Connelly Foundation Grants (Catholic Education, Human Services, Arts & Culture)

The Connelly Foundation supports 501(c)(3) organizations working in the City of Philadelphia, the surrounding counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery, and the City of Camden, New Jersey — 97.5% of 2025 funding was concentrated in that area. Support types are general operating, program/project, and capital (renovation and new). The Foundation is currently accepting applications in three of its four program areas — Catholic Education, Human Services and Arts & Culture; it is not accepting unsolicited Civic Renewal proposals while that area focuses on America's 250th in 2026. The average grant award in 2025 was $41,000, many awards cover multi-year periods, multi-year requests are allowed, and the Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests of $100,000 or more. There are no submission deadlines; returning grantees must report on their most recent grant before reapplying. Fact ineligible: advocacy, annual appeals, charter/public schools, conferences and events, environmental programs, endowments, feasibility studies, health initiatives, higher education (limited exceptions), historic preservation, legal services, national or regranting organizations, and organizations with fewer than 3 years in operation. 2025 giving was $6,417,869 Catholic Education, $4,869,975 Human Services, $1,414,197 Arts & Culture, $2,697,959 Civic Renewal.

Apply online through the Foundation's grants portal; there are no submission deadlines. First-time Human Services applicants must schedule a pre-proposal phone call. Required: grant proposal narrative, organizational budget, current P&L, project/program budget, committed and prospective funders list, two most recent audited financial statements, most recent IRS Form 990, board list, key staff descriptions, latest annual report and IRS determination letter (capital requests need additional documentation). Decisions take up to 90 days, averaging 60.