FEATURES

Capitalizing Change: WPF's Vision for the Next Decade Our board has approved a new strategic plan to guide our funding for the next decade. Entitled Capitalizing Change, our plan calls for strategies that will help Greater Philadelphia embrace and benefit from the rapid pace of global and regional change.

Foundation Remembers Chara Haas The Foundation is saddened to announce the passing of Chara Haas, wife of John C. Haas and daughter-in-law of our founders. She was a member of the Foundation's board for more than three decades. Click here to read a remembrance of her life.

Live Arts & Philly Fringe: New Energy on the Waterfront The Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe will soon take up residence at the Race Street Pier, creating an electrifying new destination on the Delaware.

Turning Around a School System in Crisis Earlier this year, WPF committed $1.5 million to help the School Reform Commission transform the fiscal and administrative structure that has left Philadelphia’s schools in crisis. Although there is a long road ahead, the new SRC leadership is making substantial progress.

Market Conditions Aid in Protecting Critical Resources The real estate crash has been unhappy news in most circles, but in this exclusive interview, Peter Howell of the Open Space Institute describes the opportunity that the tough market has provided for the Foundation and other investors to conserve some of our region's most important landscapes - the Pennsylvania Highlands and the New Jersey Bayshore.

From Farming Veggies to Farming Ideas: Social Innovation Through Urban Agriculture Mary Seton Corboy started Greensgrow with a simple idea for a business: grow lettuce in Philadelphia's challenging urban environment. Nearly fifteen years later, Greensgrow has become one of America's brightest urban farming stories, placing Corboy among Philadelphia's greatest social entrepreneurs. WPF is proud to fund Greensgrow, but part of what makes its story interesting is its emphasis on a diverse range of revenues without an over-reliance on philanthropic support.

Raíces y Puentes (Roots & Bridges): How a Latino Cultural Organization Grows How does a Latino cultural organization grow and flourish in its artistic mission during these difficult times for small nonprofits?

From Desolate to Dynamic PlanPhilly chronicles the transformation of Eastern North Philadelphia.

From Evidence to Action PolicyLab at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is reshaping foster care in ways that emphasize stability and permanency for children.

From Promising to Paragon Philadelphia's Arden Theatre has long been known for its artistic excellence, but smart choices about its capital needs are just as important to its success.

Journalism and Media Grant Making: Five Things You Need To Know, Five Ways To Get Started How can funders get started both thinking about and actually investing in news and information projects? A joint publication by the William Penn and Knight Foundations offers tips.

A Wake Up Call for Arts Groups and Their Funders An eye-opening study of capitalization in Greater Philadelphia's cultural sector is changing the way the Foundation thinks about the financial health of arts groups.

Stemming the Dropout Tide Project U-Turn has made significant inroads on Philadelphia's troublesome high school dropout rate - creating a model for addressing a problem that vexes cities across America.

From Farm to Fork Focusing on food — how it is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed — as a way to address a diverse set of issues, including urban planning, the environment, health, social equity, and economic development.