Community Foundation Awards $611,500 from Trusted Response Fund to Support Community Needs
Allentown, Pa., February 26, 2026—The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation (LVCF) today announced $611,500 in grants through its Trusted Response Fund, funding nonprofit organizations across the Lehigh Valley that are addressing urgent community needs and strengthening long-term resilience.
The Trusted Response Fund was established to provide flexible, timely resources to organizations responding to emerging challenges and evolving community conditions. This year’s grants support a broad cross-section of the nonprofit sector, including health care access, youth development, basic needs, arts and culture, education, environmental stewardship, and community-based support systems.
The Foundation received a strong and competitive pool of applications, reflecting both the vitality of the region’s nonprofit sector and the scale of current community needs. Funding awards were based on alignment with the Fund’s purpose, demonstrated community impact, organizational capacity, and financial stewardship.
“The Trusted Response Fund reflects our commitment to investing in organizations that are deeply embedded in and responsive to our community,” said Robyn Weaver, Program Officer for Capacity Building, who oversees the implementation of the Trusted Response Fund. “We are grateful to the community evaluators who brought rigor and care to this process. This year’s grants represent a wide range of approaches to strengthening the Lehigh Valley—from expanding access to health services and education to supporting families facing economic hardship. While we could not fund every worthy request, we are confident these investments will have meaningful impact.”
Grants, ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, were awarded to the following organizations for 2025-26:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Basement Poetry
- Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
- Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society
Financial Sustainability
- Bach Choir of Bethlehem
- Friends of the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks
- Greater Easton Development Partnership
- LINC (Lehigh Valley Interregional Networking & Connecting Consortium)
- Northeast Community Center
- ProJeCt of Easton, Inc.
- WDIY 88.1 FM
Leadership
- Battle Borne
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley, Inc.
- Center for Humanistic Change, Inc.
- Community Bike Works
- Stephen’s Place
- Valley Youth House
Operational Efficiency/Effectiveness
- Community Music School
- Family Connection of Easton
- Humanitarian Social Innovations
- Pennsylvania Youth Theatre
- Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley
- Third Street Alliance for Women & Children
- Valley Wealth Alliance
- Wildlands Conservancy
Organizational Culture and Continuous Learning
- Family Promise of Lehigh Valley
- Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley
- Mindful Child Initiative
Purpose and Impact
- Allentown Public Theatre
- Allentown School District Foundation
- ArtsQuest
- Boys & Girls Club of Allentown
- Communities In Schools of Eastern PA
- Easter Seals Eastern PA
- Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network
- Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley
- Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley
- Juxtahub
- Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers, Inc.
- Nurture Nature Center
- Ripple Community Inc.
- River Crossing YMCA
- The Arc of Lehigh and Northampton Counties
- The Kindness Project
- Thrive Hub
- Wilson Area LINCS Family Center, Inc.
Strategic Response
- Bethlehem Area Public Library*
- Cathedral Church of the Nativity
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Allentown, Inc.
- Cay Galgon Life House
- Junior Achievement of Southeastern Pennsylvania
- Lehigh Conference of Churches
- Make The Road Pennsylvania
- Meals On Wheels of the Greater Lehigh Valley
- New Bethany*
- Planned Parenthood Keystone
- Safe Harbor Easton
- The Refugee Community Center
*Projects funded through a grant from Comcast
The 2026 Trusted Response Fund cohort reflects LVCF’s continued commitment to responsive philanthropy—deploying resources where they can stabilize critical services today while strengthening organizational capacity for the future. See: https://lvcfgrants.org/trusted-response-fund for more information.
About the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
At the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, we connect donors who care with causes that matter. A leader in charitable giving in the Lehigh Valley for more than 58 years, we receive support from donors, manage funds to grow over time, and make high-impact grants to strengthen local nonprofits.
The Foundation manages more than 300 charitable funds, totaling over $130 million, and we continue to grow—both in size and in the way we fulfill our mission. We are evolving to engage more deeply with partners, serve more effectively as a thought leader on community issues, and explore more innovative ways to make life better across the Lehigh Valley. To learn more, visit: www.lehighvalleyfoundation.org.
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Media Contact
Michael Wilson
Director of Communications
Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
Cell: 484 695-3277 | Michael@LVCFoundation.org