Key To
Community

2018 Annual Report

A Letter From
Our President

What does it mean to be Key to our Community? At the Philadelphia Foundation, we believe we all have a role to play in fostering the economic, civic, and social vitality of the Greater Philadelphia region. As I look back on the 2018 year, I am filled with gratitude and pride for all that was accomplished, and I am invigorated as we look ahead to our second century of service.

Every day, I am honored to lead a staff that works tirelessly to manage our more than 1,004 active funds. But more than anything, I am honored to be part of a team and community that is devoted to building a stronger and more vibrant Greater Philadelphia region. Together we work with innovative, philanthropic donors and funders as well as life-changing nonprofits to address the community needs of today and realize the opportunities of tomorrow.

In December, we celebrated our 100th birthday. It’s incredible to look back and think about December 20, 1918, when the Philadelphia Foundation was established as a charitable trust to steward community-based philanthropy.

Through the years, we have evolved to address the ever changing opportunities and challenges of our community. But we’ve remained steadfast in our resolve to collaborate with our region’s leaders and changemakers. That’s what being Key to our Community means to us.

Thank you to the Connectors who bring ideas and people together. You’re the bridge between two forces for good. Thank you to the Activators who are the sulfur at the edge of a match. You are the sparks of action. And thank you to the Accelerators who add fuel to the engine, driving up speed, scale and impact.

Here’s to the next 100
years of service and beyond!

Pedro A. Ramos

President & CEO

REMEMBERING GERRY LENFEST

Gerry Lenfest was the embodiment of philanthropy and civic leadership. He possessed a powerful combination of caring, intellect, conviction, humility and action all in one person, and used it to benefit the community he loved. We at the Philadelphia Foundation feel honored to have worked with him to launch what became the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.

Sadly, Gerry passed away in 2018 at the age of 88. But his legacy of revitalizing the arts, empowering local media and bringing joy to those around him will live on forever.

Supporting
Our Community
is Key

Serving as a steward of lasting positive change in our community requires daily dedication to discovering solutions that improve the lives of our region’s residents. It requires years of showing up every day and putting in the time, funds and effort to do what’s right.

We’re proud to work with individuals and organizations who are committed to magnifying charitable and philanthropic impact in the Greater Philadelphia region – one of the hardest-working areas of the country. Whether it be engaging donors, volunteers and partners, or ensuring efficiency and effectiveness, we’re thrilled with what we accomplished this year.

We support countless causes. Here are six that represent a strong cross-section of the breadth of our impact.

Education

At Philadelphia Foundation, we believe today’s youth represent tomorrow’s community leaders. From funding and administering college scholarships to providing access to early education opportunities, educating our region’s children remains one of our top priorities. Aclamo is one nonprofit taking considerable strides in this area, and specializes in advancing educational opportunities for Latinos.

GRANT RECIPIENT SPOTLIGHT

Aclamo, based in Montgomery county, has become a pillar of the growing suburban Latino community in the Greater Philadelphia region. Through multiple funds, we’re proud to provide them with operational grants that help them deliver educational programs. These initiatives help Latinos and other community members fully achieve their life potential.

LGBTQ

Philadelphia has a rich history of supporting the LGBTQ community and equal rights. It’s only fitting that we prioritized advancing this community by supporting affordable LGBTQ housing, stewarding the GLBT Fund of America, funding and promoting AIDS research and much more. Providing support for organizations with boots on the ground, like GALAEI’s Trans Equity Project, is a big part of what we do – and we’re proud to continue this work.

GRANT RECIPIENT SPOTLIGHT

In 2018, we continued our support of the transgender community by facilitating a $25,000 grant to GALAEI’s Trans Equity Project and an additional $40,000 grant in support of the annual Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference.

Arts & Culture

Captivating and inspiring our communities through exposure to cultural influences and artistic expression is a critical element of creating a better tomorrow for our community. We’re empowering art, culture and music lovers to provide financial support and create lasting impact in these areas in order to help cultivate the next generation of artists and audiences in the Philadelphia region. The Virginia Brown Martin Fund does just that, and we’re proud to support them as they kick off a new era of leadership.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

This year, the Virginia Brown Martin Fund again funded an award at the Barrymores for plays that lead audiences to a better understanding of segments of our global community. “Fun Home” at Arden Theatre Company and “Human Rites” at InterAct Theatre Company, each received $25,000 with an additional $2,500 each going to four finalists. The fund also supports youth theatre, contemporary opera with a message and programing for artists with disabilities.

Human Services

Water, shelter, heat and food. Many of us take these things for granted. But the reality is that many in the Greater Philadelphia region are living day-to-day without these essential services. Philadelphia Foundation is working with amazing organizations like MANNA, a nonprofit serving individuals of all kinds living with life-threatening illnesses, to ensure that everyone in our community has access to the basic essentials they need to thrive.

GRANT RECIPIENT SPOTLIGHT

This year, among the many organizations supported by the Fleischner Family Fund was MANNA, which monthly delivers more than 70,000 meals to individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The fund also supported Familias Separadas, temporary public art works that documented the stories of immigrant families affected by deportations in Pennsylvania.

Health & Environment

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Our Community

We see ourselves as stewards of local change for the Greater Philadelphia community. Whether it be partnering with local organizations, magnifying philanthropic impact or preserving our region’s history, our goal is to bring positive visions for the future of our community to life. Greener Partners is one of those special organizations that’s spearheading change in the way we access, consume and think about healthy food. We’re proud to support them in their pursuit of elevating positive food solutions.

GRANT RECIPIENT SPOTLIGHT

This year, Philadelphia Foundation was proud to facilitate an operational grant to Greener Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing public access to fresh food, educating people about making smart food choices and transforming community health through locally grown food.