America’s 250th birthday is coming in 2026, along with the World Cup, All-Star Game, and PGA Tour. Will you be ready?
Some of the largest philanthropic foundations in the Philadelphia region are teaming up to fund America’s 250th anniversary.
The Philadelphia Funder Collaboration for the Semiquincentennial includes William Penn Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Neubauer Family Foundation, and the Connelly Foundation. They have pooled together $9 million, which will be distributed to nonprofits who submit plans for semiquincentennial projects in 2026.
“We want everyone in our region to feel welcome to participate and for groups to use this opportunity to think about events, activities, and exhibitions that are meaningful to them,” said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, senior vice president at Pew.
The funders’ collaboration is currently accepting proposals for consideration through its website.
Tom Riley, director of the Connelly Foundation, expects more philanthropies to join the collaboration and grow the pool of funds. The first round of funding is expected to be released as quickly as this fall, with three or four rounds of funding annually until 2026.
“A lot of times with foundations, you send a proposal — you kind of throw it over a wall and you never know whether it’s going to take a short time or a long time to get back,” Riley said. “There’s a sense of urgency here. We want to make sure people hear back quickly so that they can make their plans in the most efficient way.”
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