Brooks Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Pittsburgh, PA EIN: 25-6026627
Arts and culturePerforming artsMuseumsEducationHigher education

Brooks Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports 21 grants totaling $232,468, supporting organizations in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Brooks Foundation at a glance

In short: Brooks Foundation gave $232K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 81% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$232,468
-5.4% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
21
+23.5% vs 2024
Average grant
$11,070
-23.4% vs 2024
Median grant
$10,000
Total assets
$4,625,474
+1.6% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
81% first-time grantees (17 of 21, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Pennsylvania (99% 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 Brooks Foundation

How to Apply

The filing names PNC Bank Charitable Tr Grant Review as the contact and directs applicants to a footnote for application materials, deadlines, and award restrictions. The details of that footnote are not provided here.

Contact

Application contact: Pnc Bank Charitable Tr Grant Review
Mailing address: Tower At Pnc Plaza 300 Fifth Ave Ma, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: (412) 995-1770

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Brooks Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

The Learning Lamp: $20KThe Learning Lamp$20KPittsburgh Filmmakers Inc: $20KPittsburgh Filmmakers Inc$20KWater Street Ministries: $17KWater Street Ministries$17KNational Aviary in Pittsburgh Inc: $15KNational Aviary in PittsburghInc$15KHugh Lane Wellness Foundation: $15KHugh Lane Wellness Foundation$15KBottle Worksethnic Arts Center: $15KBottle Worksethnic Arts Center$15KFamilies Matter Food Pantry: $15KFamilies Matter Food Pantry$15KSaint Johns Hospice: $13KSaint Johns Hospice$13KWomen and Girls Foundation: $13KWomen and Girls Foundation$13KJunior Achievement of South: $10KJunior Achievement of South$10K

The largest 2025 recipient was The Learning Lamp ($20K). Together the top 10 received $154K.

Grant Size Distribution

88 grants across all recorded years

86<$50K2$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 86 grants of 88 (98%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania and 1% to recipients in Maryland.

Grant Distribution by State

6states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.

Cities

PittsburghPhiladelphiaBaltimoreGreensburgJohnstownIrwinLancasterSewickleyWexfordAmbridgeBrookvilleCarnegieDelmontGibsoniaHarrisburgIndianaLigonierMonacaWashingtonAllison Park

Is Brooks Foundation open to new grantees?

81%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 17 of 21 grantees (81%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $12K. How we count

Medians: $10K first-time, $13K repeat.

  • 0% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−9%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 96% 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 (2019–2025). 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

$0$100K$200K$300K16 grants2019 19 grants2020 18 grants2021 13 grants2022 19 grants2023 17 grants2024 21 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $217K (2023) to $267K (2019). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $232K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
The Learning Lamp Johnstown, PAThe Learning Lamp After$20,000
Pittsburgh Filmmakers Inc Pittsburgh, PAGeneral Support$20,000
Water Street Ministries Lancaster, PAGeneral Support$17,200
National Aviary in Pittsburgh Inc Pittsburgh, PAGeneral Support$15,000
Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation Pittsburgh, PAGenral Support$15,000
Bottle Worksethnic Arts Center Johnstown, PAGeneral Support$15,000
Families Matter Food Pantry Monaca, PAGeneral Support$15,000
Saint Johns Hospice Philadelphia, PAGeneral Support$13,417
Women and Girls Foundation Pittsburgh, PAGeneral Support$13,117
Junior Achievement of South York, PAGeneral Support$10,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$4,625,474$381,838$311,736$232,46821$259,142$332,832$269,104
2024$4,553,999$302,613$323,239$245,64817$271,486$254,483$258,305
2023$4,576,276$258,948$285,428$216,72019$240,146$206,866$269,072
2022$4,565,752$-18,700$344,763$255,30813$283,300$67,787$244,713
2021$4,932,604$511,591$334,727$250,98718$279,191$450,438$283,512
2020$4,758,939$60,178$317,377$234,11719—$71,719$277,207
2019$4,997,961$641,530$343,339$267,37016—$584,015$246,919

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Brooks Foundation reported a distributable amount of $269K for 2025 — 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations whose work includes education, arts, poverty relief, food assistance, wildlife conservation, and community programs.

For example, The Learning Lamp says its mission is to engage students in the support they need to succeed. Pittsburgh Filmmakers says it advances excellence in the arts through facilities, education, and public programs. Water Street Ministries describes providing services and support to people experiencing poverty and homelessness in Lancaster County. Families Matter Food Pantry says it works to alleviate hunger in Beaver County and surrounding areas. The National Aviary in Pittsburgh describes work to protect endangered species, conduct avian research, and provide public education.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $232,468. Grants ranged from $1,874 to $20,000, with a median grant of $10,000.

Among the largest reported grants were $20,000 to The Learning Lamp and $20,000 to Pittsburgh Filmmakers; $17,200 to Water Street Ministries; and $15,000 each to the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center, and Families Matter Food Pantry. Other notable awards included $13,417 to Saint John’s Hospice, $13,117 to Women and Girls Foundation, and $10,000 each to Junior Achievement of South, Gretna Productions, and Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists PNC Bank N.A. as trustee.

Brooks Foundation's only listed officer is PNC Bank N A, Trustee on every filing since 2019 (compensated).

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • PNC Bank N A

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    $64K (2019) → $54K (2025)

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

PNC Bank N a — Trustee: $54KPNC Bank N aTrustee$54K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $54K, to PNC Bank N a (Trustee).

Frequently asked questions about Brooks Foundation

How much does Brooks Foundation give each year?

Brooks Foundation gave $232K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $246K across 17 grants.

What is Brooks Foundation's typical grant size?

Brooks Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $11,070, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Brooks Foundation that year got $11K on average.

Where does Brooks Foundation give grants?

Brooks Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (8 grants), Johnstown, PA (2 grants), Lancaster, PA (2 grants) and Monaca, PA (2 grants).

Does Brooks Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 90% of Brooks Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Brooks Foundation's largest grantees?

Brooks Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Learning Lamp ($20,000), Pittsburgh Filmmakers Inc ($20,000) and Water Street Ministries ($17,200), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Brooks Foundation?

Brooks Foundation reported $4.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $259K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $269K (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 Brooks Foundation fund?

No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations whose work includes education, arts, poverty relief, food assistance, wildlife conservation, and community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Brooks Foundation?

The filing names PNC Bank Charitable Tr Grant Review as the contact and directs applicants to a footnote for application materials, deadlines, and award restrictions. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Brooks Foundation's EIN?

Brooks Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-6026627. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 10, 2025)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
  3. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 30, 2020)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 26, 2022)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 25, 2023)
  7. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 12, 2024)

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Brooks Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/brooks-foundation-morg_37bf0f9571704b239615e8261564d99f

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_256026627_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Brooks Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/brooks-foundation-morg_37bf0f9571704b239615e8261564d99f},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Brooks 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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