Philadelphia Yearly Meeting makes over 400 grants every year to individuals, Quaker Meetings, and non-profit organizations. Grants are made from income from restricted bequests and trusts given to our Yearly Meeting by generous donors since 1795.
Granting Groups
Granting Groups are the basic building block of PYM’s grant making. Each Granting Group is made up of volunteer members of PYM’s constituent Monthly Meetings, appointed by PYM’s Granting Committee; Membership changes over time. These Friends distribute grants on behalf of all of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s members.
Aging Assistance Granting Group
Grants to elderly PYM members in financial need.
Quaker Education Granting Group
Grants tuition aid and scholarships for PYM members at Friends Schools and at colleges, technical schools and universities.
Greenleaf Granting Group
Grants to PYM members and those ‘in sympathy with Friends’ who are age 62 and above, and in need of assistance.
Fund For Sufferings Granting Group
Grants to help alleviate the financial hardships of Friends and others resulting from witness to Friends Testimonies, including legal defense or bail bond.
Quaker Fund for Indigenous Communities
Grants to Native American initiatives that strengthen communities and preserve cultural heritage.
Membership Development Granting Group
Grants to PYM Monthly and Quarterly Meetings for projects that enhance outreach, attract new attenders, and strengthen and increase membership.
Quaker Buildings & Programs Granting Group
Grants to Quaker meetings and organizations for construction, renovation, and capital improvement projects, and to specific organizations for programs.
Travel & Witness Granting Group
Grants to individuals and organizations for domestic and international travel, and projects to support PYM Young Adult Friends.
Willits Granting Group
Provides books that embody Quaker values to libraries and other organizations serving African American communities in the southern USA, and in Liberia.
Some PYM grants are handled outside of Granting Groups, for reasons of timeliness and because of the nature of the funds granted:
Anna T. Jeanes Cremation Fund
Reimburses up to $800 of cremation costs for PYM members.
Emergency Grants
Provides one-time assistance to PYM members facing a serious short-term financial crisis.
If you cannot find a particular Granting Group on the above list, consult our page of former Granting Groups; as PYM’s governance structure has changed through the years, PYM has laid down some Granting Groups, created new Granting Groups, and merged existing Granting Groups.
All of the Granting Group guidelines and forms are available to download from the PYM Grants Forms & Guidelines page.
How We Work
Granting Groups invite proposals and carefully consider applications. They publish guidelines which help grant seekers to understand the scope and purposes of their grants and the criteria and priorities they use for discernment and decision making. All of the Granting Group guidelines and forms are available to download from the PYM Grants Forms & Guidelines page.
Friends practice philanthropy not as the wider world often does, by contending and voting, but as a worshipful witness for truth. Granting Group members share their areas of expertise and experience through service on a group. Granting Group members prepare carefully, inform themselves of the realities of need and potential, and guided by the Spirit, come to unity on the best stewardship of grant funds.
Every Granting Group is responsible for the distribution of grants from one or more funds in the Yearly Meeting’s care; these are mostly invested funds that were left by Friends for this express purpose. PYM staff assists these Granting Groups in their work.
Contact
For general inquiries, questions, and correspondence, write to grants@pym.org; for information on specific PYM Granting Groups, and contact information for those groups, consult the contact information on each Group’s page, above.
Mission
PYM’s grants fulfill our donors’ requirements, honor their vision, and seek, on behalf of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, to address contemporary needs and to make a significant difference today. We strive to make our process transparent, fair, ethical and effective.
What We Do
For over 200 years, PYM’s ministry of giving money away well has transformed lives, furthered Friends Testimonies, and helped Quaker organizations to establish themselves, and to thrive, in our area and throughout the world. It continues to advance our Yearly Meeting’s Priorities.
Granting Committee
Granting Groups are supported in their work by the PYM Granting Committee, which serves as a partner and resource to the Granting Groups.
Grants & Resources Beyond PYM
As a finding aide to PYM members and others, we maintain a brief guide to grantmaking activity and other resources in the greater PYM area.
How to Apply: Aging Funds Available at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
AAGG and Greenleaf Granting Group clerks sat down Aging Support Coordinator, Sheila Sorkin, and Director of Grantmaking and Data, Joey Leroux to discuss the application process for funds to support Friends in need of financial assistance with their basic needs or to make it possible to live in retirement facilities, or to remain in their own homes.
More information about how to apply, including eligibility details, deadlines, and applications can be found on the Aging Assistance and Greenleaf web pages.
Please send queries to Sheila Sorkin at ssorkin@pym.org or Joey Leroux at grants@pym.org.
