They were dedicated to strengthening Catholic organizations and access to education. Josephine and John bolstered culture and civics in their beloved Philadelphia and provided assistance and opportunity to the disadvantaged. They did this by empowering and supporting leaders and partners of nonprofit organizations throughout the area.

Their giving started simply: John responded to requests by writing checks at his work desk. Around the dinner table, the Connellys asked their children’s opinions and invited them to suggest causes they cared about. Always, he and Josephine seized opportunities to quietly help, unasked. 

Over nearly seven decades, the Connelly Foundation has made grants totaling more than half a billion dollars. It has provided support to parochial school student scholarships; colleges and universities; museums and cultural institutions, and programs that feed, clothe, and shelter the homeless; support the disabled; improve technology for schools; and build workforce skills. The Connelly Foundation has also provided support for human services, the arts, and civic initiatives in Philadelphia, and the surrounding counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery, as well as the city of Camden, New Jersey.

The Founders’ characteristically personal approach to grantmaking has been honored and fortified by daughters and successors, Josephine Mandeville and Emily Riley, and now by grandson Tom Riley, with an expert staff and a Board of Trustees, including daughter Christine Connelly and son Tom Connelly, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Family and staff keep John and Josephine’s vision as their North Star, reflecting their legacy of kindness. They serve their mission with trademark responsiveness, collaboration, and resourcefulness.