The William Penn Foundation is currently accepting proposals for its Reducing Environmental Burdens in Philadelphia Request for Proposals (RFP), with a submission deadline of April 25, 2025. This funding opportunity supports one- to three-year projects designed to address longstanding environmental burdens in the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Camden, New Jersey; and Chester, Pennsylvania. The Foundation is focused on improving environmental justice outcomes in historically marginalized communities, which have suffered from environmental degradation due to discriminatory policies and systemic disinvestment.

This RFP responds to insights gathered during strategic planning and community engagement in mid-2024, where residents emphasized the importance of addressing multiple environmental stressors in their neighborhoods. Unlike other concurrent RFPs by the Foundation that target illegal dumping and sewage overflow specifically, this opportunity seeks projects that focus on other forms of environmental burdens. These may include, but are not limited to, impacts from superfund sites, hazardous waste facilities, landfills, industrial pollution, and power plants.

Applicants must identify the specific geographic area the project will serve, clearly define the environmental burden(s) they seek to mitigate, and describe the harmful impacts involved. Proposals must also present a plan for measuring the reduction of these burdens, including a defined baseline and a projected amount of improvement. Projects that incorporate partnerships and leverage diverse organizational strengths are strongly encouraged, although each organization will be evaluated on its individual merit.

A wide range of project types and strategies will be considered, such as organizing, advocacy, litigation, communications, and citizen science. However, capital projects and the development of new technologies are explicitly excluded from this funding opportunity. The total funding available for this RFP is $4 million, with no set minimum or maximum for individual grant requests. Funding requests should align with the expected impact of the proposed project.

All applications must be submitted through the William Penn Foundation’s Grants Portal. An optional informational webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. A recording of the webinar will be made available on the Foundation’s website for those who are unable to attend the live session. For more detailed application information, including review criteria and budget expectations, applicants are encouraged to download the full RFP packet.

For questions or additional guidance, applicants can contact the Foundation’s grants office at (215) 988-1830 or via email at grants@williampennfoundation.org. The Foundation’s main office is located at Two Logan Square, Suite 1100, 100 North 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.