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Poverty Action Fund United Way

The Poverty Action Fund

UPDATE: Call for Collaborations Submission Deadline Extended to December 18, 2020

United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (UWGPSNJ), in partnership with the City of Philadelphia, announces the launch of The Poverty Action Fund’s first 2020-2021 grant cycle. The Poverty Action Fund is a joint effort between United Way, the City of Philadelphia and private philanthropy to reduce Philadelphia’s poverty rate and create opportunities for an equitable recovery from the economic collapse. Through this initiative, a private-public partnership fund has been developed to streamline evidence-focused grantmaking processes and support high-performing community organizations and partnerships.

Before application, it is important to familiarize yourself with our cause, the vision we have for this work and the strategies for each Community Challenge (found in the Call for Collaborations documents) to ensure your organization’s work aligns with our refined framework.

Over the past week, we have received thoughtful feedback about the time and effort involved in establishing comprehensive partnerships among lead partners, organizations with deep community reach, and experts in benefits access, tax preparation, and other core areas of service. In response, we are extending the deadline for submission to Friday, December 18th at 11:59pm ET. Questions? Contact us at ppaf@unitedforimpact.org.

Apply NOW

Please email all proposal submissions as a single PDF to: ppaf@unitedforimpact.org and use the following subject line: “SUBMISSION: Family Stability Community Challenge”

To qualify for funding, agencies must:

  • Be a nonprofit or educational institution with IRS code Section 501(c) (3) and
    509(a) (1), (2) or (3), or Section 170(c); or a public entity
  • Serve low-income communities and the mission must align with advancing
    individuals and families economically
  • Adhere to additional qualifications listed in the eligibility requirements

Evidence-Based Strategy

The Poverty Action Fund is administered at United Way, with a separate governing board, three content-specific advisory groups, and independent staff to provide guidance and direction throughout the grant process. United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey teamed up with the City of Philadelphia to introduce a new public-private partnership aimed at reducing poverty and promoting equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our collective strategy has been informed by partners such as Monitor Institute by Deloitte and Moody’s Analytics and designed to build a community-informed, evidence-based strategy to address Philadelphia’s high rates of poverty.

Key Components:

1. A citywide awareness-building strategy to ensure all residents of our region can engage in the fight against poverty and strive collaboratively for an equitable recovery.

2. A community investment process anchored by a series of Challenges, designed to invest deeply in place-based and population-based collaborations to maximize opportunity, income, and stability for families facing poverty.

3. A Knowledge Nerve Center to support data collection, evaluation, learning, and transparent reporting on outcomes and to ensure continuous improvement and adaptation.

 

Community Challenges

Through The Poverty Action Fund, United Way will release a series of Community Challenges, the first of which is centered on family stability. Through the Family Stability Community Challenge, we will identify high-performing nonprofit organizations and partnerships proposing collaborations that connect individuals and families to important economic security programs and public benefits that can help lift them out of poverty and help ensure an equitable economic recovery in Philadelphia.

Investment Framework Timeline

  • November 24, 2020: Call for Collaborations Released
  • November 30, 2020: Informational Webinar for Non-Profit Partners
  • December 18, 2020: Collaboration Proposals Due
  • January 2021: Services Begin
  • January 2021-January 2022: Grant Period

Informational Webinar

For those interested in learning about the application and funding process for the Family Stability Community Challenge, please refer to the Poverty Action Fund’s recorded webinar session below:

This webinar details all aspects of the Call for Collaborations, including the application process, the anticipated grant timeline, and other program and evaluation deliverables. The webinar recording also includes a question and answer session with attendees at the end of the presentation. 

Call for Collaborations

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