Connelly Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Connelly Foundation funds work in Catholic education, human services, arts and culture, and civic renewal, so a proposal should sit clearly within one of these four areas and within its geographic focus of the City of Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties, and the City of Camden, New Jersey.
- Most grants are modest: about eight in ten of its grants to organisations fall between $2,200 and $74,000, with a median of $15,000, so a request in that range is realistic, rather than hoping for its largest grant of around $2,650,000.
- It accepts applications on a rolling basis, and first-time Human Services applicants who meet its eligibility criteria must schedule an initial discussion before applying, which suggests a relationship-led process rather than a purely paper one.
- A large majority of its grant dollars, 87%, went to organisations it had also funded in the two previous filings, so a new applicant is competing for a smaller share of the funding pool and should expect building a relationship over time to matter.
- Organisations should not apply if they are newly formed with fewer than three years in operation, operate solely in public or charter schools, or are seeking support for advocacy, annual appeals, conferences, events, performances, productions, documentaries, environmental programs, endowments, feasibility or planning studies, general solicitations, health initiatives, higher education (with limited exceptions), historic preservation, legal services, national or regranting activity, or new staff who would rely primarily on Foundation support without a clear plan for ongoing sustainability.
Overview
Connelly Foundation is a US private foundation based in West Conshohocken, PA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Connelly Foundation supports 501(c)(3) organisations and institutions working in Philadelphia, the surrounding counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery, and Camden, New Jersey. Its four focus areas are Catholic education, human services, arts and culture, and civic renewal. In Catholic education it seeks to improve academic quality, strengthen school sustainability and talent, and widen access and opportunity. Its human services giving supports basic needs, workforce development and youth career pathways. Its arts and culture work centres on access and educational programmes, while civic renewal advances civic education and active citizenship. The Foundation favours strong leadership, attainable goals, sound ideas and organisations with multiple sources of support.
Themes
- Catholic education
- Human services
- Arts & Culture
- Civic renewal
Geographic Focus
City of Philadelphia; Bucks; Chester; Delaware; Montgomery; City of Camden, New Jersey.
What They Don't Fund
- Advocacy
- Annual appeals
- Charter schools, public schools, or programs that operate solely in public and charter schools
- Conferences, events, performances, productions, or documentaries
- Environmental programs
- Endowments
- Feasibility or planning studies
- General solicitations
- Health initiatives, including (but not limited to) support for hospitals, continuing care communities, and health care access, including medical or dental clinics, as well as assistance focused on a single disease or condition
- Higher education institutions, with limited exceptions
- Historic preservation projects
- Legal services
- National organizations or regranting organizations
- Newly formed organizations with fewer than 3 years in operation
- Hiring new staff who rely primarily on Foundation support, without a clear plan for ongoing sustainability
How to apply
Applicants can preview or print the application and required documentation before starting. First-time Human Services applicants who meet the eligibility criteria must schedule an initial discussion before applying.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 87% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 919 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It favours strong leadership, sound ideas, attainable goals and proposals supported by multiple funding sources.
- It favours proposals aligned with its objectives and one of its four focus areas.
- It considers the stability of an organisation’s leadership, board, management and finances.
- It considers an organisation’s track record, prior achievements and distinctive role in serving those in need.
- It assesses proposal quality and the case that funding will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services.
- It considers the significance of the problem or need addressed.
- It considers the feasibility of the proposed budget.
- Foundation staff may request a conference call or site visit.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 7% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to organisations Connelly Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 8% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 305 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $15,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia · Visioning committee on catholic education, development symposium, jcc achievement awards, neumann scholarships$2,634,4082024 tax year
- National Philanthropic Trust · Philadelphia funder collaborative for the semiquincentennial$1,554,4152024 tax year
- Cobbs Creek Restoration and Community Foundation · Cobbs creek education center$700,0002024 tax year
- Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School · Cabrini transportation, a place to soar campaign$500,6002024 tax year
- Archbishop John Carroll High School · General support - staff discretionary grant, wellness center, community support$456,0002024 tax year
- Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia · Breaking barriers campaign, ambassadors and camp connections programs$450,0002024 tax year
- Sharing Excess · Food rescue capacity building$400,0002024 tax year
- Office of Catholic Education - Archdiocese of Philadelphia · Connelly access program 2024-25, summer tech academy, general support - foundation discretionary grant, learning support specialist, organizational support$393,6252024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Binney Wietlisbach — Trustee (Audit & Compensation Committee)
- Fiona Riley — Trustee
- Emily C Riley — Trustee
- Amelia Riley — Trustee (Nominating Committee)
- Josephine C Mandeville — Trustee
- Vincenzo Laruffa — Trustee (Finance Committee)
- Scott Jenkins — Trustee (Finance, Audit & Nominating)
- Isabelle Delouvrier — Trustee (Compensation Committee)
- Celine Delany — Trustee
- Brendan Delany — Trustee
- Thomas S Connelly — Trustee (Governance & Nominating Committee)
- Stephan Connelly — Trustee (Finance Committee)
- Christine C Connelly — Trustee (Governance Committee)
- Craig Carnaroli — Trustee (Finance & Compensation Committee)
- Timothy J Durkin — Vice President Grantmaking
- Frances T Burns — Executive VP, Chief Operating Officer, Secretary
- Valerie K Martin — CFO & Treasurer
- Thomas A Riley — Board Chair, President & Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $23,525,657 | $13,853,915 | $319,670,665 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $23,097,650 | $14,600,000 | $342,952,074 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $22,232,954 | $15,400,000 | $362,122,598 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Connelly Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (610) 834-3222
- mail@grantapplication.com
- info@connellyfdn.org
- West Conshohocken, PA
- connellyfdn.org
Applying to Connelly Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (610) 834-3222
- mail@grantapplication.com
- info@connellyfdn.org
- West Conshohocken, PA
- connellyfdn.org