INNOVATION | ENTREPRENEURSHIP | LEADERSHIP
GRANTEE SPOTLIGHTS
These organizations catalyze impact and create value for people across mental/behavioral health, education, and economic revitalization.
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA
ISSUE AREA: Mental/Behavioral Health & Education
AREA OF FOCUS: Innovation & Leadership
As part of its support of developing and expanding the reach of mental health programming, the Widger Family Foundation provided a grant to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for its leadership and innovative work in early psychosis care in Greater Philadelphia. It has expanded its FEP Program to treat patients in the Philadelphia suburbs and improve the quality and accessibility of FEP care in the region. CHOP’s goal is to expand the patient census by at least 20 participants to include patients from outside Philadelphia County, many of whom lack access to a FEP coordinated specialty care (CSC), by the end of 2024.
THE FEINSTEIN INSTITUTES FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
ISSUE AREA: Mental/Behavioral Health & Education
AREA OF FOCUS: Innovation & Entrepreneurship
As part of its support of developing and expanding the reach of mental health programming, the Widger Family Foundation provided a grant to The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research to reach more youth experiencing early psychosis. In collaboration with Strong365, they developed a first-of-its-kind digital media campaign called PAWell designed exclusively to identify, engage, and refer youth with early psychosis, and their allies, to care. The program leverages digital ads to connect youth searching for information online to a multilingual website offering a symptom screener; assessment and referral via live, anonymous chat with a licensed counselor or peer advocate; mental health education; and empowering personal narratives. PAWell seeks to increase awareness about FEP and reduce barriers for help-seeking and time to treatment.
MINDFUL PHILANTHROPY
ISSUE AREA: Mental/Behavioral Health & Education
AREA OF FOCUS: Innovation & Leadership
Mindful Philanthropy seeks to catalyze impactful funding in mental health, addiction, and well-being and partners with funders to increase understanding about and funding toward mental health-related issues. In the United States, approximately 100,000 young people experience a first episode of psychosis (FEP) each year. In 2023, Mindful Philanthropy received a grant from the Foundation to establish and manage the first year of a forum on FEP. The initial Forum provided a space for learning and connection among early psychosis programs, providers, and guiding experts in Greater Philadelphia to share their learnings, foster collaboration, and reimagine a care system for individuals experiencing psychosis. The Foundation provided general operating support to Mindful Philanthropy to increase its capacity. In 2024, the Foundation provided a grant for Mindful Philanthropy to continue the Forum to strengthen the care navigation system and create actionable steps to support individuals experiencing early psychosis beyond the 3-year care duration mark.
PHILADELPHIA YOUTH BASKETBALL
ISSUE AREA: Mental/Behavioral Health & Education
AREA OF FOCUS: Entrepreneurship & Leadership
Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB) leverages the iconic basketball game to deliver life-changing opportunities and experiences. Built of, by, for, and with the communities it serves, PYB provides a safe, nurturing environment for young people to develop the skill sets and mindsets they need to succeed on the court and in their education, careers, and lives. The Widger Family Foundation has committed general operating support, programmatic funding and capital towards PYB’s campaign to build its Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center. The Center will centralize PYB’s program offerings, which go beyond basketball to include classes on financial empowerment, sessions about civil dialogue, a multimedia lab, opportunities to access mental health resources, and more. The Foundation also provided a low-interest loan further to support the building and furnishing of the Center.
THE PHOENIX
ISSUE AREA: Mental/Behavioral Health & Education
AREA OF FOCUS: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, & Leadership
According to the 2022 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 46.8 million, or 16.7% of Americans aged 12 and older battled a substance use disorder in the past year. The Phoenix seeks to directly address this issue by sponsoring hundreds of weekly sober events and activities, including CrossFit, yoga, meditation, indoor climbing, book clubs, movie nights, and much more. In doing so, they’re creating safe spaces for all individuals to connect, build friendships, find support, have fun, and build community while changing how society approaches addiction and recovery. In 2022, the Widger Family Foundation provided a multi-year grant to The Phoenix in support of both the expansion of their Philadelphia programming and the renovation of a dedicated building that will serve as The Phoenix’s headquarters for the Mid-Atlantic region. Through their Philadelphia presence, The Phoenix will build out partnerships with other local organizations, expand their volunteer numbers, grow their memberships, and offer additional programming. The headquarters will serve as a host for all this work and provide a space for individuals to continue working at recovery.
