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Community Impact

Museum of the American Revolution Exceeds $150 Million Capital Campaign Goal with Gift from Comcast NBCUniversal and The Roberts Foundation

Comcast NBCUniversal and The Roberts Foundation Give $2.5 Million in Honor of the Museum’s Architect Robert A.M. Stern

Just weeks before it officially opens to the public on April 19, the Museum of the American Revolution announced today that it has exceeded its $150 million capital campaign goal to build, open, and endow the Museum. With a $2.5 million gift from Comcast NBCUniversal and The Roberts Foundation, made in honor of the Museum’s internationally renowned architect Robert A.M. Stern, the campaign has now generated a total of $152 million. The Museum’s entrance rotunda will be renamed the Robert A. M. Stern Rotunda.

The Museum’s fundraising efforts will continue, with many galleries still available to be named. The campaign will formally close on Dec. 31, 2017.

"Robert Stern is one of the most talented, innovative, and visionary architects of our time," said Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation. "World-class architecture can help transform a city and it was an honor to have him design our headquarters building. We could not be more pleased to recognize his impact on Philadelphia over so many years, and we are thrilled that his work will yet again be on display through this remarkable museum."

This $2.5 million gift celebrates the incredible contributions Stern has made to Philadelphia’s expanding cityscape. Stern’s first building in the city was the University of Pennsylvania's McNeil Center for Early American Studies. Since then, his projects have touched all aspects of the community, including the master plan for Philadelphia’s Navy Yard, Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, and the Comcast Center.

"There couldn’t be a more fitting way to cross the finish line of our campaign than with a gift in honor of Robert Stern, the architect who created a new, modern landmark for our home in the heart of Philadelphia’s Old City," said Michael Quinn, President and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution. "We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary generosity of our supporters and for the tireless efforts and great leadership of our Chairman Emeritus Gerry Lenfest, our Campaign Chairman Governor Edward G. Rendell, and our board and other supporters, who made this historic moment possible."

"We’re thrilled that a gift from one of Philadelphia’s leading corporations and the Roberts family has enabled us to surpass our campaign goal and open debt-free, with an operating reserve and endowment to provide a solid financial foundation," said Museum Board Member Governor Edward G. Rendell, who chaired the Museum’s capital campaign. "Their generosity – and that of so many others – will ensure that the story of our nation’s founding and its enduring legacy are preserved and shared."

The Museum’s capital campaign, which began in 2010, comprised $120 million to establish and open the museum; $5 million for operating reserve; and a $25 million endowment. Major gifts include matching grants from Founding Museum Board Chairman and Chairman Emeritus H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest and a significant gift from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. The rest was privately funded by the generosity of more than 11,000 supporters from every state in the nation.

"The outpouring of support from corporations and individuals across the country, like Comcast and the Roberts family, reinforces the overwhelming importance of a great national museum to tell the story of our founding," said General John Jumper, Chairman of the Museum’s Board of Directors. "Philadelphia was the headquarters of the American Revolution, but it is a story that belongs to all of us. It is inspiring to see so many people invest in sharing that story with every rising generation."