Find our more about the Fund's second round grant recipients
PHILADELPHIA — The City of Philadelphia’s Philly Counts office and Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia announced the recipients of the second round of grants from the COVID-19 Prevention & Response Fund.
The Fund awarded its second round of grants totaling $668,885 to 84 individuals and nonprofit organizations working to increase COVID-19 education, vaccine access, health resources, and outreach activities in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties. Seventy-five percent of funds went to organizations led by a person of color, up 3 percent from the first round. Seventy-six percent of grantee organizations reported having staff composed of at least 50 percent BIPOC individuals. A complete list of second-round grant recipients can be found here.
“We perform weekly in the community with signs that say ‘Get Vaxxed’ and a scratch DJ. Our big project was a music video we just released with two performing rap artists. All staff are former students of the program. We used talent within our organization to write, produce and edit the video. We turn the grant funds into our own economy for artists and their families,” said Jesse Mell, Founder of Mad Beatz.
Beyond funding, grant recipients will be partnered with Philly Counts, which will provide information, training, and resource materials as well as logistical and operational support. There are bi-weekly calls to help support, connect and inform grantees about hosting Covid-19 vaccination clinics and the latest updates from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
Philly Counts has provided training and professional development for the 10-week Ambassador program sponsored by the Philanthropy Network. Ambassadors are partnered with grantees to help support innovative initiatives around Covid-19 relief and response. “I became a Philly Counts Ambassador because I saw the disparity in resources being targeted in my community," said Sonja Bingham, a Philanthropy Network Ambassador paired with Grantees.
To ensure the funding process was inclusive and accessible to smaller organizations and informal groups, a group of neighborhood-based Community Investment Advisors established the Fund's priorities, eligibility, criteria, and application, and helped shape a streamlined grant process to ensure equitable decisions on how dollars are allocated.
“This grant has empowered grassroots groups to have a deeper impact in their communities and given them faith that someone is finally giving them a voice. The only way to truly and positively change the narratives in communities of need is to include them in the conversation and offer support,” said Gilberto Gonzalez, Philanthropy Network Community Advisor.
The COVID-19 Prevention & Response Fund is a community-led effort to invest in neighborhood-based solutions to urgent needs related to COVID-19. Visit the COVID-19 Prevention and Response Fund website for updates on the next round of funding.
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About Philly Counts
Philly Counts is helping direct community engagement efforts for the COVID-19 vaccine. In partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and other public and private partners, Philly Counts will leverage its existing network of staff and volunteers to provide COVID-19 outreach, education, organizing, and canvassing efforts to ensure that every Philadelphia resident understands why they should consider being vaccinated.
About Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia
Philanthropy Network connects, convenes, and leads the region’s funders to amplify the power of philanthropy as a catalyst for collective action, effective giving and positive change in Greater Philadelphia, and to advance our region’s legacy as a hub for invention and innovation. Learn more at philanthropynetwork.org.
About the Covid-19 Prevention & Response Fund
The COVID-19 Prevention & Response Fund is a community-led effort to invest in neighborhood-based solutions related to COVID-19 and equity imbalances exacerbated by the pandemic. The Fund uses a participatory, trust-based philanthropy approach to lower barriers to entry for groups that are often excluded from traditional grant opportunities. The Fund is supported by more than a dozen regional funders, and ultimately seeks to increase rates of vaccinations in communities hardest hit by the pandemic. Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia provides oversight and management for the COVID-19 Prevention & Response Fund. Learn more at philanthropynetwork.org/covid-19-prevention-response-fund.