What did Philly’s $22M anti-violence grant program buy? | Morning Newsletter

Today should be slightly cooler with a high of 61. Also grab that umbrella and expect some showers before noon.

With the intention of curbing Philadelphia’s record level of gun violence, the city launched a grant program to invest millions into community organizations instead of law enforcement.

Many of these groups used this new infusion of money to expand their programs, allowing more teens and young adults to get more services like therapy or job programs.

But our investigation team found the city also funneled money into nonprofits unprepared to manage it. 🔑

If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

The city’s $22 million anti-violence grant program that launched in 2021 was marked by a politicized selection process that flushed millions of dollars into organizations unprepared to manage the money.

It resulted in millions of dollars left unspent and thousands of dollars unaccounted for, an Inquirer investigation found.

Records show that the city awarded grants to groups with no board of directors or employees, despite explicit guidelines that “start-up organizations are not eligible.”

Experts say grant programs can be an effective way to support community-based anti-violence efforts. However, funders can’t adequately assess the group’s capacity to execute a plan without detailed financial statements.

Reminder: One grant, for a youth boxing program, was suspended after a separate Inquirer investigation revealed $80,000 was improperly paid to police officers or their children.

Continue reading to learn the extent of the lack of oversight. 🔑

A major part of Rebecca Rhynhart’s pitch to be the next Philadelphia mayor is that she has the necessary government experience to lead and “knows the city’s budget inside and out.”

But as the race enters its final stretch, her competitors have questioned her role in slashes to city services in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis while she was a top official in Mayor Michael Nutter’s administration.

The fresh attacks could be indicative of her standing in the race.

The playing field: There aren’t clear front-runners but private polls suggest Rhynhart gained support over the past several weeks. Rhynhart and Helen Gym, a former City Council member who brought up the service cuts during a debate Tuesday, are competing for some of the same voters.

Gym was one of Council’s most progressive members. Rynhart also appeals to some on the left, but she’s also taken a more business-friendly approach such as being in favor of incremental business-tax reductions.

Continue reading to explore Rhynhart’s involvement in the Nutter-era budget cuts.

Eagles’ Jason Kelce appeared on the YouTube food show Last Meals to discuss his preferences for a last meal before he dies.

What was his choice?

A) An Italian hoagie from Angelo’s and a pineapple water ice from John’s Water Ice

B) Dalessandro’s cheesesteaks, Swiaki Meets sausage, and a pound cake from Stock’s Bakery

C) A roast pork sandwich from John’s Roast Pork and a pretzel from Miller’s Twist

D) A cheesesteak from Max’s and a brisket from Zig Zag BBQ

Feeling confident? Be sure.

🗳️Reviewing: How the Philly mayoral candidates used their time during the final debate before next month’s primary.

🏖️ Planning: My summer visits down the Shore. I’ll need to keep in mind the new laws like backpack bans.

Hint: Point Pleasant

ALDINJOKER’S SNOWBANK

We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Meaghan F. Washington, who correctly guessed Wednesday’s answer: Tranzilli’s. Email us if you know the answer.

And that’s it for this morning. I’m off to my morning run. Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer.