We are excited to announce that the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh has offered the Steamship Historical Society of America a $25,000 matching grant challenge. Our organization was met with great generosity at the beginning of June 2026 with the completion of our $75,000 Full Ahead Campaign.
Help us turn $25,000 into $50,000! The Posner Foundation will match each contribution once this goal is met. If you choose to make a pledge, your full commitment—whether for one, two, or three years—will count toward our $25,000 goal. Your gift supports the work of our crew and the mission of SSHSA.
We have been able to reach new audiences, from exhibiting at important maritime-focused events to hosting engaging educational talks and open houses at the Ship History Center—this is made possible through our generous supporters and community.
This matching grant challenge coincides with our 2026 Year End Appeal. Please indicate whether your contribution is designated for the $25,000 Matching Grant Challenge, Year End Appeal, or both.
Your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. You will receive an official tax receipt containing our Federal Tax ID immediately following your donation.
Full Ahead! Campaign News
Thanks to the generosity of many, on June 3, 2026, we met the $75,000 Challenge set forth by the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh. By raising these much needed new funds toward this challenge effort, the Posner Foundation has matched our measure, and provided SSHSA with an additional $75,000. So working together on this initiative since announced last December, we have generated a total of $150,000 to go toward our previously unfunded projects and operations.
A brand new $75,000 challenge has been pledged by the Posner Foundation. Your contribution will be doubled as they will match dollar for dollar. Let’s prove we’re up to the challenge.
The campaign has come to a close, but our work continues to fund the initiatives of the program. We continue to receive ongoing pledge fulfillments, bequests from the FellowShip League and other contributions.
Long-time strategic funding partner, the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh awarded SSHSA with an incentive challenge – raise another $100,000 and we’ll match it with another $100,000.
On November 5th, just over eight months from the Challenge issue date, 120 donors supported the Posner Challenge unlocking another $250,000 to support Full Ahead! Initiatives. Thank you for your support!
SSHSA and the Full Ahead! campaign received a motivating boost to its most recent fundraising initiative. Long-time strategic funding partner, the Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh awarded SSHSA with an incentive challenge – raise another $250,000 and we’ll match it with another $250,000. The challenge was met thanks to the contributions of our members! Thank you!
“The Champlin Foundation is pleased to provide grant funding to the Steamship Historical Society of America (SSHSA) to help this important institution advance its vital mission. Champlin Foundation grants are awarded on a competitive basis and our grant to SSHSA is a reflection of our confidence in the organization’s ability to improve the lives of Rhode Islanders in significant ways.”
The Champlin Foundation is supporting Full Ahead! with a grant toward the purchase of the Ship History Center. These funds will be used for debt reduction.
The FellowShip League is SSHSA’s planned giving society. Members are those who have made a gifts to SSHSA in their will, named SSHSA as a beneficiary on the life insurance or retirement plans or any other type of future planned gift. CAPT Robert F. Wasson, Jr., CPA spent his entire career on the sea (with the exception of the two years he devoted to an accounting firm to receive his CPA credential). The 10-year member choose SSHSA and the Full Ahead! campaign as the sole beneficiary of his estate.
“Karen and I are delighted to be able to pitch in to the SSHSA ’cause’. It is a unique and noble one and we hope the strategic initiatives you are pursuing yield great results for the organization.” – Mike Fisher
After renting the building at 2500 Post Road in Warwick, the organization finalized the purchase of the Ship History Center. Read more about the acquisition here.
Campaign Brochure and Documents
