Money Moves: These 29 Philly nonprofits received holiday donations totaling $918K
December 27, 2018 Category: Column, Featured, Funding, MediumMoney Moves is a semi-regular column tracking grants made by local funders, including foundations, giving circles, trusts and corporate entities. Send notices to philly@generocity.org.
1. New Leash on Life USA got $20,000 to help some pups and people alike.
The world can never have enough dogs: The Phildelphia Foundation donated $20,000 to the nonprofit that helps inmates build valuable employment skills while increasing at-risk dogs’ chances of finding fur-ever homes by receiving obedience training.
While the average recidivism rate in Philadelphia is around 34 percent, it falls below 8 percent for New Leash participants, according to the org, and this grant will allow up to 36 new inmates and 18 pups to sign up in 2019.
2. The Kopelman Foundation donated $250,000 to help Coded by Kids provide tech education to 120 Philly youngsters.
The University City-based digital education nonprofit received a three-year, $250,000 “funding commitment” from the Kopelman Foundation, which was cofounded by First Round Capital founder Josh Kopelman.
The cash will help CbK continue breaking barriers in the tech-sphere by filling capacity in its CommonSpace program, an initiative that teaches kids ages 8 to 18 how to create digital games, websites and animations. The program runs out of the Marian Anderson Rec Center in Grad Hospital, but a new rec center program will launch in the new year thanks to the donation.
3. The Kresge Foundation shelled out $150,000 to support NKCDC’s trauma-informed community development work.
A new Kresge Health Program initiative called Advancing Health Equity through Housing dubbed New Kensington Community Development Corporation one of 13 lucky grantees in the program that aims to alleviate the impact housing instability has on mental and physical health. NKCDC will use the funds to incorporate a trauma-informed approach in its housing counseling, economic development and community engagement services. The money will also help develop the org’s training curriculum that teaches community members about trauma and how to effectively address it.
“We’re tremendously grateful that the Kresge Foundation recognizes the connection between housing and health, and honored to be among the first recipients of this award,” said NKCDC Executive Director Felix Torres-Colon. “Understanding traumatic stress, resilience and healing already has transformed the way NKCDC works in Kensington, and these new tools are giving our community a new way to see itself.”
4. The Hayman Foundation gave $100,000 to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to fund a Childhood Cancer Data Lab.
With the $100,000 grant, Alex’s Lemonade Stand and the foundation are teaming up to fill the gaps in childhood cancer care with this first-of-its-kind data lab. The new technology will help data scientists, researchers and computer engineers collaborate to find new treatment methods and organize the findings in a more efficient digital format.
So far, the system has processed more than 150,000 childhood cancer data samples and is bringing data to cancer researchers around the globe that previously cost $2 million to produce every hour.
5. Nine local LGBTQ causes received a total of $35,000 from DVLF on #GivingTuesday.
We are exciting to announce our 2018-2019 LGBTQ Emerging Needs Grant recipients on #GivingTuesday to promote the year-end giving season! Help us continue to leverage resources for LGBTQ organizations by donating to #DVLF on #GivingTuesday! https://t.co/1PRNBv8tSK
— DVLF (@DVLF) November 26, 2018
DVLF gives annual LGBTQ Emerging Needs Grants to LGBTQ-serving nonprofit organizations, and as part of this year’s Giving Tuesday it brought thousands of dollars of love to several local nonprofits:
- Valley Youth House
- GALAEI
- William Way LGBT Community Center
- Philadelphia Futures
- Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus
- Qunify
- Till Arts Project
- Albert Einstein Healthcare Network
- Siloam Wellness
Totaling $35,000, DVLF’s donations will make a splash by supporting transitional housing for LGBTQ youth, food security for the LGBTQ elderly, a Queer Straight Alliance Club and more.
6. The Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association fought hunger this holiday season with an $88,000 donation to Philabundance.
Paul muller & Glenn Bergman thank all the partners for helping #haulawayhunger #hungerheroes (“photo bomb” from our friends @933WMMR) pic.twitter.com/xDa5DYg2Ht
— Philabundance (@Philabundance) December 14, 2018
While one in eight Americans experiences food insecurity, the statistic jumps to one in five for Philadelphians — meaning more than 300,000 people in the area don’t know where their next meal will come from.
That’s why Toyota and 25 of its local dealers donated $88,000 to Philabundance, which the nonprofit food bank used to purchase 360,000 pounds of food for the 12th-annual Toyota Tundra Food Drive. On Dec. 14, almost 80 food-filled Toyota Tundra trucks (spanning the length of nearly six football fields) traveled from Philabundance’s North Philadelphia warehouse to Citizens Bank Park via police escort to “haul away hunger” with Toyota’s largest donation to date.
7. The Eagles donated $275,000 in support of youth reading programs, first-generation college students, legal justice and more.
In our last edition of Money Moves, the Philadelphia Eagles freed nine people from jail just in time for Thanksgiving and donated a total of $190,000 to local causes. Now, the boys in green are back with a new set of grants for 15 Philly nonprofits totaling an even-more-noteworthy $275,000. Here’s how the money from the Eagles Social Justice Fund, which was launched just this year, is broken down:
- $45,000 to United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey in support of the Read by 4th Initiative
- $20,000 to Camden Alternative Education Programs
- $20,000 to Center for Returning Citizens
- $20,000 to Frontline Dads
- $20,000 to MENTOR
- $20,000 to Mothers in Charge
- $20,000 to Philadelphia Futures
- $20,000 to Philadelphia Youth Network
- $20,000 to Steppingstone Scholars
- $20,000 to Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project
- $15,000 to Why Not Prosper
- $10,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region
- $10,000 to Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity
- $10,000 to Summer Search
- $5,000 to PA Legal Aid Fund
“As professional athletes, we are fortunate to have a platform like this that enables us to partner with so many organizations committed to life-changing work,” said Eagles safety and Eagles Social Justice Leadership Council member Rodney McLeod. “They are bridging the gaps in our homes and schools, providing jobs for those in need, and tackling important issues within the criminal justice system. On behalf of the players’ council and the Eagles, I would like to congratulate the grant recipients and thank them for their commitment to the City of Philadelphia.”