Seed the Dream Foundation: Philadelphia Grants
/OVERVIEW: The Seed the Dream Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of Philadelphia-area couple Joel Greenberg and his wife, Marcy. The foundation strives to advance well-being through educational access, advocacy, and awareness.
IP TAKE: While the foundation only invites a small number of eligible organizations to submit Letters of Inquiry, it is strongly interested in Jewish causes, so these kinds of organizations may have a leg up.
PROFILE: At the start of the decade, Susquehanna International Group founder Joel Greenberg and his wife, Marcy Gringlas, established Seed the Dream Foundation. It seeks to foster “meaningful educational opportunities for people of all ages.” Joel Greenberg has backed education reform groups and once served as a director of American Federation for Children, a national organization that supports the growth of charter schools and school voucher legislation.
Seed the Dream Foundation lists three initiatives: educational access, educational advocacy, and educational awareness. While the foundation's grantmaking is national, as well as in Israel and parts of Africa, some of the foundation's giving focuses on the Philadelphia area. Seed the Dream Foundation gave a $1 million gift to Play On, Philly!, a West Philadelphia after-school classical music program. Marcy trained as a violinist.
The foundation's educational access focus area centers on helping underserved populations. Philadelphia-area work has included supporting Play On Philly!, KIPP, West Philadelphia Catholic High School (scholarships), Russell Byers Charter School's chess team, Mighty Writers, and the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program.
Seed the Dream's Educational Advocacy initiative "funds programs that educate about, advocate for, and promote life-long connections to Israel." Related work includes helping fund Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Israel 360 Program, which sends young professionals on a 10-day Israel experience, and Gershman Y’s Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival.
Seed the Dream also "supports programs and organizations dedicated to preserving the memory of victims, disseminating knowledge of the Holocaust to future generations, and providing assistance to victims of discrimination." In Philadelphia, this work includes supporting Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia’s program to provide increased home care needs for aging Holocaust survivors.
Seed the Dream invites a small number of eligible organizations to submit Letters of Inquiry, which are reviewed on a rolling basis. For a complete look at guidelines for applicants, click here.
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