The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s organizational structure has undergone many changes over the years. The following list of no longer extant granting groups and committees is provided as a reference and a guide for anyone who was familiar with older institutional structures and wishes to find the comparable current group that has care of the same or similar projects. For a list of PYM’s current Granting Groups and programs, consult the PYM Grants page. Over the years, several funds formerly housed at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting have been transferred to other institutions, for a complete list of other Quaker grants consult our Grants Beyond PYM resource.
Aging Granting Group (to 2016)— The Aging Granting Group funded direct assistance grants to, and projects of benefit for, elderly PYM Friends. In 2016, care of this work was transferred to the Aging Assistance Granting Group.
Committee on Friends Education Granting Group (to 2021) – renamed in 2021 to the Quaker Education Granting Group, with a continuity in membership and in granting scope.
Friends Institute Granting Group (to 2016) — The Friends Institute Granting Group made grants to individual PYM young adult Friends to encourage and support them in ministry, service, witness, and Quaker study. It also supported programs, events or activities of organizations which support and build the community of PYM young adult Friends. In 2016, it became a subcommittee of the Travel & Witness Granting Group.
Family Planning Granting Group (to 2017) — The Family Planning Granting Group made grants to organizations to support planned parenthood/birth control, from the Natalie Clifford Barney Trust. In 2017, care of grants from the Natalie Clifford Barney Trust were transferred to the Quaker Buildings & Programs Granting Group.
International Outreach Granting Group (1974 to 2016) — The International Outreach Granting Group was formed in 1974, as a successor organization to the Japan Committee, which began in the 1920s, broadening that organization’s interest in outreach to any part of the world where Friends and others address conditions of injustice, conflict, and poverty or engage in fellowship among Friends. The International Outreach Granting Group made grants to support individuals engaged in international travel, to those ends. In 2016, the International Outreach Granting Group was merged into the Travel & Witness Granting Group.
Jeanes Granting Group (1970 to 2016) — Formed in 1970 as the Jeanes Fund Committee, the Jeanes Granting Group made grants from twelve distinct Jeanes Funds to support the residents of ‘Quaker boarding homes and infirmaries’ and project of benefit thereof. In 2013, the group was charged with care of the Scheibley Fund, which makes grants in support of Friends retirement facilities. In 2016, the Jeanes Granting Group was laid down and care of its funds were moved to two groups: individual assistance grants from the Jeanes Funds were moved to the Aging Assistance Granting Group and organizational grants, for programs, renovation, and construction, were moved to the Quaker Buildings & Programs Granting Group.
Legacy Grants Group (2008 to 2012) — The Legacy Grants Group was formed in a merger of the Chace and Bequests Granting Groups, with the stated purpose of ‘strengthen[ing] Quaker Institutions and further[ing] Friends Testimonies.’ In FY 2012, income from PYM’s unrestricted funds ceased to be used for grant making. The restrictions of the three remaining Legacy restricted funds — the Virginia Keeney Trust, the Mary Pusey Trust, and the Frank Scheibley Trust – were too narrow to fulfill the stated purpose of the granting group, and so the group was reformed. The Scheibley Trust was moved to the Jeanes Granting Group; the Keeney Fund was moved to the Meeting House Trusts Granting Group; and the Mary Pusey Trust was distributed by a newly-formed group, the Pusey Granting Group. All three of those funds were moved to the Quaker Buildings & Programs Granting Group in 2016.
Meeting House Trusts Granting Group (to 2016) — The Meeting House Trusts Granting Group provided grants from the Samuel T. Jeanes Fund for Meetinghouse Purposes and the Charleston Fund for the repair, renovation, and construction of meetinghouses, as well as, over the years, grants from several other funds for several different purposes. Grants that would have been made by the Meeting House Trusts Granting Group were put under the care of the Quaker Building & Programs Granting Group in 2016.
Pemberton Granting Group (to 2016)– The Pemberton Granting Group made grants to PYM Friends for travel to PYM Quarterly Sessions and Annual Sessions, and for domestic and international travel on religious concern, as well as travel by or on behalf of PYM. In 2016, the Pemberton Granting Group was merged into the Travel & Witness Granting Group.
Pusey Granting Group (2012 to 2016) — The Pusey Granting Group was a successor organization to the Legacy Grants Group, making grants from the Pusey Fund for the specific named purposes of that fund – support for existing PYM homes for the elderly; hospitals under PYM care; Friends Journal; PYM Meetings providing financial assistance in the education of young Friends, and AFSC social service projects within the United States. Grants from the Pusey Fund are now under the care of the Quaker Buildings & Programs Granting Group.
