The William Penn Foundation - Children, Youth & Families

Director: Ronnie L. Bloom

Funding goal:
To promote the full development of children and youth to become capable adults and productive citizens, with special emphasis on key transitions in their lives.

In 2009

Awarded 73 new grants for $32.9 million.
Made payments of $21.5 million on 111 active grants.

2009 grants awarded to date

Annual Report
This year's edition includes feature articles by local writers on Philadelphia's new Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy; strengthening Pennsylvania's policy achievements in early childhood and school funding equity; and the potential for the region's extensive trail assets.

Bringing the Arts Back to Philadelphia's Children
"Imagine a city and region that commits to the arts as a key tool in transforming communities and keeping youth engaged and successful in and out of school… giving students the opportunity to participate in a thriving economy in which the skills of imagination and innovation are valued."

Nonprofit Executive Leadership Program Now Accepting Applications for 2010
The Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute (NELI) of Bryn Mawr College is accepting applicants for its 2010 Executive Leadership Certificate program.

Thoughts on the Economic Recession
With a struggling national economy, we’re finding that many of our grantees, partners, and regional decision-makers are interested in knowing more about our fiscal health and strategic focus. What follows is a snapshot of our current circumstances and a view into our thinking about how the economy may affect our grantmaking.

Where We Stand: Community Indicators for Metropolitan Philadelphia
Researchers from the Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicators Project at Temple University have released their fourth annual report on the region, providing data and mapping applications for the region’s 353 municipalities.

Pennsylvania's Tax Burden Examined in New Report
Pennsylvania ranks favorably among states in overall taxation and spending levels, but the Commonwealth’s tax system is highly regressive, placing a greater burden on the poorest 20 percent of our citizens.

Nonprofit Executive Leadership Program Now Accepting Applications for 2009
The Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute (NELI) at Bryn Mawr College is now accepting applicants for its 2009 Executive Leadership Certificate program.

Annotated Bibliography on Research Related to Arts for Children & Youth
The Foundation has initiated a community-wide effort to reinvigorate arts education for Philadelphia’s children and youth. The following is a digest of research demonstrating the positive effects of arts education on young people. It is a snapshot of key studies that have influenced the Foundation’s point of view and approach.

What are the Effects of Charter Schools on Student Achievement in Philadelphia?
National researchers say that student achievement at Philadelphia's charter schools is almost indistinguishable from its traditional public schools.

Forging a New Commitment to the Arts for Philadelphia's Young People
For too long, Philadelphia has lacked a comprehensive commitment to providing its young people with access to high quality cultural experiences and education. That is about to change.

Providing a Quality Education to Every Child
With the release of an independent costing-out study, Pennsylvanians now know the extent to which their childrens' schools are under funded.

Pennsylvania to Invest $75 Million in High-Quality Early Childhood Care
The Commonwealth has committed $75 million to create a dedicated funding stream that will provide approximately 11,000 three- and four-year-olds with access to voluntary, high-quality pre-K.

Renovate or Replace?
Conceived and produced by a task force representing state agencies and nonprofit partner agencies, Renovate or Replace provides a convincing array of arguments for restoration and reuse of older neighborhood-based schools.

Evaluating Privately Managed Schools in Philadelphia
After four years, how are Philadelphia's students performing in elementary and middle schools managed by private operators?

Project U-Turn: Addressing Philadelphia's Dropout Crisis
During 2000-2005, about 30,000 students who began ninth grade in Philadelphia left without earning a high school diploma. With support from the Foundation, a new public campaign has been launched to help find solutions to this difficult issue.

Promoting a Safe Passage to Adulthood
Produced by a national coalition of philanthropic organizations, Safe Passage explores innovative approaches to the needs of struggling youth in our communities.

Low-Cost Technical Assistance Available to Area Nonprofits
The Philadelphia Health Management Corporation has launched a new fund that will help nonprofits in Greater Philadelphia gain access to high quality, low cost technical assistance in a variety of disciplines.

Improving the Quality of Out-of-School Time Programs Through Evaluation
The University of Pennsylvania's Out-of-School-Time Research Center, with the support of the William Penn Foundation, has released an online toolkit to help evaluate the success of conferences designed to provide training to staff of out-of-school programs for young people.

Training Offered for Area Nonprofit Organizations
The Nonprofit Finance Fund offers a variety of training workshops for nonprofit organizations in Greater Philadelphia on topics ranging from real estate and facilities to alignment of programs and finances.

Tracking Progress in Camden's Schools

To measure progress in New Jersey's school districts receiving court-mandated aid under the Abbott decisions, the Education Law Center is working with partners in Camden and three other districts to produce timely, accessible data on school performance to empower parents, teachers, administrators, and advocates advancing school reform.

The Franklin Conference: Engaging Citizens in Innovative School Design
The School District of Philadelphia is poised to invest $1.8 billion in the city's schools, providing residents with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the role of schools in our community.

Tracking the Graduation Gap
With support from the Annie E. Casey and William Penn Foundations, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC) has released a fact sheet illustrating troubling high school dropout rates in the Commonwealth.

Learning from Philadelphia's School Reform
Early reports from a multi-year study on reforms resulting from the 2001 state takeover of the School District of Philadelphia are providing key findings on actions taken to date, including the privatization of schools and revision of its teacher staffing policies.

Early Childhood and the Well-Being of our Regional Economy
Designed to jump-start regional dialogue and action, the Pennsylvania Economy League, in partnership with the Foundation, has devoted their Winter 2005 edition of the Greater Philadelphia Regional Review to an in-depth exploration of the connections between early childhood care and education, economic development, and the well-being of our regional economy.

A Neighborhood-Based Youth Development Strategy
When communities organize their human, institutional, and financial resources to provide their youth with a rich array of developmental resources, supports, and opportunities, more of these youth will grow to be successful adults.