Bridge Builders Community Foundations

Foundation · Grantmaker Franklin, PA EIN: 25-1292553 Website

Bridge Builders Community Foundations is a public charity and community foundation based in Franklin, Pennsylvania. Formerly known as Venango Area Community Foundation, the organization was established in 1975 and received its IRS tax-exempt ruling in 1990. The foundation serves as a philanthropic institution dedicated to developing, managing, and distributing funding to meet the present and future needs of its service communities.

Key facts about Bridge Builders Community Foundations

EIN: 25-1292553
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $1,255,554
Grants made (2024): 33
Average grant: $38,047
Median grant: $8,755
New grantees (estimate): 46% first-time grantees (12 of 26, 2024)
Total assets: $20,443,066
Primary geography: Pennsylvania (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Next open deadline: March 6, 2027 (BBCF Local Scholarship Program (70+ scholarships managed))

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who Bridge Builders Community Foundations funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Bridge Builders Community Foundations's 33 itemized 2024 grants were Pennsylvania (95%). The most frequent recipient cities were Oil City, PA (9 grants), Franklin, PA (6 grants), Dunkirk, NY (3 grants) and Reno, PA (2 grants). None of its 33 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grant" (7 grants) and "Distribution" (6 grants).

Is Bridge Builders Community Foundations open to new grantees?

46%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 12 of 26 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $73K. How we count

Medians: $10K first-time, $9K repeat.

42% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving grew 172% from 2021 to 2024. Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with Bridge Builders Community Foundations

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$20.4M

+8.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.3M

+44.3% YoY

Grant Count

+17.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$38K

+22.5% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission is to develop, manage, and distribute funding in the form of scholarships, grants, and other assistance that meets the needs of the communities it serves. Primary funding areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

Typical awards range from $5,099 to $499,270.

Grant Range

s & Range**

Review Cycle

and scholarship application periods.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation serves Clarion, Forest, and Venango counties in Pennsylvania, as well as the Punxsutawney Area.

Grant Distribution by State

Pennsylvania $1.2M (95%)

New York $58K (5%)

California $6K (0%)

Share of all 33 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

California District of Columbia Massachusetts Maryland Minnesota New York Pennsylvania Texas

Cities

Oil CityFranklinErieRimersburgClarionHagerstownTionestaKnoxCooperstownSenecaTitusvilleDunkirkMarienvillePunxsutawneyRenoUticaBuffaloCranberryDuboisPolk

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (2023)

Total Assets: $18,810,098
Total Revenues: $3,657,993
Total Expenses: $2,233,789

Staffing The organization operates with 4 employees.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$20,443,066	$18,810,098	$15,946,859
Revenue	$2,770,329	$3,657,993	$1,636,788
Expenses	$1,846,982	$2,233,789	$3,107,222
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	$688,472	$596,348	$384,146
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 2, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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

175 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

12 open opportunities from Bridge Builders Community Foundations

Show all 12 →

Foundation

BBCF Local Scholarship Program (70+ scholarships managed)

Bridge Builders Community Foundations

Amount

Varies by individual scholarship

Deadline

March 6, 2027

Annual

Foundation

Center for Rural Ministry Rural Impact Fund Grant

Bridge Builders Community Foundations

Amount

US $2,500 - US $4,000

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Foundation

Dr. & Mrs. Arthur William Phillips Charitable Trust Grant

Bridge Builders Community Foundations

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include United Way of Venango County ($504,369 across 2 grants), Franklin Civic Operetta Association ($215,264 across 3 grants), Eccles-Lesher Memorial Library ($98,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
UNITED WAY OF VENANGO COUNTY Reno, PA	DISTRIBUTION	$499,270
FRANKLIN CIVIC OPERETTA ASSOCIATION Franklin, PA	DISTRIBUTION	$100,000
FRANKLIN CIVIC OPERETTA ASSOCIATION Franklin, PA	DISTRIBUTION	$100,000
ECCLES-LESHER MEMORIAL LIBRARY Rimersburg, PA	ECCLES-LESHER MEMORIAL LIBRARY	$98,000
OIL REGION LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Oil City, PA	DISTRIBUTION	$76,851
ALLEGHENY VALLEY TRAILS ASSOCIATION Franklin, PA	DISTRIBUTION	$50,000
OIL CITY ARTS COUNCIL Oil City, PA	GRANT	$50,000
OIL CITY LIBRARY Oil City, PA	ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION	$31,500
NORTHWESTERN ROOFING CO INC Dunkirk, NY	MATERIAL, LABOR & EQUIPMENT FOR ROOFING	$24,949
NORTHWESTERN ROOFING CO INC Dunkirk, NY	MATERIAL, LABOR & EQUIPMENT FOR ROOFING	$24,949

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Becky Edwards	Director	1	—
Doug Schwab	Director	1	—
Angela Trinch	Treasurer	1	—
W Russell McDaid	Director	1	—
Denise Jones	Vice Chairman	1	—
Colleen McAleer	Director	1	—
Maloy Shrout	Director	1	—
Emily Kelkar	Director	1	—
Stephanie Mills	Director	1	—
Warren Thomas	Chairman	10	—
Barry McCauliff	Director	1	—
Lynn McCaslin	Secretary	10	—
Trenton Moulin	President & CEO	40	$70,350

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has been active in recent years with several notable initiatives:

Bridge Builders Community Foundations Celebrates 50 Years of Philanthropy

2025

Opened the 2025 Fall Grant Cycle

Bridge Builders Community Foundations Opens 2025 Fall Grant Cycle

2025

Opened scholarship applications for 2025

Bridge Builders Community Foundations Opens Scholarship Applications for

Selected for participation in a training and funding program

Bridge Builders Community Foundations Selected for Training and Funding Program

Celebrated 50 years of philanthropy and community impact

Bridge Builders Community Foundations Celebrates 50 Years of Philanthropy

2025

Announced 2025-2026 scholarship recipients

Bridge Builders Community Foundations Announces 2025-2026 Scholarship Recipients

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bridge Builders Community Foundations fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Bridge Builders Community Foundations?

**Grant Sizes & Range** Typical awards range from $5,099 to $499,270. **Active Grant Funds** The foundation manages multiple named funds and grant programs, including: • William & Elizabeth Charitable Fund for the Trades • Venango Area Community Foundation Discretionary Grants • Punxsutawney Area Discretionary Grants • McElhattan Impact Fund for the Knox Area Grant Program • Frank M. & Eleanor R. Miese Fund Grant • Forest County Unrestricted Endowment **Recent Grant Activity** Recent grants mad…

Where does Bridge Builders Community Foundations make grants?

The foundation serves Clarion, Forest, and Venango counties in Pennsylvania, as well as the Punxsutawney Area.

What size grants does Bridge Builders Community Foundations award?

In 2024, Bridge Builders Community Foundations awarded 33 grants totaling $1.3M — an average of about $38K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Bridge Builders Community Foundations's EIN?

Bridge Builders Community Foundations's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-1292553. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.