The Barra Foundation Furthers its Mission of Innovation by Awarding More than $2 million to Greater Philadelphia Nonprofits

WAYNE, Pa., Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In line with its mission to invest in innovation in the social sector, The Barra Foundation has granted $2,150,000 in unrestricted funding to the recipients of its 2018-2019 Barra Awards, which acknowledge and advance exemplary nonprofit organizations in Greater Philadelphia. Forty-three organizations will each receive $50,000 in unrestricted funding over a two-year period. Since its 2013 inception, the Barra Awards has granted more than $6 million to area nonprofits. 

"Without unrestricted capital, nonprofits have little margin for error or appetite for innovation. Through the Barra Awards we hope to provide organizations with some financial breathing room and their leaders with opportunities to learn from their peers?a diverse and inspiring network of entrepreneurial thinkers from across the nonprofit sector," said Kristina Wahl, president of The Barra Foundation.

To identify Awardees, The Barra Foundation turns to the community. A new slate of nominators, selected each grant cycle from among previous awardees and other social sector leaders, recommends up to three organizations. Eligible nominated organizations are invited to apply and, ultimately, Awardees are approved by Barra's Board of Directors.

"The Barra Awards nomination process is distinctive in that it relies on nonprofit leaders to reach deeper and closer into communities and recommend who they believe can best utilize the funds to create change," said Christine Simiriglia, CEO of Pathways to Housing PA. "Barra's trust in previous grantees shifts the balance of power to nonprofits, which is rare, but it makes a lot of sense. After all, we know first-hand how an unrestricted, multi-year gift can strengthen programming or enable us to try a new idea. And being part of the Barra network nurtures a chance for fresh thinking, collaboration and learning."

 A full list of the 2018-2019 Barra Award winners is available here.

To learn more about the Barra Awards program, click here.

About The Barra Foundation
The Barra Foundation invests in innovation to inspire change that strengthens communities in the Greater Philadelphia region. Through its Catalyst Fund and Barra Awards, the Foundation provides approximately $4 million in annual grants that are focused on supporting innovation in and across the fields of Arts & Culture, Education, Health and Human Services.

SOURCE The Barra Foundation