Make The World Better Foundation
Make The World Better Foundation is a Philadelphia nonprofit founded in 2013 that revitalizes public parks and recreation centers in underserved neighborhoods through community-led design, partnerships with city agencies and the Philadelphia Eagles, and philanthropic fundraising from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Make The World Better Foundation does
Make The World Better Foundation (MTWB) is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)-style nonprofit founded in 2013 by former NFL player Connor Barwin and his mother Margaret Bailey. The organization revitalizes public recreational spaces in underserved Philadelphia neighborhoods through community-led design and construction. MTWB has completed four named projects: Ralph Brooks Park (Point Breeze), Waterloo Playground (Kensington), Smith Playground (West Passyunk), and the 18,700-square-foot Vare Recreation Center (Grays Ferry), backed by a $21M investment through Philadelphia's Rebuild Initiative. Each project combines physical infrastructure (basketball courts, playgrounds, gyms, spraygrounds, media labs, community kitchens, and stormwater features) with participatory design workshops, Youth Project Teams partnered with ACE Mentor Program, and ongoing community programming.
MTWB has no technology product or platform; its underlying capability is project management, community engagement, and partnership orchestration. Strategic partners include Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the Rebuild Initiative, Philadelphia Eagles, LISC Philadelphia, Mural Arts Philadelphia, ACE Mentor Program, and Tiny WPA, among others. The organization also merged with Urban Roots (founded by Jeffrey Tubbs, now Co-Founder) and operates the Underdogs documentary sub-brand.
The revenue model is purely philanthropic: individual donations (one-time and monthly recurring, $5 to $1,000+ suggested), planned giving and IRA qualified charitable distributions, corporate matching gifts and fundraisers, and foundation/institutional grants. Donation channels include the mtwb.org website, PayPal, credit card, bank account, Venmo (@MTWBFDN), and mail. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with benefit concerts at Dell Music Center, athletic tournaments (e.g., Healthbridge Sixers Charity Basketball Game), and grassroots engagement as primary donor acquisition and awareness channels. Headcount is 1-10 employees and revenue is not publicly disclosed.
Make The World Better Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Make The World Better Foundation
- Legal name
- Make The World Better Foundation
- Website
- https://mtwb.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Make The World Better Foundation is a Philadelphia nonprofit founded in 2013 that revitalizes public parks and recreation centers in underserved neighborhoods through community-led design, partnerships with city agencies and the Philadelphia Eagles, and philanthropic fundraising from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Make The World Better Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Development and Public Space Revitalization
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)
Keywords
Where Make The World Better Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Make The World Better Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: MTWB accepts one-time and recurring monthly donations from individuals through its website donation platform, Venmo, phone, and mail. Donation amounts range from $5 to $1,000 or custom amounts. Monthly giving program offers consistent long-term funding impact.
- Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Bequests and planned giving options allow donors to include MTWB in their estate plans. Contact Jesse Rendell for planned giving arrangements.
- Foundation and Institutional Grants: MTWB receives funding from foundations and institutional partners including Philadelphia's Rebuild Initiative. Vare Recreation Center received $21M investment through this program.
- Corporate Matching and Fundraisers: Company matching gift programs and corporate-sponsored fundraising events. The organization also supports creating custom fundraisers by companies, organizations, or groups.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-time donation options ranging from $5 to $1,000 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly recurring donation program |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Planned Giving and Bequests |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Make The World Better Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Make The World Better Foundation is a nonprofit organization that revitalizes public spaces, primarily parks and playgrounds, in Philadelphia neighborhoods through capital renovation projects. It funds and delivers park improvements (such as Vare, Waterloo, Smith, and Ralph Brooks parks) and runs accompanying community engagement programs including a Youth Project Team, an Events Program, and the Vare Studio Yearbook.
Product overview
Make The World Better Foundation is a single-offering nonprofit organization focused on public space revitalization. The foundation's core work consists of park and recreation center revitalization projects in Philadelphia, including four named projects: Vare Recreation Center, Waterloo Playground, Smith Playground, and Ralph Brooks Park. Supporting programs include the Vare Studio Yearbook archival project, Community Engagement Programs, Youth Project Team, and Events Program. The organization does not offer a technology product or platform but rather delivers physical community infrastructure improvements combined with participatory community-building services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Underdogs: A coming-of-age documentary story about a resilient Philadelphia gymnastics team and their journey back to their community recreation center, produced in partnership with Make The World Better Foundation.
Products and services
- Park Revitalization Projects Physical renovation of public parks and playgrounds in Philadelphia neighborhoods, including Vare, Waterloo, Smith, and Ralph Brooks parks, for the benefit of local residents and community members.
- Community Engagement Programs Sustained programming at revitalized parks to activate public spaces and engage local residents, including the Youth Project Team, Events Program, and Vare Studio Yearbook.
- Youth Project Team Youth-focused program that engages local young people in foundation projects and community programming at revitalized parks.
- Events Program Program of community events hosted at revitalized parks to drive ongoing engagement and activate public spaces.
