Funding: Final Push to the Chesapeake

With just a few weeks left to go, we're counting down the days until our Chesapeake voyage! It'll be an incredible summer of participating in America250 celebrations and completing a haul-out inspection to stay on the Coast Guard's good side. Last fall, we launched a fundraising campaign to help make this happen. Thanks to you, we're proud to have raised $296,798.58 thus far in 2026. As we make the final push to prepare for our Chesapeake voyage, we need all the funding help we can get reaching our ultimate goal of $554,902.10. We've made meaningful progress, and it reflects the incredible support of this community. Thank you!

A cherished community member has been matching every donation up to $25,000. Of that matchable amount, we still have a remaining $11,911.00 to go! Now's the time to help us cover costs, whether that be little things like soap, important things like fuel, and everything in between. This is a perfect opportunity for folks who don't have much financial wiggle room to donate even a small amount with increased impact.

We still have a long way to go and are facing about a $66,000 shortfall. To help us meet this moment, a generous donor with deep personal ties to the ship has pledged to match all donations up to $25,000. That means every dollar you give is doubled from now until June, a powerful opportunity to make your support go twice as far! We've already raised over $5,000 of that amount in just the first week so help us keep the momentum going. Donations of any size are welcome. (Your employer might do this too - ask your HR to find out!)

Donate Today

Our goals for this year are ambitious and the costs are significant. Keeping a 125-year-old tall ship seaworthy isn't cheap, and neither is preparing for a multi-week trip! We've replaced and repaired several spars, need to stock up on food and fuel, and have to account for all the other miscellaneous expenses that come with a major voyage. Add to that our investments in building our team, expanded programming, and raising the Guild's public profile, all of which are essential to attracting the larger donors and partners that will sustain us long into the future, and the need is clear.

Any support you're able to offer, whether that's a financial contribution, volunteering your time on the ship, or lending a hand with fundraising efforts themselves, makes a real difference. This is a member- and volunteer-powered organization, and that means your involvement, in whatever form, is at the heart of everything we do.

The road ahead is ambitious, but so is this community. With the Chesapeake on the horizon, Gazela's 125th birthday to celebrate, and a new generation of maritime interns and pre-apprentices coming up through our programs, we have every reason to be excited about what's ahead. Let's make it happen together.

To learn more about supporting the Guild: 

Visit philashipguild.org/donate and/ or Email volunteer@philashipguild.org to learn about how you can pitch in.