For an enhanced digital experience, read this story in the ezine.

A network powering citywide transformation

In the heart of Philadelphia, a groundbreaking initiative is reshaping the urban landscape and revitalizing communities. City of Philadelphia’s Rebuilding Community Infrastructure program, affectionately known as “Rebuild,” stands as a testament to the power of public-private partnerships and innovative fundraising strategies. This transformative project, with its ambitious scope and far-reaching impact, offers valuable lessons for cities and organizations nationwide seeking to enhance public spaces and community resources. 

The Genesis and Scope of Rebuild

Launched in 2017, Rebuild represents one of the most extensive capital project programs ever undertaken by City of Philadelphia. At its core, Rebuild is a transformative investment of more than $500 million into the renovation of 72 public parks, recreation centers and libraries. These sites were selected based on their physical condition and location, typically in historically under-resourced neighborhoods. This ensures that the program’s impact reaches communities most in need of revitalized public spaces in the hope that investment in public space has a stabilizing or revitalizing effect on the sites’ surrounding neighborhoods. 

The scale of Rebuild is impressive, with individual projects ranging in cost from $500,000 to $40 million. This wide range reflects the program’s commitment to developing a scope of work that reflects input from the community and the level of need at each site.

Rebuild is committed to a thorough and thoughtful community engagement process that involves residents and community stakeholders of all ages. Community engagement and project design happen concurrently, ensuring that feedback from stakeholders directly shapes the final design of each project. This approach not only results in spaces that better serve the community’s needs, but also fosters a sense of ownership and pride among residents for these newly renovated public assets.

Funding a Citywide Transformation 

Rebuild’s funding structure is as innovative as its approach to community development. Structured as a public-private partnership, the program draws from a diverse pool of financial resources. These include bond dollars from the Philadelphia Beverage Tax, city capital funds and a historic $100 million investment from the William Penn Foundation — the largest grant in the foundation’s history, and one of the largest private grants funding public spaces in the country. 

The role of philanthropy in Rebuild cannot be overstated. Private donations are critical to Rebuild’s ability to deliver high-quality public spaces to communities that rely on these sites for essential services and programming. When Rebuild launched in 2017, City of Philadelphia set an initial fundraising goal of $50 million. However, the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 necessitated a recalibration of this target. As the pandemic slowed Rebuild’s momentum and shifted the philanthropy sector’s focus to urgent pandemic-related needs, the city adjusted Rebuild’s fundraising goal to $25 million. Today, Rebuild’s fundraising efforts have exceeded expectations. As of August 2024, the program has raised an additional $46 million from public and private funders, doubling down on the impact of the William Penn Foundation’s grant.

Building a Constituency 

Successful fundraising often relies on a built-in constituency — a group of stakeholders with a vested interest in an organization’s success. Universities have their alumni, hospitals have grateful patients, but for a citywide initiative like Rebuild, the challenge was to turn every Philadelphian into a potential supporter and advocate. 

Rebuild’s approach to this challenge was multifaceted. From the outset, the program invested heavily in communications and marketing to build a recognizable brand throughout the Philadelphia region. This strategy involved showcasing a wide array of stakeholders in its content — from community members and partner organizations to elected officials — demonstrating the tangible impact Rebuild has on the quality of life for Philadelphians. 

The program holds groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies across the city, creating visible milestones of progress. Philadelphians encounter Rebuild’s work through various channels: social media, news coverage and, most importantly, through improvements to their neighborhood recreation centers, playgrounds and libraries. This ubiquity has transformed Rebuild into a bright spot in the city’s landscape, attracting funders and elected officials eager to contribute to its success. Rebuild’s milestone events that engage the press and strong presence on social media also have provided opportunities to highlight funders’ support to the public, giving Rebuild an effective way to steward relationships with existing funders and a tool to attract others.

Leveraging Limited Resources

With a fundraising staff of just one person, rising construction costs following the COVID-19 pandemic, and an urgent need to complete projects quickly, Rebuild had to get creative with its fundraising approach. The program leveraged its strong brand to build a network of advocates who could help raise funds for its mission. 

This network includes city, state and federal elected officials; nonprofit organizations partnering with Rebuild on capital projects; and community members. Each group plays a unique role in unlocking funding for Rebuild: 

• Elected officials and community members advocate for funding through grant applications to state and federal government agencies. They write letters of support, directly contact decision-makers, award appropriations to specific Rebuild sites in their districts, and introduce Rebuild to community-based organizations, such as Neighborhood Advisory Councils, which can garner corporate support for Rebuild.
• Nonprofit partner organizations apply for grants toward Rebuild projects they’re collaborating on, helping to offset overall project costs. This is particularly crucial as Rebuild, being a public-private partnership rather than a 501(c)(3) organization, is ineligible to apply directly for many private foundation grants.
• The William Penn Foundation has played a pivotal role in convening peer institutions and encouraging additional support of Rebuild. 

