Philadelphia Hospitality Investment Levy
ActiveCommunity Improvement
About Philadelphia Hospitality Investment Levy
To increase overnight guest visits to the City of Philadelphia by using funds collected from a hospitality assessment to bring conventions and large events to the city.
Focus Areas
TourismEconomic developmentConvention and event incentivesHospitality industry support
Who They Fund
city residents (attendees of public events)visitors and touristslocal hospitality and small businessesconvention and event organizers/hostscultural and civic institutions
Funding Style
place-based fundingdirect program support (event operations)
About Philadelphia Hospitality Investment Levy
Philadelphia Hospitality Investment Levy channels hospitality-assessment funds into conventions and large events that can add overnight stays in Philadelphia. That purpose shows up clearly in its largest recent awards, including $1,312,932 to the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2023 and $871,294 to the same organization in 2025, both for city-wide conventions and events. The foundation’s grantmaking is not broad philanthropy; it is place-based event incentive funding tied to tourism and hotel room-night generation. Recent awards also show support for major event organizers beyond the city’s own tourism institutions. Philadelphia Soccer 2026 received $850,000 in 2025, and Visit Philadelphia received $500,000 in 2025, both for city-wide convention and event support. The portfolio includes grants to convention bureaus, visitor services groups, professional and trade associations, and large event operators, all aligned with attracting attendees to Philadelphia. Across the recent list, the foundation appears to use competitive financial incentives and operating support to help events come to the city and spend time there.
What Philadelphia Hospitality Investment Levy Funds
The foundation’s clearest focus is convention and event attraction. It gave $250,000 in 2023 to the Fed of American Societies for Experimental Biology for support city-wide conventions and events in Philadelphia, and $100,000 in 2024 to the Mortgage Broker Association for the same purpose. Tourism promotion and visitor services are another visible thread. In 2023, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation received $50,000 for support city-wide conventions and events, while Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation received $50,000 in 2025 for the same general objective. It also backs large civic and association events that can draw overnight guests. Examples include $275,000 in 2025 to Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, $200,000 in 2025 to Seiu, and $150,000 in 2025 to Alzheimer's Association, each labeled support city-wide convention and events.
How Philadelphia Hospitality Investment Levy Gives
Typical grants cluster around a median of $25,000, with a lower quartile of $19,250 and an upper quartile of $137,500. The recent list also includes several larger incentive awards, showing a mix of modest event support and high-dollar commitments for major conventions. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off: Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau appears in both 2023 and 2025, and other recipients also recur across years. The foundation is place-based and operational in style, using cash incentives and expense support rather than program-related investments. Its active grant programs are open to unsolicited applications and are reviewed by a board of hotel general managers, with one program also involving a City representative.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6M
Total Assets
$25.3M
Total Revenue
$7.7M
Total Expenses
$6.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $19K and $138K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$19K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$138K
Geographic Reach
National17 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JOSHUA RUEKHEIM
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