PHILADELPHIA—The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today that it has awarded $3.25 million to two Philadelphia nonprofits: Heights Philadelphia—which supports Philadelphia students by helping them graduate high school and successfully transition to college and careers—and Sharing Excess, which addresses food insecurity in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Details on the grants are as follows:
- Heights Philadelphia was awarded a Pew Fund for Health and Human Services (Pew Fund) growth grant totaling $3 million over five years to expand its capacity to provide low-income students—with an emphasis on Black, Latino, and first-generation students—with programming and support for college and career success. With Pew’s support, Heights Philadelphia will grow to serve 5,000 students; launch an evaluation of the program model; identify new or expanded revenue streams and partnerships; and implement its diversity, equity, and inclusion plan throughout the organization. Heights Philadelphia was formed in 2022 after the merger of Steppingstone Scholars and Philadelphia Futures, two successful college access programs that helped young Philadelphians enter and succeed in college, earn postsecondary credentials, and develop pathways to life-sustaining careers.
- Sharing Excess was awarded a Pew Fund venture grant of $250,000 over two years to address food insecurity in the Greater Philadelphia region through its model for recovering and redistributing perishable food. With Pew’s support, Sharing Excess will increase its rescued food from 13 million pounds annually to more than 20 million pounds annually through expanded partnerships, while also enhancing its mobile platform’s capabilities and accessibility. Sharing Excess began in 2018 on Drexel University’s campus as a student-led effort using a technology-driven model to streamline the perishable food donation process. Today, it partners with more than 185 food businesses, such as grocery stores, restaurants, wholesalers, and farmers, to deliver food to 300 nonprofits, food banks, and community organizations working to alleviate hunger.
Pew Fund growth grants aim to significantly expand Philadelphia-area organizations’ capacity to provide high-quality, research-informed services for individuals facing complex challenges rooted in poverty. Venture grants are designed to help organizations implement an innovative or promising approach to address an unmet or emerging need in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Pew Fund program director Kristin Romens said, “Pew is thrilled to support these two important organizations as they address critical issues to improve Philadelphians’ lives.
“Heights Philadelphia helps students succeed in high school, college, and their careers. By increasing its reach and continuously improving its effectiveness, the organization will ensure that thousands of young people have access to opportunities, while positively impacting Philadelphia in the future. Additionally, our venture grant to Sharing Excess supports a scalable approach to rescuing and redistributing food that would otherwise go to waste—and reduces food insecurity in the region.”
For more information on Pew’s support for Philadelphia-area health and human services organizations and the people and communities they serve, visit the Pew Fund website.