This network of advocates serves as Rebuild’s built-in constituency, and their unique contributions have been instrumental in exceeding fundraising expectations. 

Collaboration Is Key 

Rebuild’s fundraising success demonstrates the power of strategic collaborations. By transforming stakeholders into passionate advocates, the program has created a robust support system. When seeking new fundraising partners, Rebuild identifies stakeholders whose missions align with its goals and who can provide the necessary support to achieve them.

These partnerships are secured by educating stakeholders about the program’s impact within the community, fostering a sense of shared purpose. For Rebuild, the common denominator among its donors and advocates is the vision of every Philadelphian having access to a high-quality neighborhood-based public recreation center, library and/or playground within walking distance of their home.

Sports organizations have been particularly valuable partners for Rebuild. Collaborations with the NFL Foundation, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Union Foundation and Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association have provided funding for natural grass and synthetic turf football fields, multisport athletic fields, and soccer mini pitches at Rebuild sites across the city.

Rebuild also has connected with companies like Live! Casino and Hotel Philadelphia, which contributed to the renovation of the Murphy Recreation Center. These partnerships have been instrumental in maximizing resources and allowing Rebuild to develop project scopes that deliver a greater impact.

Fundraising as a Team Sport

Every staff member at Rebuild contributes to its fundraising program. The program includes teams specializing in design and construction, community engagement, operations, finance, compliance, workforce development, external affairs, and communications. Fundraising is a cross-functional effort, engaging various Rebuild teams at every stage of the process, from strategy and solicitation to stewardship and compliance.

The design and construction team supports the development of project scopes and budgets for grant applications. The finance team assists with the reimbursement process for government grants. The community engagement team connects with individual community members and neighborhood-based nonprofit organizations, encouraging them to advocate to their elected officials for Rebuild funding and participate in raising funds for their local Rebuild project.

Katherine Cueva, deputy director, planning and engagement for Rebuild, explains: “While the community engagement team holds listening sessions with the community, we also connect with hyperlocal nonprofits and community organizations who actively help with fundraising. Through the fundraising team’s guidance, the community engagement team is equipped with the knowledge to educate these individuals on how they can play a key role in ensuring their community receives all that it deserves. This sometimes leads to the organization submitting for project funding that only they can receive as a nonprofit.”

The fundraising team works closely with Rebuild’s design and construction team to identify projects requiring additional funding to fully realize the community’s vision. Angela Dixon, deputy director of design and construction for Rebuild, notes: “These funding opportunities are exciting for the Rebuild team and our partners. Our team dreams big because that’s what Philadelphians deserve, and through our collaborative work on fundraising, we can make those dreams turn into reality.”

Lessons Learned

Rebuild’s success stories highlight the power of strategic partnerships and persistent advocacy. For example, collaboration with Senator Bob Casey in 2023 resulted in Rebuild’s first federal appropriation, securing $1.4 million for ADA improvements at Blanche A. Nixon Library. This achievement not only provided crucial funding, but it also set a precedent for future federal support, with Rebuild awarded three more federal appropriations in 2024.

The program’s ability to exceed its fundraising goals, even in the face of a global pandemic, demonstrates the effectiveness of its approach. By creating a wide network of advocates and supporters, Rebuild has been able to tap into diverse funding sources and maintain momentum even during challenging times.

Several key lessons emerge from Rebuild’s experience:

• Leverage existing connections: Look beyond traditional funders and build relationships with stakeholders across various industries, sectors and departments that have a vested interest in your mission.   
• Engage the community: Involve residents in your fundraising program by asking them to advocate to elected officials, private foundations and corporations. The voices of community members and their firsthand experience with and passion for your organization’s mission is an impactful tool for fundraising.
• Create a strong brand: Invest in communications and marketing to build recognition and attract potential funders and advocates. Educate people on your organization’s wins.
• Be adaptable: Be prepared to adjust goals and strategies in response to changing circumstances. 
• Foster cross-functional collaboration: Engage all departments in the fundraising process to maximize expertise. The more staff are strategically involved, the better, as it solidifies fundraising as an important part of your organization’s culture.

Rebuild’s success demonstrates that with high levels of collaboration among a variety of stakeholders, it’s possible to mobilize substantial resources for urban transformation. As cities across the nation grapple with aging infrastructure and limited budgets, the lessons from City of Philadelphia’s Rebuilding Community Infrastructure program offer a roadmap for leveraging public-private partnerships and community engagement to create lasting change. By fostering a network of advocates and supporters dedicated to their mission, organizations can amplify their impact and create vibrant, sustainable public spaces that will serve their communities for generations to come. 

Casey Heilig is the Director of External Affairs at Rebuild Philadelphia.