Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2
Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2 is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established in 1966. The foundation is one of two foundations organized in 1952 and supported by trusts established by Arthur Vining Davis. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$117.1M
+7.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.2M
-8.4% YoY
Grant Count
51
+13.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$83K
-19.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2 reported a distributable amount of $5.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations bear witness to Arthur Vining Davis's successful corporate leadership and his visionary, entrepreneurial spirit in philanthropy. Since inception, the foundations have distributed over 4,600 grants totaling more than $385 million.
The foundation supports grantmaking across five primary program areas:
- Private Higher Education Program: Supports colleges and universities that prioritize undergraduate education and emphasize the liberal arts
- Public Educational Media Program: Supports the production and distribution of film, television, radio, and digital audio programming through public media outlets
- Interfaith Leadership & Religious Literacy Program: Supports programming that improves the religious literacy of Americans and facilitates understanding, appreciation, and cooperation between individuals and groups across religious traditions
- Environmental Solutions Program: Seeks to support organizations that change the way we think and act regarding important environmental issues
- Palliative Care Program: Supports programs that enhance equity and quality of care for patients with serious illness or who are at the end of life
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s and Patterns**: Typical grant awards range from $570,000 to $600,000. Recent grant activity shows a median grant size of $144,000, with grants ranging from $720 to $500,000.
How to Apply
**: The foundation does not accept applications.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's giving is geographically distributed with particular concentration in certain states. Approximately 15% of grants stay in Massachusetts. Other states receiving a large number of grants include New York, Virginia, California, and Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: Total assets of $109,315,680 as of December 2023
Annual Giving: Total giving of $4,984,670 in 2023
Revenue and Expenses:
- Total revenues: $4,984,670 (2023)
- Total expenses: $4,277,741 (2023)
- Investment income and dividends: $1,850,617 (2023)
- Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $3,134,053 (2023)
Staffing: The foundation employs 4 people.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $117,084,742 | $109,315,680 | $101,929,843 |
| Revenue | $8,286,995 | $4,984,670 | $3,681,044 |
| Expenses | $5,882,273 | $4,277,741 | $6,681,173 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $5,084,691 | $5,511,927 | $5,380,358 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,193,928 | $5,149,335 | $4,116,053 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,546,037 | $5,083,631 | $5,201,592 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
180 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Weta ($500,000), Wgbh Educational Foundation ($400,000), Uc Berkley Geater Good Science Center ($314,868).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIPUSA MADISON, WI | INTERFAITH LEADERSHIP AND | $184,000 |
| MAINE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ELLSWORTH, ME | SPECIAL PROJECTS | $3,000 |
| COUNCIL OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES WASHINGTON, DC | PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION | $150,000 |
| CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL OF WESTON WESTON, MA | SPECIAL PROJECTS | $3,000 |
| WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION BRIGHTON, MA | PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL MEDIA | $400,000 |
| BRIGHAM AND WOMENS HOSPITAL BOSTON, MA | PALLIATIVE CARE | $108,887 |
| WOODWELL CLIMATE RESEARCH CENTER FALMOUTH, MA | SPECIAL PROJECTS | $8,000 |
| CAMPUS COMPACT BOSTON, MA | PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION | $146,000 |
| AMERICAN COUNCIL OF LEARNED SOCIETIES NEW YORK, NY | PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION | $177,500 |
| ITHAKA HARBORS NEW YORK, NY | PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERENA DAVIS HALL | CHAIR | 5 | — |
| SARAH H DAVIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JONATHAN DAVIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DOROTHY DAVIS KEY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MAYNARD DAVIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DR MICHAEL MURRAY | PRESIDENT | 20 | $138,727 |
| ALICIA JAWORSKI | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JOHN L KEE III | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MARGARET DAVIS MAIDEN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| IAN H DAVIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| AMANDA DAVIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER V DAVIS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JOHN R KEE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JESSICA RUSSELL | TREASURER | 1 | $49,906 |
| MIICA PATTERSON | SECRETARY | 1 | $33,071 |
| BNY MELLON N A | TRUSTEE | 1 | $312,098 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grant announcements include support for higher education initiatives, including a grant to support a first-year experience program and funding for research on the value of liberal arts education through the American Council of Learned Societies ($355,000).
USF Receives Grant from The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations - UniversityFrequently Asked Questions
What does Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2 fund?
The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations bear witness to Arthur Vining Davis's successful corporate leadership and his visionary, entrepreneurial spirit in philanthropy. Since inception, the foundations have distributed over 4,600 grants totaling more than $385 million. The foundation supports grantmaking across five primary program areas: • **Private Higher Education Program**: Supports colleges and universities that prioritize undergraduate education and emphasize the liberal arts • **Public Educa…
How do I apply for a grant from Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2?
**Grant Sizes and Patterns**: Typical grant awards range from $570,000 to $600,000. Recent grant activity shows a median grant size of $144,000, with grants ranging from $720 to $500,000. **Recent Grant Activity**: In 2023, the foundation made 30 grants totaling approximately $4.5 million. Recent grant recipients include: • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ($600,000) • WGBH Educational Foundation ($400,000) • Fred Rogers Productions ($300,000) • Center to Advance Palliative Care ($500,00…
Where does Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2 make grants?
The foundation's giving is geographically distributed with particular concentration in certain states. Approximately 15% of grants stay in Massachusetts. Other states receiving a large number of grants include New York, Virginia, California, and Pennsylvania.
What size grants does Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2 award?
In 2024, Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2 awarded 51 grants totaling $4.2M — an average of about $83K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2 required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2 reported a distributable amount of $5.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2's EIN?
Arthur Vining Davis Foundation #2's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-6041850. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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