Responsive, Accountable Local Government in Philadelphia
Responsive, Accountable Local Government in Philadelphia supports government and nonprofit-led projects that strengthen residents’ voices and make local government more responsive and accountable.
Funder: William Penn Foundation
Due Dates: October 22, 2026, 5:00 PM ET (Proposals) | 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: $2.5 million available; maximum request $500,000, with requests of $300,000 or less most competitive; up to 24 months
Summary: Supports government-led, nonprofit-led, and collaborative projects making Philadelphia’s local government more responsive to residents and accountable to constituent priorities.
Key Information: Projects must occur in Philadelphia and focus entirely on its city government, elected offices, and/or School District; voter registration is ineligible.
Description
The William Penn Foundation’s Democracy and Civic Initiatives program supports efforts to help Philadelphians have their voices heard by local government and build confidence that government listens when making decisions. This opportunity covers City of Philadelphia departments, agencies, boards and commissions, municipal elected officials, and the School District of Philadelphia.
Projects may be led from inside government, by nonprofit organizations outside government, or through partnerships between the two. Supported approaches include community engagement by government staff, advocacy for policy reforms, journalism that holds government accountable, and technical assistance to government. Other tactics advancing the same objective are welcome. The Foundation tracks progress through periodic surveys of residents’ confidence in local government’s responsiveness and accountability.
