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
Research shows that when grandfamilies receive the supports they need, children raised by grandparents or other relatives thrive. Compared to children in foster care with non-relatives, children living with relatives have more stability, better behavioral and mental health outcomes, and are more likely to stay connected to siblings, family connections, and cultural identity.
However, grandfamilies and kinship families often face complex challenges including insufficient financial resources to address the basic needs for their new family, isolation, lack of tools to enable them to manage the demands of caregiving, and difficulty navigating services and opportunities provided by non-profit organizations and government.
The William Penn Foundation’s Caregiver Supports objective supports all caregivers of young children in Philadelphia with a focus on traditionally marginalized communities. The RFP released in December 2024 was reflective of that commitment and solicited requests for caregiver supports more broadly, as will future RFPs released for this objective. In order to be responsive to the evolving needs of caregivers in our city, on occasion, WPF may release an RFP focusing on a specific subpopulation of caregivers. This RFP focused on grandfamilies is one such example. Given the high rates of grandfamilies in Philadelphia and the specific needs of this population, WPF is releasing an RFP focused on this population of caregivers.
Opportunity Overview
The Foundation seeks to support programming and strategies that improve outcomes for young children in grandfamilies or kinship families through expansion or improvement of services and access to resources. Funding will be limited to projects that will positively impact families with young children, ages 0-8.
Proposals can include the following activities. The most competitive proposals will include at least two of the following activities.
- Increase the number of grandfamilies being effectively served in needed programs and services.
- Develop adults’ ability to support their children’s development (e.g., adult-only workshops, trainings, seminars).
- Offer ongoing, interactive, intergenerational programming and services that include an early learning component (social-emotional, STEM, math, literacy, etc.) for children ages 0 to 8.
- Strategies that enhance outreach and support to targeted families.
- Peer-to-peer supports for adults in grandfamilies (e.g., support groups, mentoring).
- Provide resources, supports, and referrals for caregivers and families as needed.
- Efforts focused on advocacy, system changes, or ecosystem development.
- Other ideas not mentioned here that improve services, access to resources, and outcomes for children in grandfamilies and kindship families.
Please note, under this RFP, the Foundation will not consider proposals to support the following (though these may be services your organization offers with other funding):
- Physical health services such as well child and adult exams or treatment
- Early intervention services
- Full-time childcare
Program/services proposed for funding can take place in-person or in a combination of in-person and virtual settings. The majority of activities proposed for funding must take place in-person. Programs/services that take place solely in a virtual setting will not be eligible for funding.
As noted previously, this opportunity is focused on families in which grandparents or other adult family members raise children whose parents are not in the home. These families can be either associated with or not associated with the child welfare system. Proposals should focus solely on this population and projects should be intentionally designed to meet the distinct needs of grandfamilies/kinship families.
We are requesting proposals for up to two years of funding. 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.
The Foundation recognizes that there are many different tactics or approaches that could be used to advance the objective stated above while focusing on grandfamilies. All proposals that meet the review criteria described below are encouraged.
WPF has $4 million available to advance this objective through this RFP. There is no minimum or maximum amount of funding that organizations may request. However, grant requests under $400,000 will be most competitive. (This does not include the overhead amount that will be added to project budgets, based on a formula described on the “How to Apply” section of our website).
At least $500K 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
An informational webinar on March 26, 2025: