New CEO of Union League's Founding Forward nonprofit ready to lead $25M campus upgrade (Fay '03)

Joseph Fay worked as an outside real estate consultant on the Union League's bid to upgrade its facility on Broad Street and for the expansion work at its Liberty Hill golf course. Now, he's leading another mission for the prestigious Philadelphia private club, this time from inside the Union League as CEO of its civic and education nonprofit Founding Forward.

Fay was promoted from COO in mid-September, taking over for former CEO John Meko. The leadership change comes with Founding Forward in the midst of a $150 million fundraising campaign and after the organization acquired a nearly 11-acre site with a historic mansion next to its Valley Forge campus with plans for a $25 million revitalization of its now 86-acre property.

A Lehigh Valley native and U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Fay served with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Iraq War and is now in the Marine Corps Reserve. Following his active duty, he was a project manager for Penn Medicine, overseeing over $300 million in capital work. Fay then spent time in real estate firm CBRE's healthcare and life sciences practice before launching his own firm, Quatrefoil Consulting.

That's where he worked with the members-only Union League on projects such as the $25 million rooftop restaurant at its flagship 140 S. Broad St. property and the acquisition and expansion of Union League Liberty Hill, formerly the Ace Club, in Montgomery County.

Quatrefoil merged with M.C. Fuhrman & Associates, another veteran-led firm, in 2024 and Fay had more bandwidth to advise the Union League on its expansion push. He joined Founding Forward as COO this March and remains an adviser to his old firm.

"The Board has great confidence in Joey's ability to build upon our momentum, lead our talented team, and expand the reach and impact of our civic education programs," Founding Forward Board Chair Jim Dunigan said in a statement announcing Fay's promotion.

Founding Forward was formed in 2024 with the merger of the Union League Legacy Foundation and the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. Its board includes several past presidents of the Union League and individuals involved in the club's committees and boards.

The nonprofit, which has a staff of 30, hosts students and teachers for programs and seminars focused on leadership and civic engagement.

Founding Forward's Spirit of America program, for example, is a four-day residential program that "engages high school students with the first principles of freedom." There are also debate institutes, a Good Citizen Day focused on the study of freedom, a service learning workshop and scholarship programs.

Founding Forward had revenue of $9.8 million in the fiscal year ended June 2025 on contributions of $6.9 million.

"We want to tell the world that this is not a hidden gem," Fay said. "This is a beacon for civics, and it's a beacon for civics done in a fun and immersive way."

Here's a look at the plans in motion under Fay's leadership.

Founding Forward paid $1.125 million in July for a 10.9-acre property immediately adjacent to its 75.1-acre campus just west of Valley Forge National Historic Park, broadening the organization's footprint to 86 acres.

The site at 1571 Valley Forge Road in Schuylkill Township includes a historic, 18th-century stone mansion that spans 5,000 square feet, along with other stone ruins on the property. Fay said the plan is to invest about $500,000 into the property in the short-term to bring it up to code and upgrade mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

Fay said that will allow the building to host "thought leaders and premier educators" who come to visit and teach at Founding Forward. While the space should be usable by November, a larger master plan calls for a more in-depth renovation, likely in 2027, according to Fay.

"Once renovated, this property will become a vibrant setting for donor events, featuring lodging for special guests and speakers, a spectacular dining hall, and a unique backdrop for outdoor gatherings and community celebrations in the beautifully restored barn ruins," a July social media post from Founding Forward states.

Founding Forward is also embarking on a multi-phased campus revitalization plan that will ultimately give it the capacity to host 200 students at a time, or 8,000 over the course of the 42 weeks of programming it schedules, according to Fay.

The cornerstone of that work will be the "reimagining" of the Martha Washington Building at the heart of Founding Forward's Valley Forge-adjacent campus. The investment would modernize the building's classrooms, offices, lobby and auditorium.

Founding Forward would also move dining services into the Martha Washington Building from the Douglas MacArthur Building, allowing it to convert that space to accommodate another 50 beds to reach the 200-student capacity. That would comprise the first phase of the revitalization, representing an investment of over $25 million.

Future phases in the plans call for a new gatehouse, welcome center, dorm updates and event centers. Founding Forward has also tapped carpenter Jeff Devlin, previously featured on HGTV with his company Stonehouse Revival, to help resurrect artifacts and ruins on the property dating to the Revolutionary War era.

While Fay said plans at the Founding Forward campus are separate from the recent Union League expansion efforts, he acknowledged his organization "caught a little bit of the momentum of the Union League" as it reassessed its campus and garnered support for its plans.

Founding Forward launched a 10-year, $150 million fundraising campaign when it formed in 2024. Of that, $35 million is earmarked specifically for campus capital investments, Fay said.

The organization has raised about $40 million toward its goal thus far, with about seven years to go. Fay said the goal is to get Founding Forward to the point where it can bring 8,000 students per year through its program by the end of the campaign.

In addition to the capital projects, the money will go toward sustaining programming costs and adding staff. Fay wants to reach a headcount of 50 from its current staff of around 30. That includes hiring a marketing leader to continue to push the organization's messaging and branding.

"I had this calling to the mission ... to come here and to help grow this thing into something nationwide that really reminds us the value of being educated in civics and also making it fun and making kids enjoy it and remember it, and growing this community of good citizens," Fay said.

BZ '03!