Ciervo Foundation
Ciervo Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports 33 grants totaling $298,325, and states that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Ciervo Foundation at a glance
In short: Ciervo Foundation gave $298K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Massachusetts. 67% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $298,325
- +57.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +57.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,040
- -0.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,398,757
- -3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 67% first-time grantees (22 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (84% 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 Ciervo Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 444 Liberty Avenue Suite 2100, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: (412) 918-1100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ciervo Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cape Cod Foundation ($85K). Together the top 10 received $212K.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 96 grants of 101 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 5% to New York, 4% to Maine, 3% to Pennsylvania, and 2% to the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ciervo Foundation open to new grantees?
67%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 22 of 33 grantees (67%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $190K (2024) to $315K (2021). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $298K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Cod Foundation South Yarmouth, MA | General Support | $85,000 |
| The Family Pantry of Cape Cod Harwich, MA | General Support | $26,500 |
| Cape Cod Community College Educational Fund West Barnstable, MA | General Support | $16,500 |
| Family Table Collaborative South Yarmouth, MA | General Support | $15,000 |
| The Brigid Alliance New York, NY | General Support | $13,000 |
| Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands Hyannis, ME | General Support | $13,000 |
| Centerville Civic Association Centerville, MA | General Support | $12,500 |
| Centerville Public Library Association Centerville, MA | General Support | $10,500 |
| Tommy's Place Foundation Quincy, MA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Cape Head Injured Persons & Education Group Centerville, MA | General Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ciervo 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 | $4,398,757 | $221,171 | $362,731 | $298,325 | 33 | $298,325 | $161,165 | $319,348 |
| 2024 | $4,539,225 | $373,404 | $245,157 | $190,069 | 21 | $190,069 | $316,561 | $287,793 |
| 2023 | $4,382,199 | $160,165 | $283,086 | $236,000 | 21 | $236,000 | $113,079 | $263,039 |
| 2022 | $4,506,228 | $33,894 | $307,098 | $245,000 | 12 | $245,000 | $45,961 | $273,328 |
| 2021 | $4,777,733 | $461,493 | $372,806 | $315,000 | 14 | $315,000 | $404,285 | $303,504 |
| 2020 | $4,686,900 | $829 | $274,602 | $227,500 | 11 | — | $48,748 | $259,001 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ciervo Foundation reported a distributable amount of $319K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, the Cape Cod Foundation describes its mission as strengthening Cape Cod through community leadership and strategic philanthropy. The Family Pantry of Cape Cod says it provides food and clothing to people in need, while Family Table Collaborative says it provides cooked meals to families and seniors in need across Cape Cod. Other recipients include Cape Kid Meals, which provides weekend food bags to children facing hunger; Tommy’s Place Foundation, which provides a vacation home for children fighting cancer and their families; and World Central Kitchen, which provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 33 grants totaling $298,325. Grants ranged from $225 to $85,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest awards included $85,000 to the Cape Cod Foundation, $26,500 to The Family Pantry of Cape Cod, $16,500 to the Cape Cod Community College Educational Fund, and $15,000 to Family Table Collaborative. Other recipients included The Brigid Alliance ($13,000), Cape Kid Meals ($10,000), Tommy’s Place Foundation ($10,000), and World Central Kitchen ($6,500).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kenton J. McElhattan as director, chairman, and president; Lesley McElhattan as director, secretary, and treasurer; and Larry S. Blair as director and vice president.
Ciervo Foundation is led by Kenton J. McElhattan, Director, Chairman & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kenton J. McElhattan
Director, Chairman & President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Larry S. Blair
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lesley McElhattan
Director, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Ciervo Foundation
How much does Ciervo Foundation give each year?
Ciervo Foundation gave $298K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $190K across 21 grants.
What is Ciervo Foundation's typical grant size?
Ciervo Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,040, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ciervo Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Ciervo Foundation give grants?
Ciervo Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hyannis, MA (7 grants), Centerville, MA (4 grants), South Yarmouth, MA (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Ciervo Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Ciervo Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (33 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ciervo Foundation's largest grantees?
Ciervo Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Cape Cod Foundation ($85,000), The Family Pantry of Cape Cod ($26,500) and Cape Cod Community College Educational Fund ($16,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ciervo Foundation?
Ciervo Foundation reported $4.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $298K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $319K (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 Ciervo Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, the Cape Cod Foundation describes its mission as strengthening Cape Cod through community leadership and strategic philanthropy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ciervo Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ciervo Foundation's EIN?
Ciervo Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3238419. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Ciervo Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ciervo Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation
Pittsburgh, PA
The Pittsburgh-based Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation funds arts and culture, education, the environment, health, human services, and religion, favoring tangible projects that benefit many people. Recent filings report one grant of about $912,000–$1.43 million per year, while its 2020 grants ranged from roughly $15,000 to $50,000; it prioritizes Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania, followed by northern West Virginia and northern Maryland. It requires a grant application, but the profile does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$22.5M
Grants
1
Total Given
$1.0M
Mondelez International Foundation
Chicago, IL
The Mondelēz International Foundation funds programs that promote healthy, active lifestyles for children and families, as well as disaster relief and employee programs, with community investments spanning 18 countries. Its 2024 grants ranged from $50,000 to $1,456,000, with a median of $251,000. It does not accept unsolicited funding requests and gives only to preselected organizations.
Assets
$6.1M
Grants
5
Total Given
$2.4M
The Buhl Foundation
Pittsburgh, PA
The Buhl Foundation primarily funds community work in Pittsburgh’s Northside, including education, employment, health, place, and safety, and also supports education, youth development, human services, and economic and community development across Southwestern Pennsylvania. Its 2025 grants ranged from $2,750 to $250,000, with a median of $25,000. It accepts letters of inquiry through an online process and applications on a rolling basis; full applications are by invitation.
Assets
$107.9M
Grants
83
Total Given
$4.2M
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc
Princeton, NJ
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.
Assets
$83.3M
Grants
144
Total Given
$67.7M
Lester Poretsky Family Foundation Inc
Potomac, MD
The Lester Poretsky Family Foundation supports charitable organizations working in areas including humanitarian aid, food assistance, environmental protection, military-family support, and education. Its 2024 grants ranged from $100 to $8,000, with a median of $1,000, and primarily went to organizations in the District of Columbia, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$538K
Grants
160
Total Given
$270K
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Ligonier, PA
The Richard King Mellon Foundation funds conservation across the United States and work advancing economic opportunity, health, and organizational capacity in Southwestern Pennsylvania, with regional programs focused on Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. In 2024, grants ranged from $2,000 to $10 million, with a median of $220,000. It accepts online applications through general applications with no deadlines.
Assets
$2.7B
Grants
296
Total Given
$116.7M
More similar funders
More Funders in Pennsylvania
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ciervo Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ciervo-foundation-morg_d7a8bee1ee3c42a0b58bb3a4bdc5a22f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823238419_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ciervo Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ciervo-foundation-morg_d7a8bee1ee3c42a0b58bb3a4bdc5a22f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Ciervo 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.
Ciervo Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?