Beacon Foundation
Beacon Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, California, and New York, including Jewish community organizations, a university, and an organization focused on preventing hate-fueled violence.
Beacon Foundation at a glance
In short: Beacon Foundation gave $4.3M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $428K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,282,045
- -28.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $428,205
- -35.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $150,000
- Total assets
- $17,922,314
- +7.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (53% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Beacon Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists a letter of request from an exempt organization as the application material and names David Shapira as the contact. The filing reports no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: David Shapira - Beacon Foundation I
Mailing address: Giant Eagle Inc 101 Kappa Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
Phone: (412) 963-6200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Beacon Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh ($1.7M). Together the top 10 received $4.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 12 grants of 45 (27%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 53% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 35% to West Virginia, 8% to California, and 4% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Beacon Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $125K; repeat grants $504K. How we count
Medians: $125K first-time, $150K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 377% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3.3M (2022) to $6.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $4.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $1,687,500 |
| Hillel the Foundation Morgantown, WV | Charitable | $1,500,000 |
| Moishe House Encinitas, CA | Charitable | $345,341 |
| Eradicate Hate Global Summit Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $225,000 |
| Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $150,000 |
| Onetable New York, NY | Charitable | $150,000 |
| T of L Inc Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $100,000 |
| Mosiac United Mechaniscsburg, PA | Charitable | $75,000 |
| Jewish Cemetary Burial Assn Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Jewish Association on Aging Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $24,204 |
Ready to take the next step with Beacon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $17,922,314 | $1,263,323 | $4,446,341 | $4,282,045 | 10 | $4,282,045 | $1,099,027 | $1,134,858 |
| 2024 | $16,631,820 | $880,266 | $6,174,370 | $5,994,832 | 9 | $5,994,832 | $706,974 | $1,268,044 |
| 2023 | $21,925,337 | $705,854 | $5,050,421 | $4,872,580 | 11 | $4,872,580 | $572,816 | $1,432,368 |
| 2022 | $26,269,904 | $543,938 | $3,502,636 | $3,321,410 | 10 | $3,321,410 | $384,180 | $1,732,683 |
| 2021 | $29,216,858 | $608,206 | $3,657,589 | $3,475,179 | 5 | — | $462,687 | $1,802,129 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Beacon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh describes its mission as cultivating resources, connecting people, and collaborating to support a flourishing Jewish community. Moishe House says it provides Jewish community, learning, and leadership opportunities for young adults. Eradicate Hate Global Summit describes its work as forging solutions to prevent hate-fueled violence.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $4,282,045. Grant amounts ranged from $24,204 to $1,687,500, with a median of $150,000. The largest awards were $1,687,500 to Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, $1,500,000 to Hillel the Foundation, $345,341 to Moishe House, and $225,000 to Eradicate Hate Global Summit. Other recipients included Carnegie Mellon University and OneTable, each receiving $150,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles Porter, William Meehan, Edward Moravitz, Norman Weizenbaum, David Shapira, and Louis Plung as directors.
Beacon Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles Porter
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Shapira
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward Moravitz
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Louis Plung
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Norman Weizenbaum
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Meehan
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Gerald Chait (2021–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Beacon Foundation
How much does Beacon Foundation give each year?
Beacon Foundation gave $4.3M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $6.0M across 9 grants.
What is Beacon Foundation's typical grant size?
Beacon Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $150,000, and its average grant was $428,205, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Beacon Foundation that year got $125K on average.
Where does Beacon Foundation give grants?
Beacon Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were West Virginia (35%) and California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (6 grants).
Does Beacon Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Beacon Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (10 grants).
Who are Beacon Foundation's largest grantees?
Beacon Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh ($1,687,500), Hillel the Foundation ($1,500,000) and Moishe House ($345,341), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Beacon Foundation?
Beacon Foundation reported $17.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Beacon Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh describes its mission as cultivating resources, connecting people, and collaborating to support a flourishing Jewish community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Beacon Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Beacon Foundation's EIN?
Beacon Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2734721. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Beacon Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Beacon Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/beacon-foundation-morg_3008db06ddc440779be75f2f0ea57faa
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202734721_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Beacon Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/beacon-foundation-morg_3008db06ddc440779be75f2f0ea57faa},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Beacon 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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