Recent News
COVID-19 RESOURCES
Below please find links to resources to assist you and your organizations as we all adjust to these uncertain times. This is not a comprehensive list, however many of the resource pages below include a robust array of resources, tools, and information that may be of use to your organizations.
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA RESOURCES
City of Philadelphia Resource Page – This page compiles updates, information, and guidance related to the COVID-19 coronavirus in Philadelphia. Residents, business owners, event producers, and health care providers can use it to stay up to date on the evolving public health situation.
City and School District providing free meals for youth – In light of schools being closed from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27, the School District and City of Philadelphia providing meal service for students over the next two weeks.
RESOURCES FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) COVID-19 Resource Page
Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia’s COVID-19 Resource Page
TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES
TechSoup’s Nonprofit Technology Resources for Remote Work
Tools and Resources from Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia region’s nonprofit community (a Google Sheet)
Scholastic offers free online learning resources for youth K-6
SEYBERT FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES MANGEMENT TRANSITION
The Adam and Maria Sarah Seybert Institution, known as the Seybert Foundation, announces the upcoming departure of its Manager, Diana Loukedis Doherty, and the appointment of Theresa Jackson to the Manager role beginning in February, 2019. Doherty has served as the Manager of Seybert since 2011 and guided the board during a period of significant growth and change. According to Seybert Board President Rich Sedmak, “Diana has played a major role in the bold steps that Seybert has made over the years, both in helping us create a more diverse, inclusive Board of Directors, including representation from Philadelphia youth, and in prioritizing general operating support and multi-year funding in our grantmaking program . Our Board is truly grateful for her support and leadership over the years .” In 2017, Doherty was instrumental in Seybert’s merger with the Western Association, another private foundation, a move designed to be a model for how small foundations could merge assets to create greater philanthropic impact with lower operational overhead. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, where she first met Jackson, the organization’s Director of Learning and Knowledge Management. “I am thrilled that Theresa Jackson will be succeeding me in the Manager role at Seybert,” Doherty says, adding, “With her depth of philanthropic knowledge and her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Theresa is absolutely the right person to help Seybert’s Board continue its innovative efforts into the future.” Sedmak agrees, adding, “The Seybert Board is pleased to welcome Theresa Jackson and we look forward to her contributions to our forward momentum.” Doherty will continue her work with the region’s philanthropic community through her management of BLBB Charitable and assuming the role of Executive Director of the VNA Foundation of Greater North Penn in Spring, 2019. Notes Sidney Hargro, Philanthropy Network’s Executive Director, “The Network has benefited tremendously from Theresa’s dedication as a leader on our staff and Diana’s service on our Board, and I am delighted that these exciting transitions in both of their careers will keep them both closely connected to the Network for years to come.” To learn more about Seybert Foundation and its support of nonprofit organizations serving children and youth in Philadelphia, visit www.seybertfoundation.org.
Diana Doherty
New Grant Structure, New Application
Read all about Seybert’s new multi-year Core Grant program and application process
SEPTEMBER GRANT DEADLINE MOVED TO JUNE 15th, and other deadline news
NEW Grant Application Deadlines
May 15, 2018: New deadline for Spring grant applications (formerly March 15th). Applicants who submit a grant proposal by this date will be notified of their grant award status by June 30, 2018.
June 15, 2018: New deadline for “Fall” grant applications (formerly September 15th). Applicants who submit a grant proposal by this date will be notified of their grant award status by July 31, 2018.
To reiterate, THERE WILL BE NO SEPTEMBER DEADLINE FOR SEYBERT GRANTS IN 2018. ALL 2018 GRANTS MUST BE SUBMITTED FOR EITHER THE MAY 15th or JUNE 15th DEADLINES.
If you received Seybert grant in 2017 and have questions about submitting your grant REPORT, please read this
SPRING GRANT DEADLINE CHANGED TO MAY 15th, 2018
The Seybert Foundation Board of Directors will embark upon Strategic Planning in early 2018, and has determined that it will delay the deadline for Spring grants from March 15th to MAY 15th, 2018, as a result. The Strategic Planning process may result in a revised grant application form/process, so applicants are asked to wait to apply until the NEW APPLICATION FORM is posted online, which should be no later than APRIL 15th.
New Board members join Seybert Foundation
The Seybert Foundation is delighted to welcome NOOR BOWMAN to the Board of Directors. Though Noor will be in a non-voting role until she reaches the age of 18, her input as a dynamic young person in Philadelphia will be tremendously valuable to Seybert’s work to advance opportunities for youth in the City. In late January, 2018, the Board voted to approve the nomination of CAT LAVIGNE, who begins her term in 2018 as well. As a leader of Paradigm Academy, an organization that works to develop the critical thinking skills of young people who want to improve the world, Cat brings direct teaching and mentoring experience to her role at Seybert. Welcome, Noor and Cat!
Seybert Board Diversity Recognized
Seybert Foundation is proud to have been recognized by Generocity for its efforts to promote and increase the diversity of its Board of Directors. Read more in Generocity’s September 13th, 2017 edition:
Seybert Symposium 2017- networking, learning, sharing
On August 16th, 2017, Seybert Foundation held its inaugural Symposium, a half-day event aimed at bringing together the Foundation’s youth-serving grantee partners for a morning of learning, sharing and networking. More than 70 nonprofit leaders attended, and more than half of the Seybert Board participated as well, making the event a great chance to get to know each other better. The event featured skills-building presentations whose content was based directly on survey input solicited from Seybert’s grantees, with experts Ellen Greenberg (Partnering for Change), Rebecca Fabiano (FabYouth Philly) and Kasey Thompson. For details and photos about Symposium 2017, click
Seybert Merges with Western Association
In perhaps the most significant news of our organization’s century of existence, The Seybert Foundation has merged with another Philadelphia- focused foundation, The Western Association. It is our sincere hope that the merging of our two foundations will reduce operational overhead and increase the power of our grants to the city’s neediest communities. The resulting foundation, which will simply be called “The Seybert Foundation,” will continue to support nonprofit organizations whose missions focus on direct services to disadvantaged children and youth throughout the City of Philadelphia. The Seybert Foundation will honor Western Association’s longstanding commitment to Philadelphia’s most underserved communities through its grants program. We encourage you to review our website, www.seybertfoundation.org, to learn more about giving strategies and priorities as they currently exist and as they evolve in the months to come. We wish to take this opportunity to thank Dale Mitchell, Kurt Anderson, Marlane Bohon, and the entire Board and Staff of the Western Association for their sincere dedication to supporting vulnerable Philadelphians through their many years of work, and for their fellowship and collegiality throughout this merger process. We are certain that the consolidation of our two foundations will enable more grant dollars to reach the most disadvantaged populations in Philadelphia. At a time when our collective impact as funders is sorely needed, we feel that this merger between two small foundations represents a model that other grantmakers might wish to consider. We would be happy to share lessons-learned about the process with anyone interested. At this milestone moment in our foundation’s history, we are grateful for our community of colleagues in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector, and we look forward to working with many of you in the years ahead.
Three New Board Members join Seybert in 2017!
The Seybert Foundation is thrilled to welcome three new Board members in January, 2017: Matthew A. Grande, Marissa Meyers, and Miguel Morel. Each of these talented individuals brings a unique and valuable perspective to Seybert’s work aimed at improving the lives of Philadelphia’s youth. We look forward to introducing Matthew, Marissa and Miguel to our partners. Learn more about our Board here