Greater Philadelphia Land Protection Fund

Greater Philadelphia Land Protection Fund is sponsored by Open Space Institute. Aims to accelerate land protection and expand public access to nature in the greater Philadelphia region.

Open Space Institute Awarded $6 Million for Greater Philadelphia Land Protection Fund to Expand Conservation Activity, Access to Nature Throughout Region - Open Space Institute Open Space Institute Awarded $6 Million for Greater Philadelphia Land Protection Fund to Expand Conservation Activity, Access to Nature Throughout Region William Penn Foundation-backed effort aims to accelerate local land protection and preserve green spaces in urban core areas PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 30, 2026) — The Open Space Institute (OSI) has been awarded a $6 million grant from the William Penn Foundation (WPF) for the Greater Philadelphia Land Protection Fund (GPLPF): a new three-year initiative to accelerate land protection, expand public access to nature, and preserve remaining wildlife corridors across the greater Philadelphia region.

Through the initiative, OSI will support local land trusts in protecting 1,000 acres of land throughout the densely populated region over the next three years, while also working with conservation groups, community organizations, and other stakeholders so that they can better save, manage, and expand green space in an eight-county area spanning New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

To achieve these goals, OSI’s GPLPF will fund land protection and planning activities throughout the region; support collaborative efforts in Philadelphia and Camden that lay the groundwork for future land protection projects; and explore new funding mechanisms and conservation models that are responsive to local and community priorities.

“The Greater Philadelphia Land Protection Fund is conservation at its best—community-centered, focused, and creative,” said Nick Richardson, OSI’s Senior Vice President of Capital Strategies. “This region has an incredible network of cultural and community groups, and OSI is honored to help advance their work.

We are also proud to continue our strong relationship with the William Penn Foundation in protecting this area’s beautiful natural spaces, with benefits that everyone can enjoy. ” “We are pleased to build on our successful relationship with Open Space Institute,” said Nathan Boon, Interim Director for WPF’s Environment and Public Space Program.

“OSI brings the expertise to ensure that projects will deliver the biggest impact, and they have the relationships and ability to bring people together to advance shared goals. By recognizing environmental protection as a critical tool to improve quality of life, OSI is helping guarantee that more people can enjoy the benefits of nature.

” The GPLPF will focus on three main tactics: Awarding capital grants to land trusts for conservation projects throughout the greater Philadelphia region, with the goal of preserving ecological and watershed health, expanding equitable public access to nature, and cultivating climate resilience within communities, such as heat island reduction and flood hazard mitigation; Strengthening conservation capacity across the region by supporting locally led planning and policy initiatives, and improving regional funding pipelines; and Building durable local capacity to manage, steward, and expand open space for the long term, in partnership with community-based organizations.

In Philadelphia and Camden, opportunities to save green space can be found across a collection of urban gardens, vacant lots, pocket parks, and other open spaces where land can easily be lost to development if not protected.

In this fragmented and complex natural landscape, OSI will draw on its deep expertise in community engagement and collaboration, paired with targeted investments in planning and capacity and possible future capital support to save precious open space—and keep it available to the public.

OSI will open the first GPLPF grant round for the eight outer counties in fall 2026; opportunities will include capital grants for land protection, planning grants, and transaction support costs. In the cities of Philadelphia and Camden, OSI anticipates supporting additional land protection and planning projects by the end of the year.

The first year of the GPLPF will be intentionally structured with a more flexible approach for grantseekers to facilitate the creation of partnerships and pathways for effective conservation. The initiative’s eight outer-county focus area covers Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer Counties in New Jersey. The GPLPF is the latest effort between WPF and OSI.

Since 2014, OSI’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund (DRWPF)—generously supported by WPF as part of its previous strategy—has awarded more than $20 million to organizations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware to protect water quality in the Delaware watershed, source of clean drinking water for more than 15 million people and businesses.

OSI’s DRWPF has helped on-the-ground organizations save more than 35,000 acres for water quality while at the same time expanding public parks and nature preserves, and delivering numerous other benefits for people, wildlife, and the climate.

WPF also provided critical seed funding for OSI’s Bayshore Highlands Fund, which conserved nearly 7,000 acres of farmland and forests in the New Jersey Bayshore and Pennsylvania Highland Region between 2011 and 2016. The Open Space Institute is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks and other protected land more welcoming for all. Since 1974, OSI has partnered in the protection of more than 2.

5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in the eastern United States. OSI’s land protection promotes clean air and water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens communities, and combats the devastating impacts of extreme weather.

The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.

williampennfoundation. org. Donate to support OSI’s work Become a part of our mission to safeguard at-risk places through your tax-deductible gift.

We get in touch once a month with our most important news, stories, and updates. Stay informed about our efforts to protect at-risk land. Or continue to OSI’s website.