BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2024, it awarded $5,112,055 through 19 grants, with recipients including cultural, educational, literacy, community, and economic-development organizations.
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA at a glance
In short: BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA gave $5.1M across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $269K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,112,055
- +6.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- +26.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $269,056
- -16.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $200,000
- Total assets
- $81,885,588
- -1.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (87% 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 BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA
- How to Apply
-
Contact Kendra Wotkyns. The application form and materials, deadlines, and award restrictions are provided upon initial contact.
- Review Cycle
- Provided upon initial contact.
- Deadline
- Provided upon initial contact.
- Contact
Application contact: Kendra Wotkyns
Mailing address: Bny Mellon Center 1 Boston Place, Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 722-7377
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Allegheny Conference on Community Dev ($1.5M). Together the top 10 received $4.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 47 grants of 116 (41%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 6% to Washington, DC, 3% to Minnesota, 2% to California, and 1% each to Virginia. Listed Pennsylvania recipients include organizations in Pittsburgh and Butler.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $162K; repeat grants $332K. How we count
Medians: $139K first-time, $200K repeat.
- 53% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+0%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% 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 $4.6M (2020) to $5.3M (2022). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $5.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Conference on Community Dev Pittsburgh, PA | PC | $1,465,000 |
| Matching Grants for Employee Donations Pittsburgh, PA | PC | $579,258 |
| Advanced Leadership Institute Pittsburgh, PA | General Operating | $500,000 |
| Carnegie Museum of Natural History Pittsburgh, PA | General Operating | $333,333 |
| Pittsburgh Symphony Inc Pittsburgh, PA | PC | $300,000 |
| University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | PC | $250,000 |
| Literacy Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | General Operating | $200,000 |
| Neighborhood Allies Pittsburgh, PA | General Operating | $200,000 |
| Neighborworks Washington, DC | General Operating | $200,000 |
| The Pittsburgh Promise Pittsburgh, PA | PC | $200,000 |
Ready to take the next step with BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA?
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 | $81,885,588 | $4,964,659 | $5,828,618 | $5,112,055 | 19 | $5,112,055 | $4,206,885 | $5,248,100 |
| 2023 | $82,760,343 | $5,808,505 | $5,463,940 | $4,810,017 | 15 | $4,810,017 | $5,221,972 | $4,868,040 |
| 2022 | $82,105,682 | $5,978,134 | $5,931,248 | $5,272,324 | 23 | $5,272,324 | $5,316,728 | $5,050,485 |
| 2021 | $81,880,065 | $10,595,945 | $5,713,421 | $5,116,450 | 30 | $5,116,450 | $9,853,671 | $5,366,043 |
| 2020 | $78,413,294 | $3,685,130 | $5,332,530 | $4,618,500 | 29 | — | $3,312,875 | $4,412,337 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA reported a distributable amount of $5.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including the arts, education, literacy, community change, and downtown economic vitality. For example, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra describes its mission as engaging, enriching, and inspiring through live musical experiences. Literacy Pittsburgh states that its mission is “better lives through learning,” while Neighborhood Allies says it engages Pittsburgh-area residents and organizations with tools to expand opportunity for community change. Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership describes its work as advancing initiatives that foster economic vitality and improve downtown life.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $5,112,055. Grants ranged from $25,000 to $1,465,000, with a median of $200,000. Notable awards included $1,465,000 to Allegheny Conference on Community Development, $579,258 for matching grants for employee donations, and $500,000 to Advanced Leadership Institute for general operating support. Other awards included $333,333 to Carnegie Museum of Natural History, $300,000 to Pittsburgh Symphony, $250,000 to the University of Pittsburgh, and $200,000 each to Literacy Pittsburgh, Neighborhood Allies, NeighborWorks, and The Pittsburgh Promise.
The University of Pittsburgh describes itself as a public research university that serves its home region, Pennsylvania, and the nation through education, research, and community partnership. Other 2024 recipients included Community Partnership, which says its mission is to mobilize partners to create transformative change, and Rock the Street, Wall Street, which says it empowers high school girls and university women through financial and investment education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Eric Boughner as chairman, Cynthia Danes as president, Andrea Stanford and Shannon Hobbs as directors, Brandon Dudt-Mulzet as secretary, and Kendra Wotkyns as vice president.
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA is led by Cynthia Danes, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cynthia Danes
President
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric Boughner
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Stanford
Director
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Hobbs
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brandon Dudt-Mulzet
Secretary
Secretary Appointed → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kendra Wotkyns
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: BNY Mellon N A (2023) — Trustee
- Former: Daisey Holmes (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Matthew Thornton (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Laurie Moritz (2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Kenya T. Boswell (2020–2021) — President
- Former: Matthew Dudt-Mulzet (2020) — Board Member
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 BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA
How much does BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA give each year?
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA gave $5.1M across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.8M across 15 grants.
What is BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA's typical grant size?
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA's median grant in 2024 was $200,000, and its average grant was $269,056, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA that year got $162K on average.
Where does BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA give grants?
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (13 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA give general operating support?
Yes: 68% of BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "PC" (6 grants).
Who are BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA's largest grantees?
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA's largest 2024 grantees include Allegheny Conference on Community Dev ($1,465,000), Matching Grants for Employee Donations ($579,258) and Advanced Leadership Institute ($500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA?
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA reported $81.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.2M (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 BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including the arts, education, literacy, community change, and downtown economic vitality. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA?
Contact Kendra Wotkyns. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA's EIN?
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7423500. 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bny-mellon-foundation-of-southwestern-pa-morg_691e1e45f123438a81d683ea59f2763e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237423500_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bny-mellon-foundation-of-southwestern-pa-morg_691e1e45f123438a81d683ea59f2763e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA'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.
BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern PA down — hundreds of funders to go?