The GriffinHarte Foundation aims to promote civil conversations about issues that divide us and are often contentious and difficult to sort through. These issues usually involve questions of fairness, equity, respect, identity (who we are), and the complex ways we are connected to other people.

Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded in support of the following types of projects:

Conversations, research, and scholarship that are: Grounded in questions and practices of civility and feminism; informed by a desire to define, explore, and advocate for social, political, and economic justice in our professional and personal lives; and centered in an explicit recognition of the ways our lives and communications are influenced by our identities—our gender and sex, race and ethnicity, age and physical abilities, and education and economic standing.

Educational practices and research that are: Focused on how we teach as well as what we teach; grounded in a commitment to alternative pedagogies and educational practices; informed by an explicit recognition of the ways identities, genders and sex, feminisms, civility, and civic engagement relate to social, political and economic justice.

Educational opportunities: Explore identity, gender, feminism, civility, civic engagement and social, political and economic justice.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the GriffinHarte Foundation website.

Deadline: December 15, 2025

Founded in 1968, the Claneil Foundation in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, aims to improve the health of Philadelphia-area families and communities through advancements in health and human services, a sustainable food system, education, and protection of the environment.

The foundation invites applications for its Community Fund, which assists nonprofit organizations in the region with multi-year general operating support while addressing a broad range of issues that impact the health and livelihood of communities. In award year 2026, the issue area is hunger, nutrition/food systems.

The fund provides three-year general operating grants totaling $90,000 ($30,000 per year) to organizations working in or serving communities in the following counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia. In addition, each grantee partner has access to $10,000 in professional development/wellness funds in support of the executive director and/or organization. The fund will prioritize organizations that have deep roots in the communities they serve and are working with annual budgets of $1 million or less.

Letters of intent are due December 2, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a proposal, due March 1, 2026.

For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and profiles of past grantees, see the Claneil Foundation website.

Deadline: December 1, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET (Letters of Intent)

The Spencer Foundation has been a leading funder of education research since 1971 and is the only national foundation focused exclusively on supporting education research.

The foundation invites applications for its Small Research Grants Program, which will support education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived, with budgets of $50,000 for projects ranging from one to five years.

The program supports proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally, from scholars at various stages in their careers and anticipates that proposals will span a wide range of topics and disciplines that investigate questions central to education, including education, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, law, economics, history, or neuroscience. Projects may apply various research methods, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, ethnographies, design-based research, participatory methods, and historical research.

The foundation is open to projects that might incorporate data from multiple and varied sources, span a sufficient length of time to achieve a depth of understanding, or work closely with practitioners or community members over the life of the project.

To be eligible, principal investigators and co-PIs must have earned a doctorate in an academic or professional field. PIs must be affiliated with a nonprofit organization or public/governmental institution that is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Spencer Foundation website.

Deadline: December 15, 2025 at 12:00 noon CT

Following the presentations, there will also be time for attendees to share information about their own organization’s resources and upcoming events.

Date and Time: November 20, 2025, 9:00-11:00 AM

Register.

Roughly 1 in 8 Americans relies on the federal program whose funding has been paused due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. In Pennsylvania, more than 2 million people rely on SNAP, including 472,000 recipients in Philadelphia alone — 30% of the city’s population.

Evan Ehlers, founder of Sharing Excess, says that on an average week, the nonprofit distributes 250,000 pounds of food nationwide, but that SNAP cuts have led to an “unprecedented” amount of need.

“Food banks, in general, could not even do one-tenth of what SNAP does on an annual basis,” Ehlers said. “What we’re doing is an increased or inflated effort … which is working with the region’s leading food wholesalers and capturing and redistributing their excess, as well as just donations that they’re making in response to this.”

Read more.

Date and Time: November 12, 2025, 5:30 PM

Register.

Date and Time: November 6, 2025, 3:00-4:00 PM

Register.

Panelists:

• Marquita Bolden– Executive Director, Therapy Center of Philadelphia
• Kaiima Griffith – Case Manager/Community Engagement Specialist, Connectedly
• Philipa Nwadike-Laster – Supermom and Member of Women in Dialogue
• Kristina Valdez – Executive Director, Along The Way

This is a free virtual event and open to all.

