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During our Q1 Spruce Council meeting we learned how Teach For America is “Catalyzing Leadership to make Educational Equity and Excellence a Reality” from our guest speaker Caitlin Wood Sklar, Managing Director – Corporate, Foundation and Public Partnerships at Teach for America – Philadelphia. She began by noting “America is not yet preparing all children…
Naima Murphy has always supported causes that are close to her. Growing up, she had two active role models in her parents, both of whom worked in spaces championing collective equality for Black people. Her dad was a civil rights lawyer while her mom was a social worker, and they demonstrated that everyone has a…
The Spruce Foundation is committed to incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into every aspect of our organization. Over the summer, we shared our commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization and compiled a list of resources to learn more about anti-racism and a few local organizations who are doing incredible work in advancing equity. We…
This fall, Spruce checked in with its 2020 Grantees to see how they were faring admist all the craziness of the past year—and I had the pleasure of checking in with the Spruce Foundation’s 2020 LGBTQ Grantee, Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus (“PGMC”). PGMC entertains audiences, supports communities, and fosters acceptance through exceptional musical performance. They…
The Spruce Foundation awarded our 2020 Education grant to the WesGold Fellows program of the West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution (WPFSI). Their mission is “to engage the youth, positively impact disadvantaged populations, and increase financial literacy in families and communities throughout the City of Philadelphia.” We spoke with Abbie Briskin, one of four Program Coordinators…
Spells Writing Lab is one-of-a-kind. Founded in 2009, their mission is to develop the creative and expository writing abilities of school-age children through free, fun, and imaginative writing programs and teacher development opportunities. All programs are free and include classroom visits focused on creative writing, weekend writing workshops, a six-week summer day camp, after-school writing…
When we met with Kerry Slade, current board member at the Thomas & Woods Foundation, one theme was recurrent: relationships are the key to success. After all, the Thomas & Woods Foundation was born out of a strong relationship. Isaiah Thomas (now a city council member) and Chris Woods, co-founders of the foundation, grew up…
On September 22nd, the Spruce Foundation kicked off the second year of the Spruce Council program with our fall quarterly meeting. Spruce Council is the Spruce Foundation’s program to engage young professionals deeper in our work, and in the wider world of philanthropy. Being a member of Spruce Council allows participants to immerse themselves in…
Interested in joining an organization centered around supporting and cultivating Philadelphia’s Youth? Apply today for a leadership opportunity with a group of people working to make this beautiful city shine a little brighter! Spruce Foundation is an all volunteer non-profit that cultivates next-gen leaders and philanthropists. The goal and mission of our organization is to…
Over the past few years, Spruce has started to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) approaches into the fabric of our organization. We are committed to doing the work to become an inclusive, anti-racist organization. In light of recent events, we compiled a list of resources to learn more about anti-racism and a few local…