News
Late for the Party: Philly’s preparations for America’s 250th anniversary lost momentum amid COVID and other challenges. Is it too late to pull off a great party in the nation’s birthplace?
Philadelphia has always gone big for America’s birthday. In 1876, to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in our “greene countrie towne,” as William Penn called it, we built a small city in Fairmount Park and hosted 10 million people from 37 countries. In 1926, the crowds thinned, but […]
...Mayor Parker proposes $40 million in initial funding for Philly’s 250th anniversary
The initial city funding would address the most urgent costs of Philly’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of America. Some councilmembers feel it doesn’t go far enough. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker presented City Council on Thursday with an initial $40 million funding proposal to help pay for Philadelphia’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of America […]
...Gov. Josh Shapiro proposes nearly $65 million for state Semiquincentennial celebrations
Shapiro advocated for millions for next year’s major tourism events including the nation’s 250th birthday, FIFA World Cup matches, the MLB All-Star Game, and early rounds of NCAA’s March Madness. Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed nearly $65 million in funding Tuesday toward Pennsylvania’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of America in 2026, also known as 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.