At a time when so many institutions continue to bow down to President Donald Trump, it was heartening to see the William Penn Foundation make a stand.

The Philadelphia-based organization announced a special round of grants totaling nearly $10 million to groups “working to defend democratic values, respond to emerging federal actions, and support nonprofit organizations in crisis.”

The grants were not awarded through the normal application process. Instead, William Penn identified the recipients. The money came from an increase in the foundation’s overall grant budget.

The moves underscored the “extraordinary uncertainty for our nation and the nonprofit sector,” the foundation said in a statement signed by board chair Katherine H. Christiano and vice chair Peter Haas.

The grants will obviously not replace the many devastating cuts announced by the Trump administration, but will help to fill some of the void in Philadelphia until new solutions can be found.

The foundation said it hoped the grants could “be a bridge,” given the “diminishing federal resources and the current uncertainty and unjust policies and actions.”

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The foundation did not name Trump, but it was clear the added funding came in response to the deep cuts and chaos inflicted by his administration.

“For months, federal executive orders, legislation, and policy changes have threatened the independence of state and local governments, sown confusion about the integrity of future elections, destabilized programmatic and financial planning for many nonprofit organizations, and indiscriminately endangered members of our immigrant, LGBTQ, minority, and low-income communities,” the foundation statement said.

In all, 19 organizations received funding from William Penn. Many of the groups are on the front lines defending against Trump’s attacks on democracy and civil rights, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Alliance for Justice, the Democracy Forward Foundation, the Democracy Funders Network, the Environmental Protection Network, and Lawyers for Good Government.

Many institutions have caved to pressure from Trump, including major law firms, media organizations, universities, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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A recent survey of more than 500 political scientists found the vast majority believe the U.S. is moving from a liberal democracy toward some form of authoritarianism.

Such supine behavior made the William Penn Foundation’s actions look even more heroic.

The foundation has long been a pillar in the Philadelphia region. Otto Haas, one of the founders of the Rohm and Haas Co., a specialty chemicals firm, established the philanthropic organization with his wife, Phoebe, in 1945.

The group has long strived to improve the quality of life in the Philadelphia region by expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all.

The foundation, with assets of roughly $3.1 billion, gives away about $154 million each year. Its grants support five areas: arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services.

Those are many of the same areas Trump is targeting for no rhyme or reason, let alone any plan for improvement.

Credit the William Penn Foundation for sticking to its mission and doing the right thing. If only more leaders would follow the foundation’s example.