Four community projects based in Philadelphia were chosen by the Knight Foundation from a national pool of 4,500 applicants. The projects will collectively receive more than $870,000 for their ideas that seek to improve the city.  

Announced yesterday, the projects were chosen along with 33 other projects from around the country. The Knight Cities Challenge, as it is called, looks to fund projects that help “cities attract and keep talented people, expand economic opportunities and create a culture of civic engagement.”

The four Philly projects are as follows:

• 20 Book Clubs, 20 Cooperative Business by the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance. Grant award: $146,000.

• Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers by the Reading Terminal Market Corp. Grant award: $84,674.

• The Institute of Hip-Hop Entrepreneurship by Little Giant Creative. Grant award: $308,640.

• The Little Music Studio by Benjamin Bryant. Grant award: $334,050.

“At its core, the Knight Cities Challenge is about discovering and connecting civic innovators, creative interventionists who inspire positive change,” said Alberto Ibargüen, president of the Knight Foundation in a press release. “The winners reflect this goal. Their ideas have the potential to create stronger communities and spaces that spur learning, engagement and growth.”  

This is the challenge’s second year. The foundation will reopen the submission process for next year in the fall.