Our programs

Small, fast help that keeps Philadelphians at home.

Eli Cares is launching three programs: one-time grants that keep families housed, starter support for young adults leaving homelessness, and gap grants for single parents. Every dollar goes straight to a landlord, utility or vendor, and every family comes to us through someone who already knows them.

Fund a program Get help

The need in Philadelphia

Too many neighbors are one bill away from a shelter bed.

Philadelphia counted 5,163 people experiencing homelessness on February 25, 2026, and the number of people in shelters rose for the fifth year in a row. Prevention works, but help has to be fast and flexible to catch families before they lose their home.

5,163people experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia, counted Feb. 25, 2026
4,452people living in shelters or transitional housing, up for a fifth straight year
$4,000+can be the cost of first month’s rent plus a deposit on a two-bedroom

Sources: City of Philadelphia 2026 Point-in-Time Count; Axios Philadelphia; Philadelphia Fair Market Rent data.

Three programs

Each one does one job well.

For families

Family Stability Fund

One-time grants that stop an eviction or move a displaced family into a home.

A hand turning a key in the front door of a home
What it pays
Back rent to stop a filed eviction, a first month’s rent and security deposit, or a utility bill that’s blocking a lease.
How much
Usually around $1,500, up to $3,000 per family, once in any 12 months.
Who it’s for
Philadelphia households with children, at or below 80% of area median income, referred by a partner caseworker, with a lease or written landlord agreement showing the grant resolves the crisis.
For teens & young adults

Youth Bridge

Practical starter help for young people facing homelessness, built with youth shelters and led in spirit by Eli.

Volunteers packing donated supplies into boxes
Bridge Kits (about $100)
Hygiene supplies, a prepaid phone plan, a SEPTA Key card load, and a list of local resources, handed out through partner shelters and outreach teams.
Move-In Kits (about $500)
Bedding, kitchen basics and cleaning supplies for young adults 18 to 24 moving from shelter into their first apartment.
Document fees
Birth certificate and state ID costs, which can block jobs and leases.
Youth-led drives
Eli, Tristen and their friends run school and community supply drives that help stock the kits.
Keeping kids safe
Young people under 18 are served only through licensed partners such as shelters, never directly.
For single parents

Single Parent Lift

Small gap grants that keep a working single parent from falling behind.

A mother laughing as she plays with her daughter in a park
What it pays
A child care copay, a car repair needed to get to work, a utility shutoff notice, or a month of diapers and formula through a partner.
How much
Usually around $300, up to $750 per parent, up to twice in any 12 months.
Who it’s for
Single parents in Philadelphia who are working, in school or in job training, referred by a partner.

Grant amounts are planning figures. The Eli Cares Board sets final limits in its written grant policy.

How help reaches people

Trusted, careful and fast.

A partner refers

Caseworkers at trusted Philadelphia programs, who already know the family, send the case to us.

We check the case

We review it against our written grant policy, aiming to pay within five business days.

We pay the bill directly

Money goes to the landlord, utility or vendor, never as cash. If we can’t help, we connect the family to someone who can.

Our promises

Every gift is handled with care.

We judge our work by whether people stay housed, not by how much we spend.

  • About 90% of every dollar goes directly to the people we serve.
  • No cash. Payments go only to landlords, utilities and vendors.
  • Fair, written rules. Every grant follows our written policy, and every approval is recorded.
  • Two-person approval for larger grants, and no grants to insiders or their families.
  • Privacy. Names and documents stay private. Stories are shared only with written permission.
  • Following up. We check in at 30 and 90 days, aiming for 80% of families still housed.

Where we’re starting

A $25,000 pilot can help about 70 people.

We’re raising our pilot from founding donors and early sponsors, then growing as support grows.

Program$25,000 pilot$100,000 year one$250,000 full launch
Family Stability Fund10 families35 families80 families
Youth Bridge Kits50 youth150 youth300 youth
Youth Move-In Kits—20 young adults50 young adults
Single Parent Lift10 parents40 parents100 parents
People helped70245530
Help fund the pilot Become a sponsor