Byham Charitable Foundation
Byham Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing lists 43 grants totaling $242,737, with the largest awards supporting organizations in the Pittsburgh area.
Byham Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Byham Charitable Foundation gave $243K across 43 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $242,737
- -3.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 43
- +13.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,645
- -14.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,837
- Total assets
- $4,216,643
- +7.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (10 of 43, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (89% 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 Byham Charitable Foundation
- Contact
Application contact: Helen Spalaris
Mailing address: 1225 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, PA 15017
Phone: (412) 257-3807
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Byham Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Essential Public Radio ($35K). Together the top 10 received $184K.
Grant Size Distribution
189 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 187 grants of 189 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania. The remaining shares were Ohio (4%), New York (2%), Texas (2%), and Massachusetts (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Byham Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 43 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 66% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 132% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $146K (2021) to $328K (2022). In 2024 it made 43 grants totaling $243K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Public Radio Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $35,000 |
| Cure Alzheimer's Fund Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Parkinsons Foundation of Western PA Bellevue, PA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Pittsburgh Tomorrow Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Wqed Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $18,000 |
| Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $10,750 |
| Planned Parenthood of WPA Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $10,000 |
| The Columbus Foundation Columbus, OH | General Support | $10,000 |
| United Way Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Chautauqua Institution Chautauqua, NY | General Support | $5,500 |
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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 | $4,216,643 | $679,499 | $272,963 | $242,737 | 43 | $248,049 | $657,585 | $188,531 |
| 2023 | $3,928,159 | $285,720 | $279,784 | $251,606 | 38 | $260,080 | $266,016 | $176,656 |
| 2022 | $3,949,255 | $248,342 | $364,288 | $328,200 | 39 | $334,871 | $227,425 | $189,039 |
| 2021 | $4,132,700 | $593,049 | $186,525 | $146,012 | 34 | $150,770 | $555,915 | $211,559 |
| 2020 | $3,805,948 | $528,957 | $195,630 | $167,650 | 35 | — | $502,917 | $180,251 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Byham Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $189K 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 is provided. The 2024 grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, public media, health-related organizations, and community organizations. For example, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust describes its mission as presenting performing and visual art, advancing arts education, and developing Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. Chautauqua Institution describes its mission as exploring human values and important religious, social, and political issues.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 43 grants totaling $242,737. Grants ranged from $100 to $35,000, with a median of $1,837. The largest awards included $35,000 to Essential Public Radio, $30,000 each to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and Parkinsons Foundation of Western PA, $25,000 to Pittsburgh Tomorrow, and $18,000 to WQED. These grants were listed for general support.
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. Applications should be submitted in writing and include the organization’s name, charitable purpose, and intended use of the grant. Helen Spalaris is listed as the contact for applications. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William C. Byham and Carolyn M. Byham as trustees; Tacy M. Byham and Carter W. Byham as directors; and Helen Spalaris as manager.
Byham Charitable Foundation's 2024 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Carolyn M. Byham
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carter W. Byham
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tacy M. Byham
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William C. Byham
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Helen Spalaris
Manager
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Helen Wylie (2020–2022) — Manager
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 Byham Charitable Foundation
How much does Byham Charitable Foundation give each year?
Byham Charitable Foundation gave $243K across 43 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $252K across 38 grants.
What is Byham Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Byham Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,837, and its average grant was $5,645, across 43 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Byham Charitable Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Byham Charitable Foundation give grants?
Byham Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (30 grants).
Does Byham Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Byham Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (43 of 43) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Byham Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Byham Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Essential Public Radio ($35,000), Cure Alzheimer's Fund ($30,000) and Parkinsons Foundation of Western PA ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Byham Charitable Foundation?
Byham Charitable Foundation reported $4.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $248K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $189K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Byham Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, public media, health-related organizations, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Byham Charitable Foundation?
Byham Charitable Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Byham Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Byham Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-1739254. 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). Byham Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/byham-charitable-foundation-morg_fb388c73efd04740a469aee7b4fac44a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_251739254_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Byham Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/byham-charitable-foundation-morg_fb388c73efd04740a469aee7b4fac44a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Byham Charitable 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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