Since its founding by Benjamin Franklin in 1743, the American Philosophical Society has sustained its mission of “promoting useful knowledge”—principally through its activities as a learned society on behalf of elected Members whose ranks include some of the world’s most eminent figures in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities as well as in the civic, professional, higher educational and cultural communities. Franklin’s spirit of philanthropy [1] inspires our development program today.
The major constituencies of the APS have traditionally been scholarly and scientific—the elected Members of the Society, the researchers around the world who make use of the Society’s renowned collections both on site and online, and the recipients of grants and fellowships for research in all disciplines. More recently, public programs such as a Library lecture series and a Museum in Philosophical Hall have opened the premises and collections of the APS to a much wider public.
The Society’s biannual “Meetings,” involving presentations by APS Members and other leading scientists and scholars, are now webcast worldwide. Government and foundation grants have enabled the APS to provide extensive web access to its collections, which concentrate on early American history, Native American anthropology, and the history of science. The Museum, established in 2001, has attracted more than 700,000 visitors from around the world since its founding.
The Society’s ability to sustain this array of activities is dependent on the generosity of its Members and Friends through the Fund for the American Philosophical Society.
We invite you to contribute to the work of the Society by following the link below, or by exploring the links to the left.
Contribute Now [2]
The American Philosophical Society is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organization under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States Department of the Treasury. The Society is registered as a charitable organization with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Charitable Organizations and is authorized to solicit charitable contributions under the conditions and limitations set forth under the Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act. The official registration and financial information for the American Philosophical Society may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
The tax ID number for the American Philosophical Society is 23-1353269.