William Penn Foundation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
William Penn Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- William Penn Foundation
- Legal name
- William Penn Foundation
- Website
- https://williampennfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
William Penn Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Philanthropic Grantmaking
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
Keywords
Where William Penn Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
William Penn Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Foundation Investment Returns: The foundation generates revenue primarily through returns on its investment endowment. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the foundation reported total revenue of $288,142,185, with net assets of $3,335,596,436 at year end. The foundation makes grants from this endowment, with $117,674,851 in grants made on an accrual basis in 2024.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
William Penn Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The William Penn Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that makes grants to nonprofit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region across five programmatic areas: Arts and Culture, Children and Families, Democracy and Civic Initiatives, Environment and Public Space, and Workforce Training and Services. The foundation operates a Salesforce-based Grants Portal where prospective grantees can apply for funding, manage grant accounts, and submit required reports. It uses a Request for Proposal (RFP) approach to grantmaking.
Product overview
The William Penn Foundation is a philanthropic organization offering grantmaking programs rather than a traditional technology product company. Its primary digital offering is the Grants Portal, a Salesforce-based platform that enables nonprofit organizations to apply for funding, manage their grant accounts, submit required documentation, and access Foundation resources. The Foundation awards grants through five distinct programmatic areas: Arts and Culture, Children and Families, Democracy and Civic Initiatives, Environment and Public Space, and Workforce Training and Services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Grants Portal A Salesforce-based online portal that enables nonprofit organizations to apply for funding, manage their grant accounts, submit required documentation, and access Foundation resources. Targeted at nonprofit grantees in the Philadelphia region.
- Arts and Culture Grants Program A grantmaking program that funds nonprofit arts and culture organizations in the Philadelphia region, supporting access to diverse and inclusive arts and culture experiences, capital improvements, sector strengthening, and arts education. Managed by Program Director Barbara Wong with a $35 million annual grantmaking budget.
- Children and Families Grants Program A grantmaking program that funds organizations supporting early childhood development, education, and family stability in the Philadelphia region, focused on healthy development and academic success of children ages 0-8.
- Democracy and Civic Initiatives Grants Program A grantmaking program that funds organizations working on civic participation, elections, redistricting, and local government responsiveness, with a $15 million annual grantmaking budget managed by Program Director Jessica Richards.
- Environment and Public Space Grants Program A grantmaking program that funds organizations protecting natural areas, improving public spaces, and addressing environmental justice in the Philadelphia region, with a goal to reduce annual untreated sewage overflows by 5 billion gallons per year by 2035.
- Workforce Training and Services Grants Program A grantmaking program that funds organizations providing job training, employment services, and career development to help Philadelphia residents prepare for, secure, and retain family-sustaining employment.
Quantifiable outcome
- 128 grants totaling $57.2 million awarded in May 2026 across all programs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use William Penn Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
William Penn Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
William Penn Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Federal Governmentmajor$29 million in federal and private funds were announced for conservation projects within the Delaware River Watershed, including wetlands parks, water trails, shoreline restoration, and bird conservation across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York.
- The Wistar InstitutecoreThe Wistar Institute received a $600,000 grant from the William Penn Foundation to support its Biomedical Technician Training (BTT) Pre-apprenticeship Program in Philadelphia, enabling it to continue providing workforce training in the life sciences.
- ComcastmajorWilliam Penn Foundation partnered with Comcast to commit $8.35 million in funding for 19 nonprofits in Philadelphia to expand workforce training and employment opportunities. This initiative aims to benefit over 4,100 job seekers and aligns with a larger $20 million effort to improve economic mobility in the region.
- North10coreNorth10, a North Philadelphia nonprofit, is implementing a voucher program to help residents and contractors dispose of waste legally, funded by the William Penn Foundation as part of an initiative to combat illegal dumping at five hotspots.
