Thirty Years of Civic Investment
Since 1994, the Abele Family Foundation has worked alongside communities, schools, non-profit organizations, and civic institutions to build a more engaged, equitable, and resilient greater Philadelphia region. Our impact is measured not only in dollars invested and programs funded, but in the civic leaders developed, neighborhoods transformed, and democratic institutions strengthened through sustained, community-driven partnership.
Impact by Program Area
Civic Education
Our civic education grants have supported 52 programs in 38 schools and community settings across five counties. Programs range from K-12 civic literacy curricula and mock government exercises to adult voter education campaigns and multilingual civic engagement workshops. In partnership with the School District of Philadelphia, our largest civic education initiative integrated non-partisan civics modules into eighth and eleventh grade social studies curricula at 14 schools, reaching over 2,200 students annually. Post-program surveys consistently show a 40 percent increase in civic knowledge scores and a 28 percent increase in intention to vote among participants of eligible age.
Youth Leadership
The Youth Civic Leaders Fellowship has supported over 280 young Philadelphians since 2012 across twelve annual cohorts. Fellows have completed structured civic internships at City Council offices, neighborhood advisory committees, community development corporations, and non-profit organizations. Alumni have gone on to pursue careers in public service, education, law, community organizing, urban planning, and social work. Over 90 percent of Fellowship alumni report that the program significantly influenced their career trajectory and ongoing civic engagement. An additional 1,800 youth have been served through our After-School Excellence Grants, which fund structured enrichment programs combining STEM, literacy, civic engagement, and career exploration for young people ages 8 to 18 in high-need school catchment areas.
Neighborhood Revitalization
The Neighborhood Catalyst Grant has funded 28 major community-driven revitalization projects since 2006, investing $3.2 million and leveraging an additional $11.4 million in matching public and private funding. Projects have included commercial corridor facade improvement programs (78 storefronts upgraded), community garden installations (14 sites on formerly vacant land), community land trust formation (protecting 47 affordable housing units), streetscape and pedestrian safety improvements (9 blocks of enhanced lighting and ADA-accessible crosswalks), and adaptive reuse of vacant properties for community programming. Independent evaluation of Catalyst Grant neighborhoods shows a 15 percent reduction in vacancy rates and a 22 percent increase in commercial occupancy within three years of project completion.
Arts & Culture
Our Arts and Culture Enrichment Micro-Grants have funded over 85 creative projects reaching more than 18,000 participants since 2005. Funded projects include public mural installations (32 murals across 12 neighborhoods), community performance series (seasonal outdoor concerts, theater, and dance events), cultural festivals celebrating neighborhood heritage, youth arts workshops in painting, sculpture, music production, and creative writing, and oral history documentation projects preserving the stories of long-time residents in rapidly changing neighborhoods. The micro-grant program is intentionally accessible, allowing grassroots arts organizations and individual artists to access Foundation support with minimal administrative overhead.
Capacity Building
The Capacity Building Partnership has served 48 emerging non-profit organizations across eight annual cohorts since 2016. Participating organizations have collectively increased their annual budgets by an average of 67 percent within two years of completing the program. The Partnership provides twelve months of intensive organizational development support including strategic planning, board governance, financial management, fundraising, and communications, complemented by monthly peer learning convenings and connections to pro-bono professional service providers. Ninety-two percent of Partnership graduates report sustained improvement in at least three organizational capacity indicators, and 100 percent of graduates remain active organizations five years post-program.
Community Investment Explorer
Browse our recent grant investments by program area and fiscal year. Filter to see the specific projects, dollar amounts, and communities served across our portfolio of civic investments.