Ayers Foundation
Ayers Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing reports 23 grants totaling $408,265 to charitable organizations.
Ayers Foundation at a glance
In short: Ayers Foundation gave $408K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), top state Pennsylvania. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $408,265
- +0.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- -4.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,751
- +5.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,919,746
- +2.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (7 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (37% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ayers Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing states there is no formal application and no deadline. It lists qualified charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational organizations as eligible for awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Ayers Foundation Co Private Foundat
Mailing address: 300 Fifth Avenue 27Th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: (412) 762-2083
Email: privatefoundationsolutions@pnc.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ayers Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Agahozo-Shalomn Youth Village ($57K). Together the top 10 received $303K.
Grant Size Distribution
103 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 103 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Pennsylvania (37%), New York (20%), and Colorado (20%). Recipients in Washington received 7% and those in Kentucky received 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ayers Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 23 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 87% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $367K (2020) to $475K (2022). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $408K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Agahozo-Shalomn Youth Village New York, NY | Village Time Gala Sponshorship (Ishema Level) | $57,265 |
| Peruvian Hearts Golden, CO | General | $50,000 |
| Angels' Place Inc Pittsburgh, PA | General | $36,000 |
| Corazon De Esperanza Inc Gypsum, CO | Luz De Vida/Third Floor Youth Transitional Home | $30,000 |
| People of Peru Project Walla Walla, WA | General | $30,000 |
| Peru Champs Association New York, NY | General | $25,000 |
| Morehead State University Morehead, KY | Daniel L. McGowan Lifetime Learning Scholarship | $25,000 |
| Zebra Youth Orlando, FL | Improve Transportation for LGBTQ+ Youth | $20,000 |
| York Street Project Jersey City, NJ | The Nurturing Place | $20,000 |
| Heritage Community Initiatives Braddock, PA | Heritage Education Programs | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ayers Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,919,746 | $620,330 | $515,638 | $408,265 | 23 | $437,190 | $547,703 | $501,164 |
| 2023 | $6,776,665 | $423,376 | $503,750 | $404,500 | 24 | $434,628 | $358,960 | $441,158 |
| 2022 | $6,845,160 | $373,587 | $601,592 | $475,360 | 20 | $513,693 | $303,077 | $447,775 |
| 2021 | $7,071,238 | $920,948 | $498,976 | $386,200 | 18 | $413,436 | $852,920 | $494,975 |
| 2020 | $6,546,141 | $656,759 | $460,213 | $366,500 | 18 | — | $593,671 | $409,291 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ayers Foundation reported a distributable amount of $501K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The filing does not state a foundation mission. Its grants show support for organizations with varied programs. For example, Peruvian Hearts describes its work as educating girls and developing women leaders in Peru; Angels Place describes its work as providing family support and early childhood education; and the Homeless Children’s Education Fund describes its work as advancing the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County.
Other 2024 recipients include Pittsburgh Glass Center, which describes its work as teaching, creating, promoting, and supporting glass art, and York Street Project, which describes providing housing, childcare, counseling, case management, and job and life-skills training.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 23 grants totaling $408,265. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $57,265, with a median of $10,000. Larger awards included $57,265 to Agahozo-Shalomn Youth Village for a gala sponsorship, $50,000 to Peruvian Hearts for general support, $36,000 to Angels Place for general support, and $30,000 each to Corazon de Esperanza and People of Peru Project. Other notable awards included $25,000 to Peru Champs Association and $25,000 to Morehead State University for the Daniel L. McGowan Lifetime Learning Scholarship.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James A Ayers II as chairman, Florence Ayers as vice chairman, Renee Ayers as president, Bruce Bickel as executive director, Cynthia Hamorsky as secretary, and PNC Bank NA as agent.
Ayers Foundation is led by Bruce Bickel, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Bruce Bickel
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Renee Ayers
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
James A. Ayers II
Chairman
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Cynthia Hamorsky
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Florence Ayers
Vice Chairman
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
PNC Bank NA
Agent
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Ayers Foundation
How much does Ayers Foundation give each year?
Ayers Foundation gave $408K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $405K across 24 grants.
What is Ayers Foundation's typical grant size?
Ayers Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,751, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ayers Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Ayers Foundation give grants?
Ayers Foundation's top state is Pennsylvania, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (20%) and Colorado (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (10 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Ayers Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 43% of Ayers Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ayers Foundation's largest grantees?
Ayers Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Agahozo-Shalomn Youth Village ($57,265), Peruvian Hearts ($50,000) and Angels' Place Inc ($36,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Ayers Foundation?
Ayers Foundation reported $6.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $437K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $501K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Ayers Foundation fund?
The filing does not state a foundation mission. Its grants show support for organizations with varied programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ayers Foundation?
The filing states there is no formal application and no deadline. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ayers Foundation's EIN?
Ayers Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3272241. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Ayers Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Ayers Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ayers Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ayers-foundation-morg_559d6451c38f47b0ac1128bd81a62d50
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203272241_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ayers Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ayers-foundation-morg_559d6451c38f47b0ac1128bd81a62d50},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Ayers Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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