Art-Reach Receives Nearly $4 Million from the William Penn Foundation and the Harvey and Virginia Kimmel Family Fund to Implement Accessibility Plans at Philadelphia Cultural Organizations

Project 76: Implementing Change builds on Art-Reach’s work to make Philadelphia the most accessible city in the country for people with disabilities to engage with the arts.

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PHILADELPHIA, November 11, 2026 — Art-Reach and the William Penn Foundation today announced a $3,489,210 grant from the Foundation to support the second phase of Project 76, which will help Philadelphia-area arts and culture organizations put strategic accessibility plans into action. As Art-Reach celebrates its 40th Anniversary, the grant marks the next chapter of the organization’s efforts to make Philadelphia’s cultural sector one of the most accessible in the country. Bolstering this effort is a concurrent gift of $500,000 from the Harvey and Virginia Kimmel Family Fund to support new accessible pilot programs for Project 76 over the next five years.

The funding from the William Penn Foundation will support implementation for 30 organizations that completed strategic accessibility plans with Art-Reach during the initial phase of Project 76. Art-Reach is in conversation with additional funders to support implementation for all participating organizations with accessibility plans.

During the first phase of Project 76, launched in December 2023 in anticipation of the Semiquincentennial, Art-Reach’s Accessibility Consulting Team worked with over 130 cultural organizations across the region with 48 organizations completing full strategic accessibility plans. The plans identified short-and long-term improvements to address Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility goals and disability-inclusive practices across four core areas: mobility, vision, hearing, and neurodivergence.

Kicking off with this grant, Project 76 shifts from planning to practice. Over the next three years, Art-Reach will work alongside organizations to implement the recommendations in their plans. Implementation activities will vary by the needs of the organizations and could include improving physical access, equipment, and wayfinding; acquiring or expanding assistive listening, captioning, or audio-description; developing accessible communication platforms and artistic programming; and training staff and board in inclusive, accessible institutional practices.

True to Art-Reach’s approach, Project 76 will continue to center people with disabilities throughout the implementation process. Organizations will participate in community learning initiatives led by facilitators with lived experience and share examples from their own work with the larger Philadelphia cultural sector.

“We are on the verge of dramatically improving accessibility in Philadelphia’s creative sector for years to come through an initiative that was led by the disability community, embraced by the cultural sector and supported tremendously by our funders,” said John Orr, Executive Director of Art-Reach. “I am incredibly grateful to the William Penn Foundation and Virginia and Harvey Kimmel for believing in this work and for sharing our vision to create the most accessible arts sector in the country.”

The grant reflects the William Penn Foundation’s commitment to ensuring people across Greater Philadelphia can access diverse, inclusive, high-quality arts and culture experiences regardless of income or ability. Earlier this year, the Foundation awarded $7.6 million to six of Philadelphia’s most-visited institutions in the Harvey and Virginia Kimmel Family Fund ACCESS Program at Art-Reach. Additional support was provided to Art-Reach to sustain the ACCESS program, which offers low-cost admission to residents with low incomes and people with disabilities. Continued support for Project 76 extends that commitment by helping organizations across the sector embed access as a part of how they operate every day.

“Every Philadelphian deserves to enter the doors of our museums, theaters, and cultural spaces and feel that they belong there,” said Barbara Wong, Program Director, Arts and Culture, at the William Penn Foundation. “Art-Reach has shown what is possible when people with disabilities lead the way in defining what access looks like. In this next project phase, participating organizations will move from understanding what needs to change to actually making those changes, leading to lasting transformation across our sector.”

The Harvey and Virginia Kimmel Family Fund has been a longtime supporter of Art-Reach stretching back to the very beginning. “When we first supported Art-Reach it was an investment in the vision of their founder Joyce Burd; an idea aimed at making the arts more inclusive and accessible. Her programs evolved over time and led to the city’s first Access Guide for the Arts,” shared Virginia and Harvey Kimmel. “We have supported many programs over the years and we are thrilled to support this next evolution of their work in partnership with the William Penn Foundation.” Over the last decade, Virginia and Harvey  have made leadership gifts to support Art-Reach’s ENCORE, STAMP and ACCESS programs.

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About Art-Reach
Believing that art is a human right, Art-Reach creates, advocates for, and expands accessible opportunities in the arts so the full spectrum of society is served. They are a team of disabled and non-disabled advocates, educators, artists, and allies working to make the arts an inclusive space for the disability community, led by the disability community. They believe everyone should have the chance to engage with the arts. Their work seeks to understand the intersectional relationship between disability, race, and poverty and they strive to learn from the lived experiences of people to create lasting change. 

About the William Penn Foundation 
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.

About the Harvey and Virginia Kimmel Family Fund
The mission of The Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Family Fund is to empower children and teens from low-income families through educational and arts programs, fostering their creativity and intellectual growth. For over 35 years, we have supported nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing these opportunities, including Dancing Classrooms Philadelphia, Art-Reach, Barrington Stage Company, and Milagro Center. In addition, we are committed to enhancing the lives of unhoused individuals by providing essential resources and support. Our foundation aims to collaborate with nonprofits that expand access to critical education and arts initiatives, as well as offer assistance to homeless families, thereby enriching our communities and creating lasting impact.