The City of Philadelphia officially opened the 2025 grant application window for the Kensington Community Resilience Fund (KCR Fund) last month. The KCR Fund, which is entering its fifth year, is a public-private-community partnership between community members, city government, and the Scattergood Foundation that serves in community-led grantmaking to address the harms caused by the opioid crisis in Kensington, Harrowgate, and Fairhill.
Funded by the city’s national opioid settlement and private foundation support — including support from the Patricia Kind Family Foundation, the Nelson Foundation, and the aforementioned Scattergood Foundation — the KCR Fund engages community members to set funding strategies and decide which organizations receive grants.
“I am excited to announce the opening of the KCR Fund’s fifth year of grantmaking,” said Mayor Cherelle Parker in a statement. “I am committed to meeting Philadelphians where they are, and particularly in our most vulnerable communities, where the opioid and overdose crises have hit the hardest. The KCR Fund meets our residents where they are, listens to them, and takes action based on what we hear from our communities. I can’t think of a better model to help begin healing Philadelphia.”
The Kensington Community Resilience Fund strives to promote wellness, build resilience, and improve the quality of life in the greater Kensington community. Additionally, increasing agency and building equity and cohesion are top priorities, as well as helping to advance racial and social justice by giving community partners and residents power to direct funding decisions, according to a release.
“The experience of working on the CAC and CGG has enlightened me on all the groups in the community that are doing great work and has established a network of resources,” said Mayme Robinson, a resident and grantee who leads Kensington Neighbors United Civic Association. “The residents have a voice and are empowered to make changes in the neighborhood. That brings hope and power to the community.”
Since 2021, the KCR Fund has awarded $1.12 million in general operating support and will award an additional $360,000 in 2025 through $10,000 general operating grants. Returning grantees will also have an opportunity to receive a $5,000 supplemental grant for a total of up to $15,000. The KCR Fund serves as a model for investing in community solutions to challenges like the opioid crisis with an equitable and inclusive process.
To apply, eligible organizations must file an application for a grant on the KCR Fund’s website by Thursday, Jan. 30, at 5 p.m. Interested organizations should also attend the upcoming information webinar session — held via Zoom — on Thursday, Jan. 9.
For more information on the Kensington Community Resilience Fund or to discuss partnership opportunities and other ways to support, Contact Ashley Feuer-Edwards, Director of the KCR Fund at ashley@kcrfund.org. Additional information about can be found at www.kcrfund.org