- Philanthropy Network Greater PhiladelphiacoreThe foundation collaborates with Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia on the Regional Funder Collaboration objective. In 2023, Philadelphia area foundations collectively held $24.2 billion in assets with $2.1 billion in grantmaking.
- Renown HealthminorWhile William Penn Foundation is mentioned in relation to Renown Transplant Institute's kidney transplant milestone announcement on the anniversary of the world's first successful kidney transplant, this appears to be a coincidental date reference rather than a formal partnership.
- Philadelphia Office of SustainabilitycoreThe Office of Sustainability announced the 2026 Community Resilience and Environmental Justice (CREJ) Fund, which awards $30,000 grants to community organizations. This represents aligned environmental justice work in Philadelphia.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
William Penn Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Pew Charitable Trusts: Philadelphia-based private foundation with a similarly diversified program portfolio and comparable endowment scale. Both serve as anchor institutional funders in the Greater Philadelphia philanthropic ecosystem and operate across multiple non-geographically-restricted program areas.
- The Philadelphia Foundation: Community foundation serving the Greater Philadelphia region. Operates the same regional grantmaking model as WPF, pooling donor funds and re-granting to local nonprofits across multiple program areas.
- Annenberg Foundation: Large private foundation with significant arts, education, and civic programs. Comparable as a similarly scaled family-founded private foundation with multi-issue grantmaking across the Philadelphia/Los Angeles corridor.
- Barr Foundation: Private foundation making grants across climate, arts, and education. Comparable in programmatic structure (climate/environment, arts, education), endowment scale, and shift toward RFP-style grantmaking models.
- The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation: Large private foundation supporting education, environment, arts, and civic engagement — the same broad program mix as WPF. Useful benchmark for endowment-driven multi-issue grantmaking strategy and structure.
Regional players
- The Lenfest Institute for Journalism: Philadelphia-based private foundation supporting local journalism and civic news. Comparable as a regional grantmaking peer focused on information and civic engagement, and a current WPF grantee ($1.0M Every Voice, Every Vote grant).
- Heinz Endowments: Pittsburgh-based private foundation focused on children, families, environment, and arts in Western Pennsylvania. Operates a similar five-program structure for a different region and offers a useful structural comparison point.
Broad incumbents
- The Kresge Foundation: National private foundation with comparable program areas (arts & culture, environment, education, community development) and a similarly large endowment. Operates at national scale where WPF is regional.
- MacArthur Foundation: One of the largest U.S. private foundations, with comparable grantmaking across multiple program areas including civic engagement, education, and environment. Operates nationally rather than regionally.
Others
- Comcast Foundation: Corporate foundation of Comcast Corporation, currently co-funding WPF's $8.35M workforce initiative. Comparable as a Philadelphia-anchored grantmaking entity, though structured as a corporate-giving vehicle rather than an independent foundation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
William Penn Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceWilliam Penn Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
William Penn Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
William Penn Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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William Penn Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about William Penn Foundation
What does William Penn Foundation do?
The William Penn Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that makes grants to nonprofit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region across five programmatic areas: Arts and Culture, Children and Families, Democracy and Civic Initiatives, Environment and Public Space, and Workforce Training and Services. The foundation operates a Salesforce-based Grants Portal where prospective grantees can apply for funding, manage grant accounts, and submit required reports. It uses a Request for Proposal (RFP) approach to grantmaking.
Is William Penn Foundation a public or private company?
William Penn Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was William Penn Foundation founded?
William Penn Foundation was founded in 1945. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is William Penn Foundation based?
William Penn Foundation is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does William Penn Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation Investment Returns.
Who are William Penn Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Philadelphia Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, Barr Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Regional players are The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and Heinz Endowments. Broad incumbents are The Kresge Foundation and MacArthur Foundation. Comcast Foundation is listed as an others.
Does William Penn Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for William Penn Foundation.
What industry is William Penn Foundation in?
William Penn Foundation's product category is Philanthropic Grantmaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8600.