The Northwest Fund has announced which organizations will receive grants as part of a total of $300,000 it is giving out to try and help keep local neighborhoods more safe.

The fund announced in December it would give out the $300,000 to Northwest Philadelphia non-profits that work to decrease violence here. This week, it named the 45 organizations that will get funding. (To see a full list of those organizations, many of which are based in Mt. Airy, click here.)

Northwest Fund Associate Director Katey Metzroth said the organization gave priority to non-profits that were working with high-risk populations or with groups of people with low incomes.

The organization also prioritized groups that are working to prevent violent crime as opposed to crime in general.

"It was tough because it was so competitive," Metzroth said. "We didn't expect to have nearly that many folks apply, and we really tried our best to fund as many groups as possible."

The amount it awarded to each organizations depended on how many people it was able to serve with the funds. It also gave priority to programs that were of low cost to those using them.

Organizations weren't allowed to request more than 10 percent of their operating budget.

Still, Metzroth said, "we did get a lot of grassroots groups and we funded a lot of them."

Those non-profits often didn't get large amounts of money, but the grant does give them some important funds and also allows them to show that they have a history of managing a community foundation grant.

A congressional appropriation from the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah allowed the organization to receive the $300,000. The Northwest Fund will have an award ceremony in the near future to celebrate the organizations that received grants and hopes Fattah will attend.

In the meantime, it has created a Facebook page that is intended to keep people updated on its activities.

The organizations that have been notified that they've received grants are now required to sign a grant agreement and return it to the Northwest Fund. After that, they'll receive a check, and they'll be required to report progress on their goals after six months and after one year.

Eighty-three organizations originally applied for the grant, and 57 made it through to the second round before the final 45 were selected.