Oct. 31, 2014 12:06 pm
Events: The Kimmel Center’s It Gets Better Residency Week
The first It Gets Better video was uploaded by Dan Savage to YouTube in September 2010 to inspire hope for LGBTQ facing harassment. Since then, the It Gets Better Project has inspired more than 50,000 user-created videos viewed more than 50 million times. Next week, the Kimmel Center is presenting a one-week residency around the theme […]
Oct. 31, 2014 11:05 am
Beer Brewers Co-op and Incubator in Early Stages
There are co-ops for housing, health care, food, taxis, child care, coffee and even sustainable energy in Philadelphia. So why not one for beer? The question occurred to a group of local beer brewers who have over the last year began the work of forming a cooperative that would combine business incubation, brewing education, and the […]
Oct. 30, 2014 12:44 pm
Story Pop Up Brings the Life Experiences of Philly Seniors Into Neighborhoods
About five years ago, Benita Cooper started a storytelling group in the basement of the Philadelphia Senior Center. Four seniors attended. Then a few more. Eventually, that first storytelling group spun off into another group. Soon, there were groups springing up at retirement homes and libraries across the city. The organization evolved into what has […]
Oct. 30, 2014 11:57 am
Staff Commentary: Accepting a Position on a National Board
This year has been a year of surprises. The best surprise came during the the summer while I was on vacation with my family in South Carolina. I received an email that has since changed my life, and I owe it all to a few random decisions that now, I realize, were more strategic than […]
Oct. 29, 2014 12:54 pm
Lower Northwest District Plan Calls for Transit-Oriented Development
The draft of the Lower Northwest District Plan of the Philadelphia 2035 planning process describes an area that is flush with natural and economic advantages. Its poverty rate is half the city average. Median income and college attainment are nearly double the rest of the city, and commercial corridors such as Main Street in Manayunk and […]
Oct. 29, 2014 12:02 pm
Common Ground Learning Dissolves, Shares Volunteer Guidebook + Resources With Fellow Nonprofits
Back in 2009, Alex McNeil and a group of Temple University students started Project E.D.U. (which was later renamed Common Ground Learning), an organization designed to connect college students to underserved youth through enriching educational programs. The goal was to connect university students with organizations and institutions in need of volunteer tutors and mentors. “We […]
Oct. 28, 2014 1:54 pm
Chinatown’s Eastern Tower Community Center Receives $3.7 Million Grant
[metaslider id=32263] The Eastern Tower Community Center is a planned mixed-use recreation center, housing development and retail space to be located on 10th and Vine streets. The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation has been working on the project for the last two years and has drawn support from foundations, individuals donors, and private investors. Lt. Governor […]
Oct. 28, 2014 11:57 am
With an Eye on Innovation, the Barra Foundation Revamps Grantmaking Approach
The Barra Foundation, a 51-year-old grantmaking organization that primarily supports innovative ideas with the potential to lift low-income populations, has redesigned its funding approach. The Foundation’s $4 million in annual giving is now divided between the Barra Awards and the Catalyst Fund. Founded in 1963 by Robert L. McNeil, Jr., the former chairman of the […]
Oct. 27, 2014 12:09 pm
Biz Journal: Today’s philanthropists are younger, more ethnically diverse
This article originally appeared in the Philadelphia Business Journal here. The face of philanthropy in the Philadelphia region is a far cry from the antiquated belief that charities are supported by wealthy, older Caucasian males. Donors today tend to be younger and more diverse, according to a study released by the Association of Fundraising Professionals-Greater […]
Oct. 24, 2014 12:17 pm
Philly Federal Reserve Releases Inventory of Useful Data Sources for Community Development
The Community Development Studies and Education Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has released an inventory of useful data resources for community development professionals and organizations. The inventory contains a list of 16 resources, which include data on housing, demographics, economy and education. In addition to the list, the inventory provides 1-2 page […]