The $100 million that Penn has pledged to the public school systems is but a fraction of the amount that the University would pay if they committed to pay PILOTS, which itself are a fraction of the amount that they would owe if their property were fully taxed under Philadelphia law.

Penn and other big tax-exempt nonprofits do not have unlimited funds especially amid the COVID-19 crisis; endowments carry restrictions and stewardship requirements. But asking them to directly invest in public education in their hometown is a reasonable request deserving more than stony silence. A lively conversation about PILOTs for nonprofits is already underway. It’s time for Penn and other big players to be part of it.