Impact100 Philadelphia announced the eight organizations selected as Finalists to receive a total of $420,000 in funding in 2021.
Core Mission Grants
Each of the following organizations will receive a grant of either $50,000 or $100,000, as determined by the vote of Impact100 members.
Arts & Culture Focus Area Finalist:
Theatre Horizon
Theatre Horizon’s mission is to use the transformative power of storytelling to foster empathy and to create an inclusive home for artists, audiences, and students. They provide theater productions and cultural and educational programs, and seek to serve as a vital public space in the Norristown community. During the pandemic they have provided a variety of quarantine-friendly programming and transformed their lobby into an online learning center 24/7 for students in grades K-7.
Education Focus Area Finalist:
C.B. Community Schools
C.B. Community Schools is a small, healing-centered high school located in Roxborough that is licensed by the PA Department of Education to provide both regular and special education services. It provides a safe, supportive environment with an 8:1 student-teacher ratio to engage, educate, and ensure that vulnerable students, who are currently involved in or were formerly involved in the child welfare or juvenile justice system, learn, heal, and grow into caring, confident, competent citizens of the world.
Environment Focus Area Finalist:
Centro de Cultura, Arte, Trabajo, y Educación (CCATE)
CCATE serves the Latinx community of Norristown and Montgomery County, a community hit particularly hard in the past year as the pandemic exacerbated existing food and job insecurity. CCATE recently purchased and moved into a new space, and is creating an edible garden and food distribution center. They are also looking to turn the new outdoor space into a point for community engagement by continuing to innovate and offer classes; by building a greenhouse for year-round engagement; and by building an outdoor plaza that will serve as a lasting food distribution center as well as a social hub.
Family Focus Area Finalist:
ACHIEVEability
ACHIEVEability works to permanently break the generational cycle of poverty for low income, single parent, and homeless families in Philadelphia through higher education, affordable housing, supportive services, community and economic development, and accountability. They help families become self-reliant — and seek to maximize each family's growth — by providing a full range of academic, employment, housing and family support services, while having high expectations in return.
Health & Wellness Focus Area Finalist:
African Family Health Organization (AFAHO)
AFAHO serves members of the African and Caribbean immigrant and refugee communities in Greater Philadelphia who experience difficulties accessing services due to cultural, geographic, linguistic and other barriers. AFAHO's programs focus on sexual and reproductive health and chronic disease management (outreach, education, assistance with screenings, scheduling, and accompaniment to medical appointments) as well as ESL, adult literacy, financial and computer literacy, domestic violence programming, and food and housing assistance.
Community Awards
Each of the following organizations will receive an award of either $5,000 or $10,000, as determined by the vote of Impact100 members.
Chester Community Coalition
Chester Community Coalition seeks to heal the psychological and emotional impact of homicides and reduce trauma-related reactive violence in the City of Chester, PA. Its vision is to provide compassionate counseling services and related activities to children and adults within Chester City who have been negatively impacted by violence to promote healing, peace and safety within their families, surrounding community, and the entire surrounding area. Chester Community Coalition expects to achieve its vision by adhering to three core values: compassion, accountability and respect.
Sisters Returning Home
Sisters Returning Home was founded in 2009 with a desire to improve the options for women coming home to Philadelphia after serving time behind bars. They support women in reentry, from the time of release, to establish and achieve goals related to employment, housing, education, financial literacy, and reconnecting with family. They offer services and supports ranging from Welcome Home gift bags and holiday food baskets, to mentoring, training, and family reunification — all seeking to reduce the stress of transition and support women coming home to their community.
YEAH Philly
YEAH Philly — Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout —works with teens and young adults ages 15 to 21 in West and Southwest Philadelphia. Through safe and authentic hangout spaces and culturally relevant engagement, YEAH implements teen-led interventions to address root causes of violence. YEAH's services and engagement, as planned and driven by the community's young people, continue to expand; recent activities include free swim classes at the West Philly YMCA and Community Giveaways where free groceries, pet food and gun locks are available to neighbors.
Impact100's 2021 grantees will be announced on June 4th, and celebrated at their Annual Meeting on June 7th.