About Lenfest Foundation
The Lenfest Foundation is a Philadelphia‑focused funder that concentrates on youth education, career pathways and civic/cultural institutions that strengthen the city’s talent pipeline. It favors middle‑school and high‑school interventions (academic enrichment, STEM and out‑of‑school time programs), workforce/tech training, and local media and arts organizations that engage young people and communities. Grants are often programmatic or operating support targeted to Philadelphia partners and institutions of higher education that anchor neighborhood revitalization and talent development.
Focus Areas
Middle‑school academic enrichment and college‑preparation programs in Philadelphia (e.g., Steppingstone Scholars, middle‑school partnerships)Workforce and tech training for Philadelphia residents (e.g., Per Scholas, PowerCorpsPHL)Out‑of‑school time youth sports and mentoring programs (e.g., Philadelphia Youth Basketball, Summer Search)Local public media and arts organizations with youth engagement (e.g., WHYY Media Lab, Mural Arts, Kimmel Center)University and district partnerships that connect talent to neighborhood revitalization (e.g., Temple University, University City District)
Who They Fund
About Lenfest Foundation
The Lenfest Foundation Inc. made one of its largest recent commitments through a $2,825,000 2024 grant to Vanguard Charitable Fund for Lenfest Foundation board members. Beyond that board-directed grant, its recent awards show a clear pattern of backing Philadelphia institutions that connect young people to school, work, and cultural life. The foundation gave $1,300,000 to Steppingstone Scholars Inc for the Middle School Grades Academy, $1,200,000 to Temple University for program support, and $1,200,000 to Philadelphia Youth Basketball for the Middle School Partnership Program. Other substantial grants supported Education Works for PowerCorpsPHL, WHYY for the WHYY Media Lab Program, and The Mayor’s Fund for Philadelphia for PHL Connected. That mix points to a funder that uses large grants to support education pathways, workforce training, and city-serving institutions. Its portfolio includes school-based academic enrichment, career preparation, college readiness, and youth-facing arts and media programs. Many awards are tied to specific initiatives rather than broad thematic descriptions, which makes the grant purpose text a useful guide to how the foundation allocates capital. The result is a local grantmaker with a concentrated Philadelphia footprint and a strong interest in programs that serve middle-school students, older youth, and organizations that shape the city’s talent pipeline.
What Lenfest Foundation Funds
In middle-school education, the foundation backed Steppingstone Scholars Inc with $1,300,000 for the Middle School Grades Academy and Philadelphia Youth Basketball with $1,200,000 for the Middle School Partnership Program. It also supported Congresso De Latinos Unidos Inc with $250,000 for Middle School Career Pathways, showing attention to academic and transition-age programming for younger students. Career pathways and workforce development also appear prominently. Education Works received $1,000,000 to support PowerCorpsPHL, while Per Scholas received $450,000 for Per Scholas Philadelphia. LaunchCode Foundation was granted $150,000 for the Phila. Tech Career Accelerator, and Resilient Coders received $150,000 for the Philadelphia Boot Camp. Arts and media grants fit the same youth-development lens. WHYY received $600,000 for the WHYY Media Lab Program, Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates received $250,000 for operating support, and Kimmel Center received $200,000 for Creative Stages.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.1M
Total Assets
$0
Total Revenue
$663
Total Expenses
$21K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $40K and $200K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$40K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$200K
Geographic Reach
Local7 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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