Community Greening Plans

Background

Green spaces are assets in urban neighborhoods, providing a multitude of benefits such as reduced air and noise pollution, improved physical and mental health, and reductions in violent crime.  While the body of evidence demonstrating the social, economic, and environmental value of green space in cities is substantial, there is also considerable evidence that all urban communities do not have equitable access to the benefits of nature, and that this inequity is driven by the history and legacy of discrimination.  

Initiatives intended to expand and improve green space in neighborhoods that lack these important assets can address this inequity, especially when communities are meaningfully involved in planning and implementation. When investments in green space are made without meaningful community involvement, they can lead to a reduced sense of belonging among long-time residents and an increase in property values, which often results in gentrification and displacement of existing residents and businesses.  Community-driven planning processes, which value the expertise of community members and center their needs and interests, can help to deliver green space to neighborhoods while avoiding these potential negative outcomes.

Opportunity Overview

The Foundation would like to support efforts that will establish community-driven plans focused on improving and expanding green space in Philadelphia, Chester, and Camden. We invite proposals for work that will result in completed and implementable community greening plans by the end of the grant term.

This RFP seeks to support planning processes that will explore greening strategies across a defined geographic area. Projects that intend to develop a plan for one specific space are not eligible for funding through this RFP.

As this objective supports community-driven planning, we recognize that neighborhoods may have different priorities for their green space and that there are many tactics or approaches that could be used to advance the objective stated above. Improving and expanding green space should be the primary focus of plans funded through this RFP. While we do not require applicants to adhere to a specific planning framework, we expect planning processes to include assessment of existing assets and current conditions, establishing goals and/or priorities, defining pathways for achieving those goals, and identifying resources that will support the plan’s successful implementation.

We also recognize the opportunity for investment in green space to drive positive economic outcomes for communities. Therefore, we welcome proposals that will explore greening strategies that have the potential to generate equitable economic benefits and prevent or mitigate negative economic impacts associated with residential, business, or cultural displacement.

Applicants may use requested grant funds to start and complete a plan, or they may use requested grant funds to complete a planning process that has already been initiated. Applicants may request support for all aspects of the planning process, which may include but are not limited to outreach and education, communications, research, partnership-building, technical assistance, and community and stakeholder engagement. We will not fund implementation of plans through this RFP; that opportunity will be provided in a future RFP.

Proposals must be exclusively focused on planning to be eligible for funding through this RFP. However, we welcome proposals that include activities and/or pilot projects that are explicitly intended to spur and sustain community buy-in and involvement, and/or test ideas that would inform the plan.  Examples of pilot projects that may inform the planning process could include, but are not limited to:

• Small-scale greening projects, such as installation of temporary planters along a business corridor or a pollinator garden in a neighborhood green space
• Giveaways of plants and/or gardening materials to neighborhood residents
• Activation of neighborhood green spaces
• Paid or volunteer cleanup activities

Proposals may allocate up to 5% of the total requested direct project costs to these activities/projects.

We are requesting proposals for one- to two-year projects. After reviewing proposals, WPF will conduct site visits and gather additional information from a limited number of organizations.

Organizations that propose projects in partnership with other applicants will be considered on their individual merits. However, the Foundation recognizes that making significant progress on the objective is difficult and encourages organizations to include partnerships that leverage complementary strengths, resources, and expertise to reach proposed goals.

In describing the proposed work, all submitted proposals should, as applicable:

• Define the geographic footprint of the plan and the expected impact, e.g. number of residents served
• Describe the project deliverable that will be completed by the end of the grant term, and
• Articulate how the proposed work will contribute to the production of an implementable plan.

All proposals that meet the criteria described on pages 8-10 are encouraged.

WPF has $2 million available to advance this objective through this RFP. The grant amount requested should be commensurate with the project's contribution to the overall objective. While there is no maximum grant request, requests under $300,000 will be most competitive.

Full Request for Proposals (RFP) and Application 

Download the full RFP packet for more information about this opportunity including eligibility, review criteria, learning and insights, budget, and link to an application template.

All applications must be submitted through the Grants Portal.

Webinar

An optional informational webinar was held on December 16, 2025: