Barra Foundation (Pennsylvania)

 
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    CFDA#

    None
     

    Funder Type

    Private Foundation

    IT Classification

    B - Readily funds technology as part of an award

    Authority

    Barra Foundation

    Summary

    The Barra Foundation funds organizations and projects that enable the foundation to achieve greater social impact in the Philadelphia five-county region through strategic grant-making in the areas of:

    • Arts and Culture - The Barra Foundation seeks to promote the sustainability of a vibrant arts and culture sector and thus expand and deepen its role in the lives of individuals, communities, and the region;
    • Education - The Barra Foundation supports organizations that create and deliver effective educational approaches to students in Pre-K to 12th grade;
    • Health - The Barra Foundation supports organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life through initiatives in the field of health; and,
    • Human Services - The foundations priority is to address the unmet needs of under-served individuals and the communities in which they live.

    The Barra Foundation invests in innovation to inspire change that strengthens communities in the Greater Philadelphia region. The Foundation wants to invest in innovation that seeks to drive positive change to address the needs of low-income populations in the region and promote a continued vibrant cultural community. 
     
    The principles that mold their approach to innovation:

    • Fostering an environment in our region that supports and advances innovative ideas and approaches.
    • Knowing that risk, failure, learning and sharing are essential elements of the innovation process.
    • Offering financial support and other incentives to encourage individuals and organizations to challenge assumptions, take risks and develop new models.
    • Encouraging experimentation and imagination as keys to innovation.
    • Recognizing innovation can arise from unlikely partnerships.
    • Listening, engaging and responding to the sector in which we operate.

    The Barra Foundation offers two sources of funding. The Catalyst Fund and Barra Awards. Through the Catalyst Fund, the foundation invests in ideas that tackle problems or seize opportunities in new, different, better and significant ways. These timely and novel approaches push boundaries and have the potential to inspire change. The Barra Awards reward exemplary nonprofit organizations that demonstrate leadership, performance and adaptability. This core support advances the work of organizations that keep pace with a changing environment and continually strive to strengthen the communities they serve.

     

    History of Funding

    Previous Catalyst Fund grants can be seen at https://www.barrafoundation.org/investments/catalyst-fund/grants/.
    Previous Barra Award winners can be seen at https://www.barrafoundation.org/investments/barra-awards/awardees/.

    Additional Information

    For an idea to be supported in the Catalyst Fund, it should exhibit the following qualities:

    • New and DifferentApplying organizations should be the first to take the proposed approach, coming at a problem or opportunity with a fresh perspective or from a different angle. It should be different from existing or past solutions—a break from past practice.
    • Better. The foundation is looking for approaches that are not just novel, but that have the potential to be better than existing models. This means new ideas that create organizational efficiencies, improve services, reach new demographics or engage a community in a more effective way. Through your proposed project, applicants should be able to demonstrate meaningful results.
    • Significant. No matter how large or small the idea is, it should have the potential to catalyze change and have impact beyond the applying organization—whether it is a new idea or a significant adaptation of an existing program or model. The foundation is particularly interested in efforts that can serve as a beacon to others facing the same or similar challenges or have the potential to create a ripple effect that influences how others think and act. Organizations and their leaders should be open to sharing the findings or lessons learned from their work with others.

    Barra Award awardees are recommended to Barra by nominators—peers selected for their experience and familiarity with the organizations that strengthen the five-county Philadelphia region. Most nominators work in the social sector themselves.

    Contacts

    Barra Foundation Staff

    Barra Foundation Staff
    200 W. Lancaster Avenue Suite 202
    Wayne, PA 19087
    (610) 964-7601
     

  • Eligibility Details

    Non-profit organizations in the five-county Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area are eligible to apply. This includes Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. 

    Deadline Details

    Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Initial approach should be with a Letter of Intent. Funding requests are considered at quarterly board meetings in March, June, September and December. The Barra Award is a two-year grant cycle. Eligible nominated organizations will receive an invitation to apply.

    Award Details

    The foundation provides approximately $4 million in annual grants that are focused on supporting innovation in and across the fields Arts & Culture, Education, Health and Human Services. Of that total, $1 million per year supports the Barra Awards and $3 million is available from the Catalyst Fund. Each Barra Awardee receives $25,000 of unrestricted funding per year for two years.

    Related Webcasts Use the links below to view the recorded playback of these webcasts


    • Funding Classroom Technology to Empower Students and Teachers - Sponsored by Panasonic - Playback Available
    • Maximizing Technology-friendly Workforce Development Grants - Sponsored by Panasonic - Playback Available
    • Funding Data-driven Workforce Development Projects - Sponsored by NetApp - Playback Available

 

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