Advocacy for Child-Serving Systems

The William Penn Foundation is offering funding through its Children and Families program for the “Advocacy for Child-serving Systems” initiative. This grant opportunity supports the Foundation’s goal of increasing public funding for early childhood education, early intervention, K–12 education, home visiting programs, and out-of-school time by $6.4 billion statewide by the year 2035. The initiative recognizes that equitable and sustainable public investment in child-serving systems is essential to improving long-term outcomes for young children and their families in Pennsylvania. The RFP opened on December 10, 2025, and the application deadline is January 29, 2026. A board review of selected proposals is scheduled for April 2026. The Foundation is seeking proposals for efforts that will complement existing advocacy campaigns, not duplicate them. Notably, this RFP does not cover initiatives already receiving support through ongoing statewide campaigns like Childhood Begins at Home, Start Strong PA, Pre-K for PA, and PA Schools Work. Rather, it supports efforts that are aligned with and additive to those campaigns or offer novel, independent strategies to expand public understanding and mobilization around funding for child-serving systems. Eligible project types include non-partisan outreach and education, research and communication campaigns, and public interest litigation. Projects must be focused on increasing public investment in systems that serve children and families across Pennsylvania. All proposals must be likely to impact state funding priorities in a positive and meaningful way. Organizations applying must be able to demonstrate the potential of their work to inform and mobilize both the public and policymakers. Partnerships are encouraged but not required. If joining an existing campaign, a letter of support from campaign leadership is mandatory. Applicants may request up to $500,000 in funding over three years, not including the standard overhead which the Foundation will apply to all project budgets. The total available funding for this RFP is $6 million. Applications must be submitted through the William Penn Foundation’s online Grants Portal; email submissions will not be accepted. The application package must include a proposal narrative, project budget, and, where applicable, a support letter from affiliated campaigns. All applicants selected to advance past the initial review will be subject to site visits conducted by Foundation staff. Following site visits, Foundation staff will make funding recommendations to the Board, which has final decision authority. The Foundation encourages projects that propose collaborative strategies and leverage shared expertise among multiple partners. However, each application will be evaluated on its own merits. An optional informational webinar for prospective applicants was held on December 15, 2025. The primary contact for this opportunity is Stephanie Waller, Program Officer for Children and Families. General inquiries and technical questions about the application portal can be directed to the Foundation's grants team at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 988-1830. The Foundation's office is located at Two Logan Square, Suite 1100, 100 North 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Proposals should complement existing campaigns and focus on non-partisan outreach, policy influence, or litigation that increases public funding.