Public Benefits

The William Penn Foundation, a private philanthropic organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, focuses its efforts on fostering an equitable and vibrant city through strategic grantmaking. One of its core program areas is Children and Families, which aims to support families in achieving economic stability, a key factor that positively influences children’s developmental and educational outcomes. The foundation recognizes that reducing household stress and strengthening parent-child relationships is fundamental to fostering early learning and healthy development in young children. Philadelphia is recognized as the poorest large city in the United States, with 28.8 percent of children living in poverty, defined as having a household income of $30,000 or less for a family of four. The poverty rates are significantly higher among children of color, reaching 42 percent for Black children and 48 percent for Hispanic children. Despite a wide array of available public benefits and tax credits that can supplement family income, many families in the city do not access them. Estimates suggest that Philadelphians collectively forgo nearly $450 million annually in unclaimed federal and state benefits for which they are eligible. In response to this challenge, the William Penn Foundation is seeking proposals from organizations committed to helping families in Philadelphia connect to public benefits and tax credits. Funded efforts under this objective may include direct services to guide individuals and families through benefit enrollment processes, policy and systems-level initiatives aimed at enhancing responsiveness and efficiency, and outreach efforts that address gaps in public knowledge regarding benefit eligibility and availability. The Foundation encourages organizations to propose the approaches they believe will be most impactful in their communities. Successful proposals will be expected to track and report specific outcomes, including the number of families served, the types of benefits or services accessed, and the annualized monetary value of the benefits obtained by families. This performance data will be essential to assessing progress toward the Foundation’s 2035 goal: to connect 25,000 families with young children to at least $75 million in public benefits and tax credits. No specific application deadlines, opening or closing dates, or funding ceilings were listed in the source materials. However, prospective applicants are encouraged to reach out directly to the Foundation’s Program Officer for the Children and Families program, Aly Tooher (they/them), with any inquiries. Contact can be made via phone at (215) 988-1830 or email at grants@williampennfoundation.org. The Foundation’s offices are located at Two Logan Square, Suite 1100, 100 North 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Applicants should note that eligibility is geographically limited to the city of Philadelphia. Although no specific entity types were listed as eligible, the nature of the initiative suggests a focus on organizations with local capacity and expertise in navigating public benefits systems. The opportunity remains open, and it appears to be part of a recurring funding strategy aligned with long-term Foundation goals.