Pottstown Community Voices Grant Fund
In 2022, the Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation surveyed the Borough of Pottstown to gather information about the health and well-being of residents who live in neighborhoods with long-term disinvestment. To respond to the results of the survey, the Foundation solicited the help of residents to design a participatory grantmaking fund. Participatory Grantmaking shifts decision making authority to the very individuals that foundations aim to serve so residents can invest in solutions that will impact their own neighborhoods and neighbors.
The outcome of a two-month long planning process with Pottstown residents is the Pottstown Community Voices Grant Fund (PCVGF), which will offer grants up to $15,000 that address community needs identified by the residents, and highlighted in the community survey. PAHWF has committed $100,000 to this grant fund. Decisions on how the funds are distributed will be determined by the PCVGF Advisory Council, a group of residents that live in the neighborhoods that this fund will serve.
Areas of Focus
The PCVGF aims to support the health and well-being of the community by investing in programs/projects that affect residents in the following areas:
- Access to Parks/Recreation/Green Spaces
- Positive Mental Health Solutions
- Neighborhood Safety and Security
- Housing
- Eliminating Barriers to Employment
Qualifications
To qualify, applicants must be a non-profit organization with a tax-exempt status, address at least one of the focus areas, and directly impact residents that live in Pottstown neighborhoods of historic disinvestment. Quality applicants should be able to demonstrate that:
They are committed to a thriving, healthy, successful future for Pottstown.
They are committed to collaborations and partnerships within the community.
They are representative of the communities they serve .
They are informed by the community and invested in community participation.
Timeline
Prior to submitting an application, review the Request for Applications for further details on focus areas, eligibility, application questions, and review criteria.
- Applications will be accepted from February 1, 2024, to March 1, 2024. All applications must be submitted via the Foundation's online application portal by Friday, March 1, 11:59 p.m. EST. Please access the application portal early to avoid any last-minute issues.
- The PCVGF Advisory Council will review applications from March through May 2024.
- Grant awards will be announced in June 2024.
- The grant period begins July 1, 2024
Applications will be reviewed and selected by the PCVGP Advisory Council. PAHWF staff are available to answer questions and will assist applicants with the application process. For questions, please contact Craig Colistra, Program Officer, at ccolistra@pottstownfoundation.org.
If you have technical questions related to creating an account in AkoyaGo or accessing your account, please contact Jill Kauffman, Grants Manager, at jkauffman@pottstownfoundation.org.
Submit A Grant Application
