Lenfest Institute awards $1.4 million in grants for civic engagement ahead of Philadelphia’s 2027 municipal election
The Philadelphia nonprofit is investing in 30 media organizations and 16 community groups with a goal of encouraging young voters to "make their priorities heard."
With every Philadelphia City Council seat on the ballot next year and as voters consider whether to give Mayor Cherelle L. Parker another term, a local nonprofit has awarded $1.4 million in grants aimed at promoting civic engagement.
“Every Voice, Every Vote,” organized by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, the owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer, is investing in 30 media organizations and 16 community groups to fund projects powered by professional and student journalists, multilingual reporting, and work focused on voter education and neighborhood coverage.
The Inquirer is among the participating media organizations and has been awarded a $100,000 grant to cover the project’s upcoming public-opinion research poll and to produce multiplatform journalism focused on key city issues and the city administration.
“There is a burgeoning movement of young, engaged voters nationwide becoming more involved in local politics and government,” said Jim Friedlich, executive director and CEO of the Lenfest Institute in a statement. “We are hoping to help younger Philadelphians engage in the civic life of the city and make their voices heard. As the name suggests, we seek to help government hear every voice and compete for every vote. The earlier in life voters engage, the more involved they remain over a lifetime.”
The Inquirer’s reporting, mainly across the Politics & Government and Justice & Injustice desks, will include in-depth coverage of Philadelphians’ perceptions of the city’s progress in important areas including public safety, clean and green initiatives, housing, and the economy.
In a news release Thursday, Lenfest said its grant-funded partners will focus on reaching younger audiences via short-form video, social media platforms, and “independent media makers” or content creators. The effort will “expand access to trusted civic information and create opportunities for Philadelphians to make their priorities heard by candidates ahead of the city’s 2027 municipal elections and by city government thereafter.”
“Focus on reaching younger audiences and newer audiences and more diverse audiences is across all the media we’re working with, very much including the Inquirer,” Friedlich said in an interview.
Lenfest launched the project in 2023, ahead of that year’s 100th mayoral race and municipal elections with an intent to center voter voices amid important local races. As one of the grantees, The Inquirer reported on the first Every Voice, Every Vote poll of more than 1,000 Philadelphians administered by polling firm SSRS and commissioned by Lenfest. The 2027 poll will also be conducted by SSRS.
Every Voice, Every Vote is now the “largest-ever collaborative journalism and community engagement effort,” Friedlich said, encompassing 365 civic engagement projects in more than 15 languages across more than 200 collaborations.
“Philadelphians need trusted information and meaningful opportunities to shape the decisions that affect their lives,” said Shawn Mooring, Lenfest Institute Head of Philadelphia Programs. “These partners bring deep relationships with their communities and creative approaches to reporting, listening, and civic engagement. This investment will help more residents understand local issues, make their voices heard, and hold decision-makers accountable.”
Other grant recipients include WHYY, WURD Radio, Technically Media, and the Philadelphia Tribune. PA Youth Vote will receive $45,000 for civic engagement purposes.
