What We Fund - Creative Communities | William Penn Foundation

Creative Communities

To foster a vibrant and creative Philadelphia, we support a variety of its arts and cultural organizations, educational experiences that increase student access to the arts, and development of high-quality public spaces as platforms for community and cultural expression.

Core Support for Arts and Culture

Arts Education

Great Public Spaces

New Audiences/New Places

Core Support for Arts and Culture

Core Support for Arts and Culture

To support the region’s arts and cultural sector, we provide flexible working capital through unrestricted, core organizational support, so that arts groups have the confidence and resources to pursue their missions and produce work and related experiences that strengthen our communities through creative expression.

Arts Education

Arts Education

Providing students with the opportunity to develop pro-social behaviors and non-cognitive skills enables them to develop abilities as learners and members of a community, positioning them for future success.

To increase students’ exposure to art as part of their education, we fund arts organizations that demonstrate the capacity to work with economically disadvantaged children, aim to significantly increase the number of Philadelphia’s students with access to arts education experiences, and provide direct delivery of high-quality programs, and/or planning efforts to expand such programs.

As part of this effort, we identify best practices and contribute to the broader learning around high-quality arts education. The Foundation is currently embarking on an evaluation to learn more about the socio-emotional benefits for students participating in arts education programs that partner with Philadelphia schools.

Great Public Spaces

Great Public Spaces

New Audiences/New Places

New Audiences/New Places

As the behaviors and demographics of city audiences continue to change, we support organizations that deliver art in new ways and new places. Our grantmaking in this area provides “risk capital” to allow organizations to experiment with ideas that address the changing cultural landscape and connect with these new audiences in accessible places.

Benjamin Franklin Parkway

The Foundation has invested significantly in efforts to enhance the pedestrian environment along the Parkway, to transform this cultural corridor into a destination and high-quality public space. This includes funding improvements to the Parkway itself, Logan Square, Sister Cities Park and Eakins Oval as well as supporting the many cultural institutions along the Parkway.

Photo by B. Krist for Visit Philadelphia™

How We Fund

The Foundation funds organizations and projects that ensure cultural opportunities and desirable public spaces are widely accessible to residents and visitors. Prospective grantees are welcome to submit proposals to more than one strategy. Learn more about the Creative Communities grant making process, eligibility requirements and grant making timeline.

Creative Communities Staff

Judilee Reed

Program Director

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Philip Asbury

Program Associate

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Cara Ferrentino

Program Officer

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Hillary Murray

Senior Program Officer

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Caralyn Spector

Program Officer

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What We're Learning

The Benefits and Costs of Urban Public Spaces
A renewed inquiry into urban public spaces, synthesizing research to guide decision making and shape future investments in urban public spaces
Civic Infrastructure
Most deeply, Civic Infrastructure calls for a change in mindset among practitioners, advocates, funders, designers, and others involved in civic asset redevelopment. Redevelopment, as the term suggests, takes advantage of already-existing places with deep histories...

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