The William Penn Foundation seeks to support nonpartisan efforts that increase the number of eligible Pennsylvanians who vote and decrease the racial gap in voter turnout.
Donor Name: William Penn Foundation
State: Pennsylvania
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/31/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The most competitive proposals will focus on people who are underrepresented in the electorate as defined by race, age, income, educational attainment, family income or other factors that have been shown to predict lower rates of voter participation.
The Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey Voting and Registration Supplement, conducted after every national election, provides data on the characteristics of voters. This analysis helps to describe whose participation in the election was lower than their percentage of the voting age population. Data collected following the November 2022 election showed that the following groups were underrepresented in the electorate, as compared to their share of the citizen voting age population:
- Young people, aged 18-29
- People of color, especially Hispanic and Latino/a people
- Naturalized citizens
- People who have not attended college (inclusive of those with and without high school diplomas)
- People with annual family incomes below $50,000.
Funding Information
WPF has allocated $2.5 million to advance this objective at this time. At least half of the total amount awarded under this RFP will be reserved for grants to organizations that have budgets under $2 million per year and/or are led by individuals who are members of groups with a history of discrimination or exclusion.
Grant Period
20 months.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)3 public charities or operate under a public charity fiduciary. Public charities include community-based organizations, schools and educational institutions, and other types of public-serving groups. Government entities are also eligible to apply.
- In addition, applicant organizations must have an established history of working with the communities they propose to reach with WPF funds. Projects may occur in any part of Pennsylvania.
For more information, visit WPF.
