Our mission

is to engage, educate, and empower our neighbors to support candidates and policies that put people and the planet before profit.

We are a diverse organization of grass roots, neighborhood-based activists dedicated to advancing social equality, economic justice and environmental sustainability through active engagement in both electoral politics and issue advocacy.

We recognize all these issues are infused with racial injustice and the systemic oppression of people of color, and each committee prioritizes anti-racism within its movement.

Community outreach is at the heart of our mission. Our commitment extends beyond advocating for candidates and policies—we actively listen to community needs and respond with action. Whether it’s organizing park cleanups, hosting barbecues, celebrating Juneteenth, or supporting re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals, we’re dedicated to making Philadelphia a better place for everyone. Together, we can create positive change!

Our Values

Equity & Inclusion. Compassion. Accountability. Collaboration & Partnership. Leadership.

Equity & Inclusion. We hold all human lives to be of equal value and believe that each person is entitled to basic human rights. We welcome all peoples’ participation, without regard to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, income, age, abilities, or religion, and value all the diversity they bring.

Compassion. In our interdependent world, we recognize that harm to one is harm to all and advocate for justice while treating each other with neighborly concern.

Accountability. We hold politicians answerable for their promises and their actions, and we expect that we too will fulfill our commitments, work responsibly with each other, and be true to the values we profess.

Collaboration & Partnership. We believe that working creatively together and with other groups builds a more powerful movement for social and economic change. When seeking solutions to structural injustices, we reach out and follow the leadership of the communities that are most directly affected.

Leadership. We believe in stepping up courageously as an organization and as individuals and stepping back to make room for others to lead in their time. We are committed to cultivating, growing and supporting leaders for our organization and respecting the lead of other organizations within our coalitions.

Harrisburgh Rally for Jobs, Education. Sept 2016. NN participated.jpg

Our History

Since our founding in 2005, we have grown to a network of over 4,700 activists.

Philly Neighborhood Networks traces its origins to the Presidential campaign of 2004. With strong support from MoveOn which provided a data-assisted organizing model, we had kept Pennsylvania “blue” with a massive turnout in Philadelphia despite the national defeat of John Kerry. A core group of MoveOn organizers were determined to preserve what they had learned from the campaign. We continued to hold monthly meetings and potlucks over the winter as we reached out to the connections we had made.

In June 2005, Philly Neighborhood Networks was born. We wanted to create an enduring organization to push for progressive candidates, policies and goals for healthcare, environment, civil rights and economic reform in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Nationally, we wanted to implement a strategy to shore up the “democratic wing” of the Democratic Party.

OUR POSITIONS

1. Democratic and Community Control Over Our Country and Economy

We must start by taking money out of politics so that public policies reflect the will of the people. We need publicly financed elections that are open, accessible and fair to all. Locally controlled entities like cooperatives, land trusts, and public banks must be supported while Wall Street and private banks must be regulated so that our city serves not just the 1% but all the people of Philadelphia.

2. Living Wage Jobs And Benefits For Workers

Americans have a right to fair minimum and living wages, to organize and collectively bargain, to enjoy equal opportunity, and to earn equal pay for equal work. We need job creation that lifts our chronically unemployed and marginalized residents out of poverty.

3. Safe, Clean And Healthy Communities Where People Can Afford To Live

Our communities need affordable housing that has protections for homeowners and renters, efficient city services, and quality health care for all that is cost-effective.

4. Climate Justice & Clean Energy for a Just and Sustainable Future

We must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and invest in cleaner, more innovative ways to produce and consume energy, like wind, solar and geothermal. Green energy jobs and more public and alternative transportation are needed in our city.

5. Support Public Education From Pre-K To Higher Education

We should provide universal access to early childhood education, make school funding equitable, elect our school board, invest in high-quality teachers, and build safe, well-equipped school buildings for our students. A high-quality education system, from universal preschool to vocational training, and affordable higher education, is critical for our future and can create badly needed jobs now.

6. Fair Taxes, Fair Budgets

Those that have more, should pay more so that our budgets provide for the essential services needed in all our neighborhoods, and especially for our most vulnerable citizens. We need to close corporate loopholes and giveaways for the rich.

7. Equality & Equity for All

Discrimination based on race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality has no place in our society. We must end discriminatory practices such as racial profiling and Stop & Frisk and institute policies like Ban the Box, bail reform and community-based policing. Our immigrant communities must have access to opportunities and be free from deportations and detentions. We need to end mass incarceration and reinvest the savings in programs that prevent recidivism and promote rehabilitation and reentry.