Community Partnerships Grants

Who is eligible to apply?

University of Pennsylvania faculty (standing and non-standing), staff, departments, programs, and centers are eligible to apply for Sachs Program Community Partnerships Grants in collaboration with community arts and civic organizers or non-profit organizations. For-profit businesses cannot be considered a primary community partner.

What do the grants support?

Community Partnerships Grants support collaborations between Penn faculty, staff, programs, departments, centers, and community arts and civic organizers or non-profit organizations—to cultivate meaningful partnerships between Penn and neighboring communities. Projects should be community-centered, and applicants should clearly explain what communities they plan to engage, how their project will accomplish this, and its intended impact.
Examples of previously supported projects can be reviewed on our website.

How much can I apply for?

Community Partnerships Grant applicants may request up to $15,000, a significant portion of which should go directly to the community partner(s) or the communities being served.

How and when do I receive the grant funds?

Awarded grant funds must be transferred from The Sachs Program to a Penn department, program, or center, before they can be disbursed to a community partner. Please refer to our general information page about grants disbursement for complete guidelines about receiving grant funds. Understanding these guidelines is important as we cannot provide support outside of university-approved options for receiving and managing grant funds.
The earliest date funds may be available in the 2025 grants cycle is May 2025, though in most cases, they will be available in June or July. This timeline depends on several factors, including the responsiveness of grantees and their designated Fiscal Conduit (when applicable).
Any questions? Please email Sachs Program Associate Director Chloe Reison at reison@upenn.edu.

Apply

Community Partnerships Grants are now closed for the 2025 grants cycle.

We are not accepting applications for Sachs Program Community Partnerships Grants at this time. The deadline to submit a completed Community Partnerships Grant application in the 2025 grants cycle was January 10, 2025. Up to date information about Community Partnerships Grants will be shared in advance of the 2026 grants cycle.

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Evaluation Process

Community Partnerships Grant applications are evaluated by a group of committee members, which may include former grantees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members. All deliberations will be guided by Sachs Program grantmaking priorities and criteria.

Award decisions for the 2025 grants cycle will be made in March 2025.