Responsive, Accountable Local Government in Philadelphia
If an application has already been started in response to this RFP, please visit the Proposals in Progress section in the Grants Portal to view and/or continue the application process.
Background
Through the Democracy and Civic Initiatives program, the William Penn Foundation seeks to build trust and participation, particularly among underrepresented communities, in Pennsylvania’s democratic processes. Trust and confidence grow when people inside and outside of government work together to set policy and advance a shared agenda.
Philadelphians see the impact of local government on their lives every day. Local government determines whether trash gets picked up from the curb each week, how the schools are run, the cost of someone’s property taxes each year, and which local businesses are approved to open on a block. Despite the significant influence of local government on people’s lives, the importance of local government is overlooked when it comes time to participate in local elections, as we often see voter turnout below 35% in Philadelphia when it comes time to vote for Mayor, and it can be even less for other offices like City Controller or District Attorney.
Studies show that voters don’t turn out to vote when they feel like the government doesn’t take their opinions into account when making decisions. Through this opportunity, we hope to help Philadelphians have their voices be better heard by local government.
In this RFP, WPF is focusing on helping people inside and outside of Philadelphia government build a local government that is more responsive to the needs of Philadelphians. WPF plans to track this objective through a periodic survey to understand change over time.
Opportunity Overview
The Foundation seeks to support efforts that help Philadelphia’s local government be responsive to residents’ needs and accountable to constituent priorities.
For this RFP, “local government” entails the following:
- City of Philadelphia government departments, agencies, boards and commissions
- All elected officials in the City of Philadelphia
- The School District of Philadelphia
The Foundation recognizes that there are many different tactics or approaches that could be used to advance the objective stated above. Some examples of proposals could include:
- Neighborhood civic groups sharing actionable information with neighbors.
- City government departments engaging with community to make government more responsive to resident needs.
- Collective advocacy for policy reforms.
Standalone civic education efforts will not be funded. Any proposals that include civic education must include direct support for participants to use newly developed skills in support of local advocacy organizations or similar ongoing efforts during and after the grant period concludes.
These are examples of possible project types, but all proposals that meet the review criteria described below are encouraged.
The Foundation seeks to support efforts that help Philadelphia’s local government be responsive to residents’ needs and accountable to constituent priorities 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.
WPF has $2.5 million available to advance this objective through this RFP. While there is no maximum allowable grant request amount, proposals below $350,000 will be most competitive.
At least $1 million of the total amount awarded under this RFP will be reserved for grants to organizations that have budgets under $1 million per year and/or are led by individuals who are members of groups with a history of discrimination or exclusion.
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
Interested organizations are invited to participate in an optional informational webinar on Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at 11:00AM ET.
Following the live webinar, a recording will be posted to this page.