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA'S PERC PROGRAM
ISSUE AREA: Mental/Behavioral Health & Education
AREA OF FOCUS: Innovation & Leadership
As part of its support of developing and expanding the reach of mental health programming, the Widger Family Foundation provided a grant to the University of Pennsylvania’s PERC program (PERC) for its leadership and innovative work in early psychosis care in Greater Philadelphia. PERC has expanded FEP capacity, CSC services, and care duration to allow it to reach more patients, including those uninsured or underinsured; offer services in the community, including providing educational sessions about early psychosis and access to FEP care; and extend duration of CSC to a 3rd transitional year to provide longer term care to individuals experiencing FEP.
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
ISSUE AREA: Mental/Behavioral Health & Education
AREA OF FOCUS: Innovation
The University of Virginia Athletics Department (UVA) has consistently been a leader in student-athlete mental health. Led by the renowned sports psychologist Dr. Jason Freeman, UVA seeks to holistically address the health and well-being of every UVA student-athlete, empowering them to thrive at the university and beyond. To aid in this goal, the Widger Family Foundation provided a grant in 2024 for two pilot programs within the Sports Psychology Department. The Wellness IN Sports (WINS) Initiative offers QPR and MHFA education and awareness training to reduce stigma, increase comfort in handling mental health-related concerns, increase willingness to access support, and sustain healthier cultures. Supplementing training, fidget “toys” will provide research-backed outlets for UVA student-athletes to self-regulate their emotions, concentrate and maintain cognitive function, and provide relaxation. The second half of the grant supports a sports psychology postdoctoral fellow who will increase student-athletes access to and utilization of mental health and wellness resources. In addition to adding capacity to the sports psychology staff, the fellowship will give the Sports Psychology Department the opportunity to educate the next generation of provider
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VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
CHARLES WIDGER SCHOOL OF LAW
ISSUE AREA: Education (Legal)
AREA OF FOCUS: Innovation & Leadership
Founded in 1953, the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law provides broad-based legal education grounded in academic rigor, practical, hands-on training, and a foundation in business that prepares graduates for diverse and rewarding legal careers. The Law School, accredited by the American Bar Association, offers eight in-house clinics and more than 300 externship opportunities that immerse students in the real-world application of their legal skills. Chuck and Barbara Widger* provided a transformational naming gift and subsequent donations to Villanova Law. The naming gift from the Widgers has supported scholarships for students with leadership skills and an interest in business and law, endowed a professorship based in the Law School but working across disciplines, and created an "innovation fund" for new academic programs. Additional donations have supported professional development and leadership programming in legal education, advanced faculty research, and a new program for young alumni to establish endowed student scholarships. This funding by Chuck and Barbara has established programming, which is captured by the tagline Where Law Meets Business. Where Law Meets Business is an innovation in legal education that infuses vital business principles, professional skills, ethical training, and practical experiences into each student’s education. Through innovative coursework, numerous clinics, and hundreds of externship placements, Villanova Law students learn by doing and graduate with the knowledge and skills needed for success in today’s competitive job market. This intersection of law and business is a transformative paradigm shift in legal education. Rooted in the belief in the fundamental human right of personal economic initiative and confidence in the creative capacity of fellow citizens, this holistic educational approach integrates the study of law and business by empowering future attorneys with skills and an entrepreneurial mindset that will help them serve clients and ultimately foster a freer, more just and more prosperous society. *Support for Villanova Law came from Chuck and Barbara Widger personally.
