Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD
The Donald A Pels Charitable Trust Utd is a private foundation based in Harrison, New York. In 2024, it reported making 186 grants totaling $36,347,878 to charitable organizations.
Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD at a glance
In short: Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD gave $36.3M across 186 grants in 2024 (avg $195K), mostly in New York. 9% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $36,347,878
- +4.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 186
- +1.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $195,419
- +2.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $258,241,285
- -4.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (17 of 179, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (70% 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 Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 500 Mamaroneck Ave Suite 301, Harrison, NY 10528
Phone: (914) 381-8900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Rockefeller University ($2.5M). Together the top 10 received $16.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
908 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 356 grants of 908 (39%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 14% to recipients in the District of Columbia, 6% to North Carolina, 5% to California, and 2% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 186 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 17 of 179 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $68K; repeat grants $217K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $75K repeat.
- 85% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 32% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 199% 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 $27.6M (2021) to $36.3M (2024). In 2024 it made 186 grants totaling $36.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller University New York, NY | General Operating Support | $2,500,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America New York, NY | General Operating Support | $2,250,000 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | General Operating Support | $2,100,000 |
| Friends of Highline New York, NY | General Operating Support | $2,100,000 |
| Neo Philanthropy - State Infrastructure Fund New York, NY | General Operating Support | $2,000,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Compassion and Choices Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Earthjustice San Fransisco, CA | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund New York, NY | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Everytown for Gun Safety New York, NY | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD?
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 | $258,241,285 | $26,249,274 | $38,777,845 | $36,347,878 | 186 | $36,841,838 | $26,311,689 | $18,548,899 |
| 2023 | $270,769,856 | $17,510,786 | $37,033,883 | $34,755,300 | 183 | $35,260,880 | $15,140,091 | $17,389,882 |
| 2022 | $290,292,953 | $8,907,223 | $36,994,855 | $34,344,900 | 184 | $34,831,751 | $6,644,589 | $18,647,087 |
| 2021 | $318,380,585 | $19,080,873 | $30,010,591 | $27,588,210 | 173 | $27,966,971 | $19,196,890 | $21,235,195 |
| 2020 | $329,310,303 | $8,587,463 | $30,541,258 | $27,940,000 | 182 | — | $6,462,936 | $18,782,804 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD reported a distributable amount of $18.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its grants support organizations with varied missions. For example, The Rockefeller University describes its work as biomedical and scientific research and graduate education intended to improve understanding of life. Planned Parenthood Federation of America describes its mission as providing comprehensive reproductive and related health care and advocating for public policies. Environmental grantees include the Natural Resources Defense Council, which says it works to confront the climate crisis and protect wildlife, clean air, clean water, and healthy communities, and Earthjustice, which describes its work as using law and partnerships to protect health, wildlife, and places, advance clean energy, and combat climate change.
Other 2024 recipients include the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, whose stated mission concerns understanding and protecting civil liberties and civil rights, and the Hopewell Fund, which says it uses fiscal sponsorship and charitable grantmaking to support initiatives advancing the public good and equity.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust reported 186 grants totaling $36,347,878. Grant amounts ranged from $600 to $2,500,000, with a median of $50,000. The largest grants included $2,500,000 to The Rockefeller University, $2,250,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, $2,100,000 each to Duke University and Friends of High Line, and $2,000,000 to Neo Philanthropy – State Infrastructure Fund. Each was listed for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Wendy Keys, c/o PKF O’Connor Davies, and Valerie Pels, c/o PKF O’Connor Davies, as trustees.
Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Valerie Pels Co Pkf O'Connor Davies
Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Keys Co Pkf O'Connor Davies
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD
How much does Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD give each year?
Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD gave $36.3M across 186 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $34.8M across 183 grants.
What is Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD's typical grant size?
Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $195,419, across 186 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD that year got $68K on average.
Where does Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD give grants?
Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD gives mostly in New York: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (14%) and North Carolina (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (100 grants), Brooklyn, NY (21 grants), Washington, DC (14 grants) and Bronx, NY (6 grants).
Does Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD give general operating support?
Yes: 99% of Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (185 of 186) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD's largest grantees?
Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD's largest 2024 grantees include Rockefeller University ($2,500,000), Planned Parenthood Federation of America ($2,250,000) and Duke University ($2,100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD?
Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD reported $258.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $36.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $18.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its grants support organizations with varied missions. For example, The Rockefeller University describes its work as biomedical and scientific research and graduate education intended to improve understanding of life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD's EIN?
Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6998091. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD 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 October 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). Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/donald-a-pels-charitable-trust-utd-morg_813cf2982efd4c798e9ad9dd41e52b95
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136998091_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/donald-a-pels-charitable-trust-utd-morg_813cf2982efd4c798e9ad9dd41e52b95},
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 Donald a Pels Charitable Trust UTD'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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