The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that foster rich cultural expression, strengthen children’s futures, and deepen connections to nature and community.
Through the creation of neighborhood-based youth development systems, the Foundation attempts to foster a network of quality youth opportunities; improve knowledge of community youth through the coordination of data collection efforts; provide a thoughtful vehicle for youth engagement; and reduce the number of youth falling between the cracks due to the duplication of various community efforts.