About
Philly Goat Project is a nature-based nonprofit rooted in community wellness. The organization’s aim is to bring folks together alongside the joyous presence of trained goats.
Program Details
PGP was created to foster community and provide education and wellness opportunities for historically marginalized groups. PGP is distinct because it addresses the human need for connection and the breadth of programming, which is intentionally organized to promote meaningful connections while decreasing isolation and depression.
PGP is dynamic. Grief Walks allow for individuals, families and communities to share the grieving process, while the All Abilities RAMbles focuses on providing meaningful animal-assisted therapy opportunities for folks with special needs and their families. Additionally, the Teen Internship Program’s (TIP) initial targeted population was middle school youth; however, it became apparent that the parents of the teens were seeking community connections as well. As a result, the creation of the Neighborhood Family Garden (NFG) was born organically from the families of TIP who sought a space to grow alongside their children. NFG’s goal is to create a safe, shared, and inclusive space that provides activities through a collective garden that fosters community engagement, supports healthy living, and encourages environmental responsibility.
While PGP hosts programming across the Philly region, the organization is based at The Farm at Awbury Arboretum, a culturally rich but resource-limited neighborhood in Philadelphia’s Northwest Germantown community. This choice is intentional—the surrounding community faces a variety of systemic barriers, including a lack of safe gathering spaces, quality educational offerings, and free programs to help mitigate the trauma of gun violence, poverty, and unemployment/underemployment. PGP aims to directly address these factors through programming like TIP while centering the need for joy and play through regular open-houses and free community walks with the goats.
PGP continues to dynamically meet the needs of the community. PGP was a recipient of Philadelphia Foundation 2025 Impact Grant, allowing the organization to strengthen and expand existing wellness programming while analyzing what resonates with the community. The grant also enables PGP to use this data to expand services, reach more individuals, and create long-lasting positive change in the Philadelphia region.
Services Offered
All Abilities RAMble
College wellness visits
Environmental stewardship focused community walks
Grief garden programming
Library visits
School-based programming
Seasonal Grief Walks
Somatic farm-literacy storybook walks
TreeCycle
Contact Betsy Roy, Volunteer Philly Goat Project Betsy Roy
Populations Served
PGP serves youth of all ages, families, large and small groups, our Germantown neighbors, and corporate wellness retreats and community-based programming with partners, with a focus on literacy, nature, and human-animal connections.
Staff Composition
PGP accomplishes all programming with a very small staff: four full-time employees (including our Founder/Executive Director, who donates her time in-kind) and six part-time employees. In addition, 150 volunteers ensure the goats’ wellbeing and assist with event programming. The range of programming allows for volunteers to find a niche that resonates with them. While some volunteers commit two hours a week to caring for the goats, some volunteers resonate with leading walks at wellness visits.
Cost to Participate
The majority of programming at Philly Goat Project is free, which allows for PGP to remain accessible and best meet the needs of the community. Funding itself comes from donations, grants, and fundraising. Events such as GOAToberfest, TreeCycle, private goat walks, and Happy Hours help provide funding along with the sales of merchandise. Private walks allow for tailored programming, including having the goats attend weddings at Awbury Arboretum and small family gatherings. Financial assistance is also available for private walks.
Research
PGP’s All Abilities RAMble has been the subject of a qualitative study focused on animal-assisted interventions for children with intellectual and developmental disorders (IDD). The study highlighted the experiences of 23 children with IDD at PGP, as well as their parents’ observations. The research indicated that PGP programming allowed for increased communication and pro-social skills.
