News
A generation of Americans never learned cursive. So Philly historians are teaching AI to transcribe it.
The American Philosophical Society in Old City is using AI to transcribe thousands of Revolutionary-era documents. The decline of formal penmanship has no doubt pained old-fashioned letter writers everywhere, but it poses a particular threat to Philadelphia historians. Those humble servants of 18th-century antiquary tasked with preserving and interpreting the private musings and public pronouncements […]
...Are you ready for Philly boot camp? Philly is recruiting 10,000 ‘Phambassadors’ for America’s 250th birthday
Phambassadors’ will serve as trained Philly champions, advocates and storytellers ahead of America’s 250th birthday in 2026 Are you ready for Philly boot camp? Are you Philly proud enough to withstand the rigors of one, five-hour session learning Philadelphia fun facts and hidden histories, playing Philly-themed Quizzo, and enjoying a happy hour at a Historic […]
...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.
