Villa Joseph Marie High School has received a $50,000 grant from the Connelly Foundation to support the school’s Organizational Advancement Initiative, an effort to strengthen Villa’s capacity to execute its strategic plan with clarity and impact.
The initiative is designed to advance Villa’s long-term vision by strengthening the institutional infrastructure needed to support sustainable growth in alignment with its mission, values and strategic priorities. This work will include a comprehensive visioning process, alignment of the vision with strategy, and enhanced advancement planning to guide future fundraising and engagement efforts. Marketing support will also help communicate these efforts, strengthening both enrollment and advancement outcomes.
“This support from the Connelly Foundation recognizes Villa Joseph Marie’s momentum,” said Jeanne Frawley, president of Villa Joseph Marie High School. “We are deeply grateful for this generous investment, which strengthens our capacity to execute our strategic plan with intention and impact.”
This is the second grant Villa has received from the Connelly Foundation, which provided the school
with a grant to support the expansion of the Business Ethics Case Study Competition in 2024. It also builds on a broader pattern of philanthropic investment in Villa, as donors and partner organizations continue to invest in the school’s future and its commitment to academic excellence, character formation and mission-driven growth.
Through this initiative, Villa continues to strengthen its position as a Catholic, college-preparatory high school for young women, focused on forming students of intellect, character and purpose.
About Villa Joseph Marie High School
Founded in 1932, Villa Joseph Marie High School is a Catholic, college-preparatory high school for young women in Holland, Pennsylvania. Rooted in the tradition of the Sisters of Saint Casimir, Villa fosters intellectual rigor, character formation and a strong sense of purpose, helping young women discern who they are and who God calls them to be. The school serves approximately 310 students in grades 9–12.
About the Connelly Foundation
The Connelly Foundation was founded in 1955 by John and Josephine Connelly. John Connelly achieved remarkable business success as president of Connelly Containers and later Crown Cork and Seal, both manufacturing companies based in Philadelphia. He and his wife Josephine, strongly motivated by their Catholic faith and their love for the Philadelphia region, dedicated their good fortune to helping others. Over the past 71 years the Connelly Foundation has donated over $500 million to nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia area focusing on education, human services, and the arts. The Connelly Foundation has always placed a particular emphasis on Catholic education, with thousands of Philadelphia-area students having attended Catholic high schools through the foundation’s Neumann Scholars and Josephine C. Connelly scholarship programs. For more information, please visit www.connellyfdn.org.