PHILADELPHIA — The City of Philadelphia’s Philly Counts office and Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia announced the recipients of the third round of grants from the COVID-19 Prevention & Response Fund, a community-led effort to invest in neighborhood-based solutions to urgent needs related to COVID-19.
In late October, the Fund awarded its third round of grants totaling $170,500 to 52 nonprofit organizations and individuals working to increase COVID-19 education, vaccine access, health resources, and outreach activities in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties. Eighty-two percent of funds went to organizations led by a person of color. In addition, $84,000 dollars were distributed to organizations with at least 90 percent BIPOC staff. A complete list of third-round grant recipients can be found here.
“This grant from Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, combined with support from other funders, enables the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia to hire an additional therapist for our Counseling Center, who will treat clients from our waitlist affected by the syndemic effects on their mental health caused by the pandemic due to social isolation, COVID-related loss, the gun violence epidemic, and trauma,” said Natasha Danielá de Lima McGlynn, Executive Director of the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia.
Throughout the funding process, grant recipients have been partnered with Philly Counts to help 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 also recruited and trained two cohorts of Ambassadors to work in priority areas throughout Philadelphia to engage with their neighbors to promote vaccine uptake and improve overall health outcomes. “I applied to serve as a Philly Counts Ambassador with the goal to continuously serve the communities that I have fostered strong and long-lasting relationships around wellness, healthy eating, and productive lifestyles,” said Ericka Stewart, a Philanthropy Network/Philly Counts Ambassador paired with Grantees.
Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia and Philly Counts designed this fund to be 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.
Through three rounds of grants, the COVID-19 Prevention & Response Fund has distributed $1,204,535 in general operating support grants to 133 nonprofits, small businesses, and individuals. “The need related to COVID-19 vaccine access, education, and outreach continues. While the COVID-19 Prevention & Response Fund has finalized our third and final round of grants for 2021, we hope to provide much-needed support in 2022. To do so we will need the additional commitment of donors in our community to provide funding to the COVID-19 Prevention & Response Fund,” said Shira Hodges, Interim President of Philanthropy Network.
Visit the COVID-19 Prevention and Response Fund and COVID-19 Prevention & Response Fund 2021 Grant Recipients webpages to learn more.
Members of the public can sign up here for Philly Counts' updates and get more information about volunteer opportunities.
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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
Launched in April 2021, 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 https://philanthropynetwork.org/covid-19-prevention-response-fund