The Philadelphia-based Pew Charitable Trusts has announced $8 million in grants in support of 11 area nonprofits working to improve maternal and infant health for low-income families; increase the availability of health, housing, and social services for LGBTQ+ youth; and test new approaches to address the city’s K-12 teacher shortage.

Pew awarded $4.75 million in grants to four organizations focused on maternal and infant health, including Maternity Care Coalition ($2.5 million over five years) and Maternal and Child Health Consortium ($1 million over five years) to expand their home visiting services programs, ParentChild+ ($1 million over five years) to double the number of families it serves, and the Philly Joy Bank ($250,000 over two years) to provide income to families during pregnancy and up to a year postpartum. In support of the LGBTQ+ community, more than $2.5 million was awarded to four organizations, including Mazzoni Center ($1.8 million over five years) to expand the reach of its services, GALAEI ($250,000 over three years) to create a strategic plan, and Valley Youth House and The Attic Youth Center (combined $500,000 over two years) to provide safe housing and mental health and life skill services. In response to Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage, $750,000 over two years was committed to three organizations focused on teacher workforce development, including Center for Black Educator Development ($250,000) to recruit and train quality teachers of color, Elevate 215 ($250,000) to help approximately 80 paraprofessionals already working in schools to become certified teachers, and Teach Plus ($250,000) to increase teacher retention among educators of color in Philadelphia.

“It is a privilege to support organizations that are building solutions to some of the most significant health and social issues of our time,” said Pew Fund for Health and Human Services in Philadelphia project director Kristin Romens. “Pew’s grants will help these organizations grow and improve their programs, fill service gaps, and broaden the evidence base for social solutions so that more Philadelphians can thrive.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/SDI Productions)