Samuel S. Fels Fund
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your organisation works in the City of Philadelphia on movement building or systems change, and has 501(c)(3) status, a fiscal sponsor, or is a Philadelphia office of a national organisation with a local Advisory Board, its general operating grants are worth exploring.
- The stated grant range is $25,000 to $30,000, but half of its 291 grants to organisations across its three most recent filings were $15,000 or less, so a request of that smaller size may suit it better, although its latest filing shows one award of $300,000.
- Start with a funding inquiry, because only organisations invited after it go on to a second-stage proposal, and note that it has one deadline per grant cycle.
- In its latest filing, 52% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in one of its two earlier filings, so repeat relationships carry real weight.
- Do not apply if your work is outside Philadelphia without a significant impact there, is direct service only, or falls within its excluded areas such as healthcare, higher education, capital programmes, or one-time events.
Overview
Samuel S. Fels Fund is a US private foundation based in Philadelphia, PA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Fund is committed to improving conditions and opportunities for communities that are marginalised and/or historically excluded within the City of Philadelphia. It provides general operating grants to organisations engaged in movement building towards a more just, equitable and inclusive city. Its movement-building focus covers organisations pursuing at least two of four strategies: advocating for policies that advance equitable treatment, economic stability and opportunity; confronting harmful institutions and systems and reimagining them with and by historically excluded communities; promoting collective healing and joy; and power-building activities. Applicants are expected to serve Philadelphia, undertake movement-building and systems-change work, and ground their work in an understanding of racial history and analysis of racial and class inequities affecting the communities they serve.
Themes
- Movement building
- Equitable policy advocacy
- Systems change
- Collective healing and joy
- Power-building
Geographic Focus
City of Philadelphia.
What They Don't Fund
- Activities or services taking place outside of Philadelphia, PA (unless it has a significant impact on Philadelphia)
- Organizations not involved in social justice, movement building and/or systems change work
- Grants to individuals
- National or umbrella organizations except those with Philadelphia offices
- Endowments
- Major programs of large institutions
- Capital programs and or equipment
- Deficit financing
- Direct service only
- Drug and alcohol addiction programs
- Healthcare and health research
- Support groups for individuals
- Summer recreation programs
- Individual daycare or after school programs
- Programs for animals
- Routine social services
- Community computer programs
- Purchase of tickets, tables, ads or sponsorships
- Parties, conferences, fairs, fundraising and one-time events
- Religious and private education
- Individual public or charter schools
- Higher education
- Scholarships, fellowships, grants-in-aid of travel or research
- Publications or university presses
How to apply
Organisations begin with a funding inquiry. Those invited to participate proceed to the second-stage proposal.
Deadlines: One deadline per grant cycle.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 52% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 291 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Applicants must have 501(c)(3) status, a not-for-profit mission and fiscal sponsor, or be a Philadelphia office of a national organisation.
- A local office of a national organisation must have a local Advisory Board.
- Applicants must be actively engaged in movement building and systems change work.
- Applicants must understand and acknowledge the racial history of the United States and Philadelphia.
- Applicants must ground their work in a racial and class analysis of inequities harming their communities.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
1 other state: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 11% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 52% of grant dollars went to organisations Samuel S. Fels Fund had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 17% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 75 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $10,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Rockwood Leadership Institute · Capacity building grants$300,0002024 tax year
- Windcall Institute · Capacity building grant$135,0002024 tax year
- Asian Americans United · General support$30,0002024 tax year
- Movement Alliance Project · General support for fiscally sponsor$30,0002024 tax year
- Spiral Q Puppet Theater · General support$30,0002024 tax year
- Philly Black Worker Project · General support$30,0002024 tax year
- Philadelphia Assembly · General support$30,0002024 tax year
- National Domestic Workers Alliance · General support$30,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Nimrit Kang — Board Member
- Chelsea Hicks — Board Member
- Ida K Chen — Board Member
- Danyelle Austin — Board Member
- John L Jackson JR — Board Member
- Will Gonzalez Esq — Board Member
- Michael O'Bryan — Vice Chair
- Fariha Khan — Board Chair
- Sarah Martinez-Helfman — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,128,026 | $2,314,000 | $43,265,733 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,966,974 | $2,025,000 | $45,116,266 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,357,232 | $1,570,000 | $46,438,680 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Samuel S. Fels Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (215) 731-9455
- info@samfels.org
- info@yourorganization.org
- info@safmels.org
- Philadelphia, PA
- samfels.org
Applying to Samuel S. Fels Fund?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (215) 731-9455
- info@samfels.org
- info@yourorganization.org
- info@safmels.org
- Philadelphia, PA
- samfels.org