based grassroots organization that helps formerly incarcerated women find employment and housing, reunite with their children, and not return to prison.  | Website | Twitter

Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project holds art and poetry workshops for young people who are incarcerated in adult jails and raises awareness about the school-to-prison pipeline while building a youth movement to resist and dismantle it. | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project works to transform the experiences of children prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system and aims to eliminate the practice of sentencing children as adults. | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Opportunity Fund

Opportunity Fund grants are intended for special projects or emergencies that are not part of an organization’s ongoing work. These activities are frequently in response to rapidly emerging issues and might include: demonstrations and rallies, coalition activities, conferences/forums, outreach materials. These grants are offered monthly. You can learn about eligibility criteria here.