Neighborhood Funding Stream

Call for Proposals

In recognition of the immense challenges that non-profit organizations are facing this year, the Neighborhood Funding Stream (NFS) will award General Operating Support to eligible organizations that serve children, youth and families that reside in the American Street Empowerment Zone (ASEZ) neighborhood. The NFS will award up to $20,000 per eligible organization that serves ASEZ residents. Funding priorities include preparing children for school, helping children and youth achieve in school and life and families’ financial stability. Proposals are due May 20. For more information call (215) 564-9470.

The following documents are available for download:


What is the Neighborhood Funding Stream (NFS)?

In 1994, the federal government created the Empowerment Zone Initiative (EZ) to revitalize deeply distressed urban neighborhoods. This initiative designated a total of $79 million to the City of Philadelphia and targeted three neighborhoods - American Street, North Central and West Philadelphia - for intensive social, economic, physical, commercial and social revitalization activities. To ensure that community stakeholders had a voice in the rebuilding of their communities, the city created Community Trust Boards (CTB) comprised of residents, local business owners, and community organizations to provide advice about strategic direction.

In 2004, the City of Philadelphia and the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania (UWSEPA) launched a signature program, the Neighborhood Funding Stream (NFS), designed to carry on the goals of the EZ initiative. Financed with repaid EZ loan funds, this unique endowment program makes grants available to community organizations that address selected funding priorities. The NFS is the only endowment seeded with EZ funds authorized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The NFS carries on the legacy of the EZ program with a mission to support sustainable community and economic development change, by providing direct funding and building the capacity of the participating communities to advise on decisions about resource use. Since its inception, the NFS has awarded $1.75 million to more than 65 non-profit organizations to impact community issues such as public safety, workforce development, school readiness and success, and neighborhood blight.

Today, NeighborhoodsNow, the City of Philadelphia, UWSEPA and the CTBs collaborate to determine priority needs in the three neighborhoods and define and fund strategies to address those needs. Funding is typically awarded to projects in which a modest grant can make a noticeable difference by achieving tangible and quantifiable positive outcomes for families or the community. NeighborhoodsNow staff monitors the grants and provides technical assistance to grantees to ensure that the original intent of the NFS investment is met. Through this process, NeighborhoodsNow helps agencies rework ideas and find new partners for collaboration.

Current Projects

In 2008, the Neighborhood Funding Stream assessed the current needs in each NFS community and awarded a total of $428,450 in grants to 27 non-profit organizations for projects designed to address the priority needs.

The following highlights three of this year's NFS-funded projects:

North Central Empowerment Zone

The Community Trust Board in North Central observed that half of the teens in their neighborhood were not graduating from high school. In addition, it was found that violence was increasing. In response, the CTB recommended the NFS fund projects designed to help:

  • Children and youth succeed in school and graduate from high school through participation in high-quality out-of-school-time programs that improve school performance, prevent youth violence, and connect qualified, culturally competent and caring adult mentors to at-risk youth.
  • In-school and out-of-school youth acquire necessary skills and education to begin a career.
  • Children and families live in safe homes and peaceful communities; and
  • Residents are served by a vibrant, effective, and collaborative non-profit sector.

An example of NFS programming that benefits NCEZ children and youth is Greater Philadelphia Federation of Settlements' signature urban agri-business program for teens, Teens4Good, which started three years ago on a vacant lot at 8th and Poplar Streets. The program, which develops participants' leadership, entrepreneurship, resiliency and horticultural skills has expanded to seven sites throughout the city and involves a number of neighborhood-based organizations including 11th Street Health Center, Cunningham Community Center, and Friends Neighborhood Guild.


West Philadelphia Empowerment Zone

The West Philadelphia (WPEZ) Community Trust Board assessed the needs of their community and found that 14% of residents ages 16 and 19 were not in school and had not graduated, and more than 55% of adults were without a high school diploma. Moreover, unemployment was increasing in this neighborhood. This data suggested that many WPEZ residents may lack critical work readiness skills and may find it difficult to secure employment.

In response, the WPEZ CTB made a strategic investment to enable residents to benefit from the hundreds of jobs that would be available as a result of the ParkWest Retail Center opening and the Please Touch Museum relocation within the newly formed Centennial District. After a competitive process, the NFS entered into a fee-for-service contract with Metropolitan Career Center to provide WPEZ residents with:

  • Job-readiness training including adult basic education, computer training, resume writing, and interviewing skills;
  • Life-skills training including appropriate workplace behaviors and appearance, language and communication skills, conflict resolution skills, time-management skills, budgeting and banking skills; and
  • Employment search and placement assistance

American Street Empowerment Zone

The Community Trust Board of the American Street Empowerment Zone believes that one of the first priorities in revitalizing distressed communities is to create and support economic opportunities within the community. To this end, the NFS has made ongoing investments to support one of the area's strongest assets-its connection of merchants and entrepreneurial business owners united along the EZ's industrial and retail commercial corridors.

This year, the Neighborhood Funding Stream agreed to match local businesses' voluntary contributions to support a Shared Security Program and a Clean Corridors program. These programs became active in the EZ business community when several local businesses realized that they agreed on one fundamental fact: a clean and safe neighborhood is good for business.

The combined funds pay for a private security firm, in close collaboration with the police district, to patrol the areas where the businesses (and some participating non-profits) are located. In addition, the funds allow the businesses to have the "men in blue" from Ready Willing and Able remove about 370 bags of trash per week from the area's five commercial corridors.

Local business owners say that these services give them confidence in investing in their own businesses and encourage more customers to shop in their stores