Register here.

The 2025 American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Conference on Global Learning, November 12-14, 2025, provides a shared space where global learning leaders and advocates can pause, reflect, and affirm the essential value of global learning for students, faculty, and staff and for the surrounding community.

You don’t have to be an AAC&U member to participate in this global conversation. Join us online November 12–14 to explore critical questions shaping the future of global learning, discover proven solutions to common challenges, and connect with a global community committed to this work.

Our virtual format makes it easy to participate from anywhere. With sessions offered across time zones, you choose the times that work best for you. Connect with global peers in dynamic, interactive sessions—and revisit key content with extended access to select recordings through March 1, 2026.

Explore the full program.

Register.

We’re thrilled to invite you to be part of our journey — starting with our exclusive launch party on February 7, 2026, at Grey’s Castle Towers, Arcadia University. This event will offer a first look at our vision, upcoming productions, and the many ways to get involved — from performance and partnerships to creative collaboration.

Learn more about us here.

Please join us and share this invitation with others who might be interested in contributing to or supporting this impactful cultural endeavor.

Please feel free to reach out to Huan M. Baum at huan.m.baum@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like more details about Eyekon or the upcoming event.

The Director will work across UCP’s centers, programs and initiatives. The Director will partner with stakeholders across the academic, student life and administrative units to create and foster cross-discipline, cross-unit collaborations that promote Drexel’s student-centered mission and commitment to civic engagement and align with its strategic priorities. The Civic Innovation portfolio consists of programs and initiatives that connect student experiential learning with community identified priorities.

Learn more and apply here.

PCCE member campuses are invited to apply for up to $5,000 to support their MLK, Jr. National Day of Service student volunteer event by Friday, November 14, 2025.

Please click here to access the grant RFP to learn about the types of events and projects that this grant can support, as well as information about a required grant match, grant recipient background information, and final reporting information. Please carefully review the document. Additionally, the Alliance for Campus Community Engagement will host two grant information sessions for applicants to learn more about this grant and to ask questions:

• Wednesday, November 5, 4:00-5:00PM EST (click to register)
• Tuesday, November 11, 3:30-4:30PM EST (click to register)

Priority will be given to proposals from PCCE member campuses; however, applications from non-member campuses may also be considered according to funding availability.

Should applicants be awarded a grant, project coordinators must commit to completing a Criminal Background History Check at no financial cost to the grantee by December 12, 2025; agree to demonstrating an approximate grant match of 70% via in-kind staff salary, office space, and/or in-kind supplies and institutional expenditures in support of the event; and submit a final grant report by January 30, 2026 (information will be provided to grantees to assist with these requirements).

Applications are due by no later than 11:59PM EST on Friday, November 14, 2025. Apply here.

To advance equitable postsecondary outcomes, higher education institutions must adopt intentional strategies that address the unique barriers adult learners face. These learners, particularly those from low-income communities, often navigate complex life circumstances, including financial constraints, family responsibilities, and limited access to clear, actionable information about college pathways. AIR’s research demonstrates that adult learners’ decisions to (re)enroll are not made in isolation. Family, community, and workplace networks play an important role in shaping their choices, as do institutional signals that adult learners belong in college and can make education work with their lives. Institutional practices that align with the realities of learners’ lives, recognize prior learning, and provide targeted supports, such as tailored advising and financial aid navigation, are a key part of better supporting adult learners and advancing equitable outcomes.

Learn more and register by November 14.

This two-day, in-person institute is designed to help participants strengthen their grant writing, proposal development, and resource-building skills. Through interactive workshops, peer feedback sessions, and a funder panel featuring representatives from:

• Patricia Kind Family Foundation
• DragonFly Partners
• The Foundation for Delaware County
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Attendees will gain valuable insights and practical tools to support sustainable, mission-driven work. A few seats remain, and we encourage interested staff and partners to register as soon as possible. Discounts are available for small community-based organizations and students.

Location: CHOP Roberts Building, 734 Schuylkill Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146

Please feel to reach out to PennCPH@pennmedicine.upenn.edu for registration support or feel free to visit our registration portal here. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or to discuss details.

