Each grant is made possible by a network of thousands of donors giving what they can to support movements for justice.

Racial & Economic Justice Fund 2017 Grantees

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 and see past grantees.

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.

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.

Asian Americans United nurtures and trains new generations of Asian Americans to work for social justice.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia builds community across faith, ethnicity, and class to end injustices against immigrants.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Future Fund 2017 Grantees

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 and see past grantees.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Phoebus Criminal Justice Initiative 2017 Grantees

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 and see past grantees.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Opportunity Fund 2017 Grantees

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 and see past grantees.

Black and Brown Workers Collective collected narratives from Black and Brown workers in Philadelphia and created a report to inform anti-racism organizing in the Gayborhood.

Camp Sojourner, Girls’ Leadership Camp organized the 5th Annual Sojourner Truth Walk on May 6, 2017. The Sojourner Truth Walk brings community members together across race and class and provides political education on female leadership in resistance movements.

Disabled in Action hired American Sign Language interpreters for Disability Pride, held in June 2017, to make the event fully accessible.

GALAEI provided the opportunity for 10 queer Latinx leaders to participate in the Embajadores professional development program, part of the Creating Change conference’s Unión-Fuerza institute: a day-long program promoting activism in the LGBT Latinx community.

The Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger organized a gathering of nonprofit leaders on January 27, 2017 to discuss how the coalition can protect funding and other resources that fight hunger in our community under the Trump administration.

Kol Tzedek organized Inauguration Day: West Philly Community Solidarity Gathering, an evening gathering of neighbors rededicating themselves to face the political challenges of the coming years, on January 20, 2017.

Maypop Collective for Climate and Economic Justice (Philly Thrive project) held School for Organizers, a series of community organizing skills trainings between January and May 2017. The trainings were held to support Philly Thrive’s Right to Breathe campaign combatting the local oil refinery and its resulting air pollution in Southwest Philadelphia.

North of Washington Avenue Coalition organized a series of four workshops to train and empower groups of neighborhood residents to fulfill common needs and address local issues and to be effective advocates for their community‘s interests.

Philadelphia-Camden Boricua Committee began organizing demonstrations, rallies, and forums related to the movement for Puerto Rican independence in response to the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), a federal law that established an oversight board for Puerto Rico. 

Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation organized a zine-making workshop in partnership with Chinatown Community Press Project to amplify the voices of Chinatown residents in the face of the gentrification. This workshop was held in response to Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority’s selection of Pennrose and WRT Design’s proposal to build four buildings at 8th and Vine streets over Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation’s community-based proposal for the same land.

Philadelphia International Action Center organized a “Shut Down the DNC” march and rally in partnership with the MOVE Organization, Black and Brown Workers Collective, and many other local community organizing groups on July 26, 2017.

Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign sent anti-poverty organizers to Cleveland, OH during the Republican National Convention to protest against poverty and advocate for movement-building with other anti-poverty organizers.

South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) organized “Where We Belong: Artists in the Archive,” a community gathering exploring the overlooked and untold stories of South Asian Americans, on April 8, 2017.

St. Daniel’s Ray of Hope a community development corporation in Chester County, organized a Juneteenth event celebrating the end of slavery in the United States, on June 17, 2017. 

United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia organized International Rights Day, a celebration of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, on December 8, 2016.

Urban Creators held a series of youth-led discussions on the Black Lives Matter movement, education, mass incarceration, food justice, and more during the Democratic National Convention on July 26, 2017 and July 27, 2017.

Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project held an event called “The State of Criminal Justice & Reentry in Philadelphia: Opportunities for Innovation and Reform” at which participants discussed local and national efforts to increase opportunities and resources for returning citizens. The event was held on April 12, 2017.