Samuel S. Fels Fund

Name

Samuel S. Fels Fund

Legal name

Samuel S. Fels Fund

Website

https://samfels.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Private foundation grants
• Nonprofit philanthropy services
• General operating grants
• Movement building funding
• Community foundation giving

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Grants and program disbursements, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Endowment Investment Returns: The foundation utilizes 5-8% of its financial assets for grants annually, with the remaining 92-95% invested. The endowment was established from the remaining fortune of Samuel and Jennie May Fels, who left their home to the University of Pennsylvania and their remaining fortune to the Samuel S. Fels Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Samuel S. Fels Fund is a private independent foundation that provides multi-year general operating grants to movement building organizations based in Philadelphia. Grants are awarded at $25,000–$30,000 per year for three years (totaling $75,000–$90,000), with additional $10,000 per year Leadership Development and Wellness grants available to grantees. The Fund is sustained by an endowment and operated by a small staff under board governance.

Product overview

Samuel S. Fels Fund is a private independent foundation offering a unified grantmaking program focused on movement building in Philadelphia. The core offering consists of three-year general operating grants supplemented by automatic Leadership Development and Wellness grants. Grantee partners also receive access to Beyond the Grant programming. The foundation utilizes an online proposal system for grant application and management. The funding cycle is currently closed with the next cycle opening in 2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Operating Grants

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.415 million invested in 21 organizations for 2024-2027 Movement Building Cohort
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Rockwood Leadership InstitutesupportingOthersProvides weeklong intensive leadership development retreats with rest, reflection, and community building for Philadelphia movement leaders in the Cohort
• Securing the RootssupportingOthersSupports organizations with budgets under $1M to increase fundraising capacity through a learning cohort model
• Windcall InstitutesupportingOthersProvides sabbaticals and related supports for Philadelphia movement leaders and staff in the Cohort to prevent burnout and sustain leadership
• Community Care Fund through Leeway FoundationsupportingOthersSupports individual artists in the Philadelphia region
• Pooled Wellness Fund PHLsupportingOthersSupports free wellness events for nonprofit leaders and staff in the Greater Philadelphia Region
• Trans Resilience Fund through Gender Justice FundsupportingOthersSupports participatory grantmaking for the transgender community and transgender-led/serving organizations

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: A global foundation with strong focus on social justice, democratic governance, and movement building. Comparable mission focus on equity and power building, though operating globally with substantially larger assets.
• Pew Charitable Trusts: One of the largest Philadelphia-based foundations with global programs across research, policy, and public engagement. Comparable as Philadelphia private foundation but operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic scope.
• Ford Foundation: A major national foundation with significant social justice and equity programming. Comparable mission alignment on movement building and racial equity, though operating at vastly larger scale and global geographic scope.
• Heinz Endowments: A Pittsburgh-based private foundation focused on social justice, arts, and education. Comparable mission focus on equity, community building, and movement-aligned grantmaking approach, though operating at larger scale.
• William Penn Foundation: A major Philadelphia-area private foundation with significantly larger assets focused on education, environment, and culture. Comparable as a Philadelphia private foundation but operates at much larger scale with broader program scope.

Direct peers

• Barra Foundation: A Philadelphia-based private foundation supporting arts, education, and human services. Comparable as a Philadelphia private foundation with similar grantmaking approach and regional focus.
• The Philadelphia Foundation: A Philadelphia-based community foundation serving the region with grantmaking and donor services. Highly comparable to Fels as a Philadelphia-focused grantmaker with similar geographic scope and community foundation functions.
• Connelly Foundation: A Philadelphia-based private foundation supporting education, health, and human services. Comparable in size, geographic focus (Philadelphia), and private foundation structure to Fels Fund.

Others

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: A major national health-focused foundation with extensive equity programming. Comparable through Fels' new President Uma Viswanathan's prior role there and shared interest in equity-focused grantmaking.
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation: A major national foundation focused on racial equity, child welfare, and community development. Comparable through Fels' new President Uma Viswanathan's prior role there and overlapping mission on community-rooted change.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/samuel-s-fels-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Samuel S. Fels Fund