Informational flyer and agenda.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of I.T. Apprenticeships is a key member of the Urban Technology Project’s (UTP) management team. This role oversees project management systems, communications, and data tracking; special events and marketing efforts. The Assistant Director manages apprentice registration and completion; drives alumni engagement, supports training and supervises interns to advance the program’s mission of developing the next generation of technology professionals.

Essential Functions

• Manages and optimizes the program’s project management platform (Monday.com) to increase efficiency and collaboration across the team.
• Manages UTP social media accounts and maintain the UTP website to ensure timely updates and consistent messaging.
• Maintains UTP’s internal Google site and other communication tools to support clear and effective information sharing.
• Manages Apprentice registration, track progress and exits, and support certification and completion outcomes.
• Develops and leads strategies to engage and support UTP alumni.
• Coordinates training logistics and plan program events, ensuring smooth execution.
• Creates marketing materials to promote programs and initiatives.
• Updates, distributes, and tracks program surveys; analyzes and summarizes program data for reporting and decision making.
• Attends meetings and events on behalf of UTP, serving as a program ambassador.
• Supervises 1-2 interns or VISTA members, providing guidance and feedback.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Learn more and apply by December 6, 2025.

The Foundation is currently accepting applications from organizations working in three of four program areas —Catholic Education, Human Services, and Arts & Culture. (Philly and surrounding counties.) There are no submission deadlines.

Learn more.

Every day in Montgomery County, community organizations and leaders are working to address and improve civic engagement, racial and social equity, public policies and systems, and social determinants of health and well-being. Our grantmaking, convening, and leadership will stand behind and support their inspirational and essential efforts. Each year, HealthSpark will prioritize strategic initiatives that support transformative leaders, build thriving communities, and achieve opportunities and justice for all.

Our strategic goals—Community Power, Leadership, and Solutions—are designed to advance our new mission: to achieve healthy, equitable, and hopeful communities throughout Montgomery County.

Aligned with our guiding principles of Courage, Justice, Integrity, and Hope, we are proud to launch our Rapid Response Fund for Community Power. This fund will give one-time, fast, flexible funding support to Montgomery County organizations responding to critical and unexpected, urgent events or external challenges, while strengthening the voice and power of community members. The Rapid Response Fund is intended to help nonprofits and community-based organizations in a nonpartisan manner respond to critical threats, or opportunities to advance support for racial and social justice goals.

HealthSpark Foundation is currently accepting grant applications on a rolling basis.

Learn more and apply.

Building the future we want for our planet and its people involves designing for that future today. What we have learned from across disciplines is likely to inform successful teaching and learning approaches to these complex, rapidly changing, and interconnected challenges.

To meet this future we will need to develop and scale models of what effective learning looks like – not just in formal education but also in informal and community education spaces, through career-connected learning, and with learners of any age from young children to adults.

This funding opportunity supports projects or research that enacts the future today. We aim to support projects that cultivate in learners of any age the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to take action in ways that benefit the planet and its people.

Submission Deadline: November 19, 2025, 11:59 PM

Learn more and apply.

Part of Campus Compact’s mission is to partner with communities to address complex social issues and further equity, justice, and prosperity for all, and addressing hunger among both college students and community members is central to that mission. Not only is addressing basic needs connected to higher education’s public purpose, but it’s also essential to creating a culture of civic engagement. In their report released this past summer, our Student Design Fellows explicitly named that “across every demographic, college students face a lack of equitable access to basic needs, which is the most prevalent barrier to participation in civic engagement activities. By providing proactive, student-centered, evidence-based wraparound services that offer personalized and coordinated assistance to help students overcome barriers to entry, campuses can reduce barriers to student leadership participation.”

While hunger on college campuses is not new, the issue of food security is magnified and exacerbated by the federal government shutdown’s impact on critical safety net programs relied upon by both communities and students. Food insecurity is a wicked problem that, especially without federal basic needs programs, requires a multi-faceted approach. By engaging diverse stakeholders across our campuses and throughout our communities, and by deploying layers of support to meet this moment of heightened need, college campuses can be part of the solution for the many college students and community members facing increased food insecurity. In this issue of Common Cause, we’ll share some ways we’re already combating food insecurity and offer some resources you can use to expand this work on your own campus.

Read more.