News
Can We Still Throw an Epic 250th Birthday Party?
So far, Philadelphia’s schemes to celebrate the nation’s Semiquincentennial have had their fair share of setbacks and doubters. Is it too late to make next year’s celebration of America our best yet? Everyone, no matter who you are — whether you were born here, whether you came here from another country because you were being […]
...Time for a civic ‘Tush Push’
We need an all-hands-on-deck, brotherly and sisterly shove to get us over the goal line in readying Philadelphia for the Semiquincentennial celebrations. Lately, we’ve been detecting a particularly Philadelphian phenomenon relating to next year’s Semiquincentennial. It might be best characterized as premature disappointment syndrome — a pessimism that great things can’t happen in Philadelphia. Yes, […]
...Philadelphia will kick off America’s 250th birthday with a birthday bash for the Navy and the Marine Corps
The week-long commemoration is scheduled to be the largest national event honoring the military and veterans for America’s 250th birthday. When George Leone began thinking about America’s 250th birthday in 2026, the retired New Jersey Superior Court judge and former Philadelphia assistant district attorney did not want to see Philly blow its chance in the […]
...Announcements
announcements
Press Release - 07/09/2025
The Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, a consortium of foundations, companies, and trusts committed to funding the nation’s semiquincentennial, has awarded 125 grants totaling $15 million to support Philadelphia-area nonprofits as they prepare and implement programs commemorating the 250th birthday of the United States on July 4, 2026. The Funder Collaborative includes seven Philadelphia-area institutions: the William Penn Foundation, the Connelly Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Neubauer Family Foundation, the Knight Foundation, the Hamilton Family Charitable Trust, and Comcast NBCUniversal. Each of the seven partner organizations has committed at least $1 million to the Funder Collaborative, which has raised a total of more than $16 million. Including their contributions to the Funder Collaborative, the seven partners have made total philanthropic awards worth more than $42 million to 2026 programming in Philadelphia. The Connelly Foundation has served as the administrator of the Funder Collaborative since its inception.
announcements
Press Release - 08/08/23
The Connelly Foundation, the William Penn Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Neubauer Family Foundation today announced the launch of a philanthropic initiative: the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial. The four grantmakers have committed $9 million to the Funder Collaborative, which is intended to provide financial support to Philadelphia-region nonprofits as they prepare and implement programs commemorating the 250th birthday of the United States on July 4, 2026.
