The purpose of Pew Fund growth grants is to significantly expand organizations’ capacity to provide high-quality, research-informed services that produce equitable outcomes for individuals facing complex challenges rooted in poverty. Grantees are selected based on a track record of strong program outcomes, solid leadership and management, financial health, operational viability, a commitment to use of data for evaluation and learning, and an ambitious vision to have a positive impact on an important community need.

This funding is designed to address a range of needs crucial to organizational growth and enhancing effectiveness, such as leadership development, the recruitment and hiring of professional staff, information technology, evaluation, and program improvement and expansion. Pew offers support to grantees to work with a third-party consultant to develop a comprehensive business plan that provides a roadmap for achieving the organization’s vision for growth. Growth grantees also have the opportunity to participate in the Pew Fund’s evaluation capacity building initiative.

Growth grants are five-year awards that range from $750,000 to $4 million. The award’s size is contingent on several factors, including the organization’s capacity, its readiness for growth, and the scope or scale it aims to achieve. Once your organization is invited to submit an application, Pew staff will discuss the size of the requested grant with you.

Guidelines

To be eligible to receive a growth grant, an organization should demonstrate the following:

• It has identified an important community need and has a vision for expanding its impact in the five-county Philadelphia region with Pew’s support.
• The organization’s programs have consistently achieved positive results and are based on sound logic, supported by internal data and external research.
• The organization can identify capacity needs that Pew funding and technical assistance can help fill.
• The organization’s structure, processes, systems, and relationships have the potential to support growth.
• The organization actively embraces a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and works to eliminate cultural and racial barriers to service.
• Program objectives are clearly articulated and can be measured. The organization currently monitors its performance and has a commitment to enhancing systems to evaluate and improve its outcomes.
• The organization has solid financial footing.