BOSTON, MA—April 15, 2025—Global consulting firm The Bridgespan Group announced today the successful completion of a four-year cohort learning initiative serving 80 organizations in Greater Philadelphia.
Leading for Impact (LFI) Philadelphia is part of Bridgespan’s broader LFI program delivered in ten cities across the United States. It is an 18-month consulting program that helps nonprofit executive teams pursue strategic opportunities and build capacity to improve their performance, benefitting from Bridgespan’s consulting expertise. Seeing the effectiveness of the LFI program in other regions and understanding the potential impact that it could have on the city, Harris Philanthropies and The Pew Charitable Trusts committed a combined $4 million to bring LFI to Philadelphia.
They supported 299 executive leaders at 50 local nonprofits across seven cohorts through LFI alone. Additionally, they are on the path to having served 40 more organizations and their leaders via the Bridgespan Leadership Accelerator, a 12- to 16-week online-facilitated program that includes coaching support and bi-weekly workshops across ten sessions focused on topics such as “Achieving Strategic Clarity” and “Creating an Adaptive Plan.” The participating organizations spanned issue areas such as education, women’s health, youth development, legal aid, public health, and advocacy.
According to Bob Searle, a Bridgespan partner who led the Philadelphia team, among other things, the program highlights the power of collaboration at multiple levels: “Harris Philanthropies and The Pew Charitable Trusts worked closely with Bridgespan and supported participating organizations, all contributing to ensure the program’s success. Additionally, the program is uniquely designed to foster collaboration and development among the executive teams from each organization as well as collaboration between the organizations themselves.”
A survey of LFI participants indicates that:
- 92 percent of all LFI participants agreed that the program increased their strategic clarity
- 91 percent of all LFI participants agreed that their executive team is now more effective
- 79 percent of all LFI participants agreed that the program helped to improve their organization’s performance
- 90 percent of all LFI participants agreed that their project is on track to achieve impact
“It is our pleasure to support the nonprofit community in Philadelphia through this important initiative,” said Josh and Marjorie Harris. “The collaboration with Bridgespan and Pew reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the city we care deeply about. From youth development to public health, we’ve seen firsthand how nonprofit leaders are creating meaningful change across local neighborhoods. It’s been an honor to help bring this program to life and work alongside these organizations striving to build a stronger, more equitable Philadelphia.”
“Nonprofit organizations are essential to the economic and social fabric of the Philadelphia region,” said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, senior vice president, Philadelphia and scientific advancement, at The Pew Charitable Trusts. “They provide essential services to under-resourced communities, cultivate a vibrant arts and culture sector, and are a local economic driver, because they create a significant number of jobs that offer fiscal stability for residents and wages that contribute to the tax base for Philadelphia and other local counties. But nonprofits also face wide-ranging challenges that require adaptive and strategic leadership. It was a privilege to collaborate with The Bridgespan Group and Harris Philanthropies to help the participating leaders and organizations advance their missions.”
“Leading For Impact was an invaluable asset to our organization, and Bridgespan's guidance couldn't have come at a better time for our senior leadership team,” says Mark Edwards, President and CEO of The Food Trust. “As we embarked on the implementation of our ambitious 2022–27 strategic plan, LFI provided us with the resources and support we needed to implement projects that have been critical to our growth and sustainability, including the development of our Theory of Change and Intended Impact frameworks, Strategic Criteria program assessment tool, and a 70-20-10 professional development plan for our staff. Through LFI, not only did we create new processes and initiatives that have already proven transformational, but we have also expanded our individual competencies as leaders and built trust within our team, which is paying dividends as we continue to evolve and grow together.”
Support provided by Harris Philanthropies and Pew covered more than 80 percent of costs to all participants. Organizations that were nominated for participation in LFI underwent a thorough process to determine whether the program would be a good fit for them, based on their needs and opportunities.
“What sets these programs apart is the focus on strengthening entire executive teams, not just individual leaders,” Bridgespan’s Searle said. “Ongoing support for nonprofit organizations is crucial, particularly as they navigate growing challenges in today’s environment.”
About The Bridgespan Group
The Bridgespan Group (bridgespan.org) is a global nonprofit that collaborates with social change organizations, philanthropists, and impact investors to make the world more equitable and just. Bridgespan’s services include strategy consulting and advising, sourcing and diligence, 3 and leadership team support. We take what we learn from this work and build on it with original research, identifying best practices and innovative ideas to share with the social sector. We work from locations in Boston, Delhi, Johannesburg, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, and Washington, DC.
About Harris Philanthropies
Harris Philanthropies creates equitable opportunities that allow youth to thrive and communities to grow. The Foundation seeks to pioneer solutions, strengthen communities, and improve lives through the transformative powers of sports, enhanced wellness, and leadership development. With a results-oriented, data-driven approach, Harris Philanthropies combines funding programs with targeted organizational support to provide catalytic giving in cities where the Foundation has a deep connection. Visit us at harrisphilanthropies.org.
About The Pew Charitable Trusts
Founded in 1948, The Pew Charitable Trusts uses data to make a difference, addressing the challenges of a changing world and helping communities thrive. In our hometown of Philadelphia, Pew promotes pathways to economic advancement, access to civic and cultural enrichment, and the safety and well-being of residents by strengthening local nonprofits, government, and civic institutions’ abilities to address complex issues. Pew does this through its grantmaking, capacity building, research, policy analysis, and stakeholder convenings. Learn more at pewtrusts.org/Philadelphia.
