The William Penn Foundation (WPF), in partnership with Comcast, Connelly Foundation, Future Standard, M&T Bank, and the Philadelphia Foundation, today announced $8.35 million in funding to 19 nonprofit organizations helping individuals across the Philadelphia region access workforce training and obtain quality jobs. The philanthropic support from a coalition of six funders will directly benefit more than 4,100 jobseekers and engage 116 employers to ensure that training programs meet local labor market needs and advance inclusive hiring practices for all.

“As the Foundation seeks to expand access to opportunities in our region, one way we do that is by helping to remove the obstacles that prevent Philadelphians from getting the skills they need to land and keep better paying jobs and achieve greater economic mobility for themselves and their families,” said Shawn McCaney, Executive Director of the William Penn Foundation. “With this set of 19 grants, training programs and employers can offer a range of supports that help participants complete training and connect to employment.”

The awards announced today are part of a previously announced $20 million public-private investment that will improve employment and economic mobility in the Greater Philadelphia region. In April, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced a $10 million commitment from the City of Philadelphia to support the City College for Municipal Employment. The William Penn Foundation, with lead support from Comcast, established a coalition of local funders to match the city’s investment. Today’s awards deploy this funding to local organizations whose work will help tackle Philadelphia’s low economic mobility rates through data-driven approaches that remove barriers to employment and expand opportunities. Additional funds are supporting the Good Jobs Challenge led by Philadelphia Works.

The collaborative approach demonstrated by this combination of investments was informed by research from Harvard Professor Raj Chetty and Opportunity Insights, which shows that when civic, business, and community leaders work together, a generation’s economic mobility improves.

“This is more than an investment in workforce training, it’s an investment in people,” said Dalila Wilson-Scott, EVP and Chief Impact & Inclusion Officer, Comcast Corporation and President, Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. “Together with partners like the William Penn Foundation, we are creating a future where every Philadelphian – regardless of zip code – can access the support, training, and opportunity they need to succeed in family-sustaining careers, including high-growth fields like technology and digital solutions.”

The grants announced today support a range of strategies that combine paid, hands-on career training with wraparound support services such as childcare assistance, transportation supports, flexible financial stipends, and case management.

Based on recent research and a regional market analysis from Pew and Brookings Institute, the coalition has prioritized funding for programs in three regional sectors with growth opportunity for quality jobs: enterprise digital solutions, materials machining and fabrication, and biomedical and life sciences.

The 19 organizations that will receive funding and provide access to workforce training services are:

• Big Picture Alliance will provide a variety of wraparound services, including transportation, training stipends, and credential costs for participants in their Media Futures pre-apprenticeship program, which trains youth in multimedia production.
• Chester County Opportunities Industrialization Center will provide supportive services, including case management, childcare assistance and transportation for participants in their workforce reintegration and adult education programs.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will provide stipends, transportation assistance, professional clothing, and emergency funds for trainees in their phlebotomy training and Family & Visitor Services training programs.
• Drexel University will provide transportation and trainee stipends for their Community Health Worker training program led by the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice.
• Fair Chance Institute Inc will facilitate learning cohorts for Philadelphia employers to understand how their practices create barriers to employment for people who have criminal convictions.
• JEVS Human Services will provide employment coaching, tuition assistance, transportation support, and licensing fees for participants in their healthcare training program housed at Orleans Technical College.
• Opportunities Industrialization Center Inc. (OIC) will provide integrated supportive services through a Workforce Hub model for participants in their training programs.
• Per Scholas Inc. will provide learning support resources for their cybersecurity and software engineering programs, including case management, coaching, and financial assistance through a zero-percent loan program.
• Phase 3 Training Corporation will provide supportive services connected to their apprenticeship readiness training for energy-focused construction careers.
• Philabundance will provide training stipends and mental health supports for trainees in their Philabundance Community Kitchen (PCK) workforce development program.
• Sustainable Business Education Initiative Inc. will enable Triple Bottom Brewing to provide training stipends, transportation assistance, and uniforms for apprentices in the Future of Service Apprenticeship program.
• Temple University – Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s Biomedical Uplift for Innovation in Local Development program (BUILD Philly) will provide participant stipends as well as wellness and job readiness coaching to training participants.
• University City District will provide wage support, housing assistance, and post-placement services for alumni employed at Penn Medicine.
• Variety the Children's Charity of the Delaware Valley will provide stipends for Small Group Employment participants as well as support through a Transition Specialist, who works to place participants in employment after they complete training.
• Walt McGill Foundation Inc. will enable Construction Apprentice Preparatory Program (CAPP) to provide transportation and case management to program participants to increase their training completion and success with transitions into building trades apprenticeships.
• Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians will provide contextualized English instruction, digital skills training, American workplace soft skills development, industry-specific education, and individualized career navigation and coaching for three of their signature workforce development programs.
• Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology will provide training program participants with stipends, tuition support, and transportation assistance.
• Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout will provide training stipends, transportation support, and flexible funding to address basic needs for training program participants.
• YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School will provide support to students via internship stipends, housing support, and a job developer position focused on assisting students with transitions into full-time employment.

About William Penn Foundation

The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

About Connelly Foundation

Inspired by its Catholic heritage, Connelly Foundation’s mission since its founding in 1955 is to improve the quality of life in the Philadelphia region by supporting charitable organizations in the areas of education, human services, arts and culture, and civic renewal that strengthen resilience and help people to flourish. The work of the Foundation is principally driven by its founders’ John and Josephine Connelly’s personal charitable principles, with an emphasis on strengthening Catholic education, and providing help and opportunity to those in need. Learn more at: https://www.connellyfdn.org/

About Future Standard

Future Standard is a global alternative asset manager serving institutional and private wealth clients, investing across private equity, credit and real estate. With a 30+ year track record of value creation and $86 billion in assets under management, we back the business owners and financial sponsors that drive growth and innovation across the middle market, transforming untapped potential into durable value.¹

About Philadelphia Foundation

Philadelphia Foundation is one of the country’s first publicly supported community foundations and the largest devoted to improving lives in Greater Philadelphia. For over a century, community members, civic and business sector leaders, and nonprofit organizations have turned to us for partnership and collaboration in responding to community needs and creating opportunities for impact. In our work as a civic catalyst, trusted partner, and strategic problem-solver, we seek to strengthen the economic, social, and civic vitality of the region. Our philosophy is that providing civic and community leadership is necessary for effective philanthropic leadership. For more information, visit www.philafound.org.

About M&T Charitable Foundation

The vision of The M&T Charitable Foundation is to partner with communities to eliminate barriers and respond to the needs of all people, awarding nearly $40 million annually to nonprofits focused on advancing the quality of life in the areas the bank serves.

¹ Total AUM estimated as of June 30, 2025

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