- Vare Studio Yearbook Studio yearbook produced as part of foundation programming at the Vare community space, documenting community and youth activity.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4 neighborhood parks revitalized in Philadelphia neighborhoods
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Make The World Better Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Make The World Better Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Make The World Better Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Philadelphia EaglescoreProfessional sports franchise partnership with former player Connor Barwin's team. The Eagles organization supports MTWB events, fundraising, and community engagement initiatives. Features prominent Eagles players including Jason Kelce at events.
- LISC PhiladelphiacoreLocal Initiatives Support Corporation Philadelphia, a community development financial institution supporting equitable development. Partners with MTWB on neighborhood revitalization projects.
- Mural Arts PhiladelphiacorePartners on mural installations at revitalized parks including murals by Stephen 'ESPO' Powers at Ralph Brooks Park and basketball court surface murals with artist Carlos Rosa at Waterloo Playground.
- Philadelphia Parks & RecreationcoreCity agency partnership for site selection, project approval, construction coordination, and ongoing maintenance of revitalized public spaces. Key partner in Rebuild Initiative projects.
- Dell Music CentersupportingVenue partner for MTWB benefit concerts and community events. Hosts large-scale fundraising events featuring musical performances.
- ACE Mentor ProgramcoreGreater Philadelphia ACE Mentor Program partnership for Youth Project Team programming. Engages youth in hands-on activities, industry connections, career exposure, and scholarship opportunities.
- HealthbridgesupportingHealthbridge Multi-specialty Group supports MTWB community events including Healthbridge Sixers teams and athletic programming.
- R5 ProductionssupportingMusic promotion and event production company that partners with MTWB on benefit concerts and entertainment events.
- Project BackboardsupportingPartner on Waterloo Playground basketball court surface mural project with Mural Arts and artist Carlos Rosa. First of its kind in Philadelphia.
- TILTsupportingPartner on Vare Studio Yearbook research and archiving project to collect, preserve, and share photographic and oral histories from Vare Recreation Center.
- Monument LabsupportingPartner on Vare Studio Yearbook research and archiving project alongside TILT to document the recreation center's history.
- Tiny WPAsupportingPartner on hands-on building days where residents learn basic carpentry skills. Built furniture for Waterloo Playground including picnic tables and play cabinets.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Make The World Better Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Knight Foundation: National foundation investing in cities and community information ecosystems, including urban public spaces — overlapping funder role at much larger scale.
Direct peers
- Project for Public Spaces: Nonprofit advising communities on activating public spaces through placemaking — comparable participatory design and community engagement methodology.
- United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey: Regional nonprofit hub funding and convening community programs in the Philadelphia metro — comparable as a multi-program community-impact fundraising and grantmaking organization.
- KaBOOM!: National nonprofit focused specifically on building playgrounds and community spaces through corporate and community partnerships — closely comparable product/activity focus to MTWB's playground revitalization work.
- Mural Arts Philadelphia: Philadelphia-based public art nonprofit partnering with communities on mural installations — already an MTWB partner and a directly comparable community-engaged creative placemaking organization.
- The Philadelphia Foundation: Regional community foundation serving the Philadelphia area, distributing philanthropic capital to local nonprofits — directly comparable as a geographically focused grantmaking and civic-support organization.
- Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on creating and protecting parks and public spaces, often through community-led partnerships with cities — directly comparable to MTWB's park revitalization mission but at national scale.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Community development financial institution investing in equitable neighborhood revitalization, including parks and recreation; LISC Philadelphia is already an MTWB partner, making it the closest operational peer.
- The Reinvestment Fund: Philadelphia-based CDFI financing neighborhood revitalization, including parks and community facilities — comparable mission, capital deployment model, and geography.
Emerging players
- Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia: Philadelphia youth-serving nonprofit operating recreation facilities — overlapping youth programming and recreation-center footprint, though with different funding model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Make The World Better Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceMake The World Better Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Make The World Better Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Make The World Better Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Make The World Better Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Make The World Better Foundation
What does Make The World Better Foundation do?
Make The World Better Foundation is a nonprofit organization that revitalizes public spaces, primarily parks and playgrounds, in Philadelphia neighborhoods through capital renovation projects. It funds and delivers park improvements (such as Vare, Waterloo, Smith, and Ralph Brooks parks) and runs accompanying community engagement programs including a Youth Project Team, an Events Program, and the Vare Studio Yearbook.
Is Make The World Better Foundation a public or private company?
Make The World Better Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Make The World Better Foundation founded?
Make The World Better Foundation was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Make The World Better Foundation based?
Make The World Better Foundation is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Make The World Better Foundation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are planned Giving and Estate Gifts, foundation and Institutional Grants and corporate Matching and Fundraisers.
Who are Make The World Better Foundation's main competitors?
Knight Foundation is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Project for Public Spaces, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, KaBOOM!, Mural Arts Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Foundation, Trust for Public Land, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and The Reinvestment Fund. Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia is listed as an emerging player.
Does Make The World Better Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Make The World Better Foundation.
What industry is Make The World Better Foundation in?
Make The World Better Foundation's product category is Community Development and Public Space Revitalization. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGALAO, Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8300.