Increasing Urban Trees in Philadelphia
Increasing Urban Trees in Philadelphia supports community organizations and public-serving groups in planting, caring for, and expanding trees to advance equitable tree coverage in priority areas.
Funder: William Penn Foundation
Due Dates: October 22, 2026, 5:00 PM ET (Proposal) | November 11–16, 2026 (Review notifications) | November 16–December 14, 2026 (Site visits) | February 5, 2027 (Board review) | February 8, 2027 (Implementation may begin)
Funding Amounts: $25,000–$900,000 requests most competitive; up to three years; up to $3.2 million allocated
Summary: Supports tree planting, care, and related strategies to expand equitable tree coverage in Philadelphia’s Philly Tree Plan priority areas.
Key Information: Projects must benefit at least one Philly Tree Plan priority area and advance or complement a specific plan sub-goal.
Description
The William Penn Foundation’s Environment and Public Space program supports projects contributing to its objective of adding at least 35,000 trees across seven Philly Tree Plan priority areas by 2035. The opportunity addresses inequitable tree coverage and the loss of Philadelphia’s urban forest, emphasizing the benefits trees provide for heat protection, air quality, physical and mental health, and climate resilience.
Supported approaches include planting and establishment care along streets, in parks, and in private yards; workforce development and volunteer engagement; and communications or resident engagement that build trust and demand for trees. Projects may remove planting barriers through hazardous tree removal, stump grinding, sidewalk repairs, or site screening, with follow-through to generate tree requests or planting interest. Policy and funding advocacy is also eligible when clearly connected to increased tree numbers in priority areas.
