Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc
The DSF Charitable Foundation is a private foundation established in 2000 and based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is the charitable-giving organization of the David Scaife family. The foundation operates as a family foundation with a focus on promoting excellence across three primary program areas: health, human services, and education.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$117.8M
+0.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.3M
+22.4% YoY
Grant Count
25
-3.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$252K
+27.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $5.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation seeks to promote excellence in health, human services, and education. It has a particular strategic interest in creating or sustaining models of excellence that have potential to be replicated elsewhere, thereby providing broader benefit to the nation.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education: Literacy, tutoring, career development, and educational access programs
- Human Services: Childcare, disability services, senior programs, and youth development
- Health: Neurodegenerative diseases, cancer research, and biomedical engineering
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $5,000 - $1,000,000
Review Cycle
s; decision time approximately 4 months
How to Apply
** Rolling basis with three annual review cycles; decision time approximately 4 months
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Southwestern Pennsylvania, primarily Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $117,000,454
- Total Revenues: $2,637,616
- Total Expenses: $8,143,892
- Number of Employees: 1
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $117,842,807 | $117,000,454 | $111,963,963 |
| Revenue | $4,921,343 | $2,637,616 | $1,718,874 |
| Expenses | $7,545,087 | $8,143,892 | $4,760,576 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $6,847,507 | $5,753,881 | $4,414,199 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,069,050 | $2,883,138 | $2,565,146 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,771,264 | $5,626,901 | $5,755,284 |
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
132 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc
DSF Charitable Foundation: Education Grant
DSF CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
DSF Charitable Foundation: Health Grants
DSF CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
DSF Charitable Foundation: Human Services Grant
DSF CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Saint Vincent College ($3,250,000), East Coast Zoological Society ($1,250,000), Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens ($204,193).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CAMP HAVEN INC VERO BEACH, FL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| EAST COAST ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY MELBOURNE, FL | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $1,250,000 |
| GOOD COUNSEL INC SECAUCUS, NJ | SUPPORT FOR FAMILY IN RESIDENCE | $20,000 |
| LEADERSHIP PITTSBURGH INC PITTSBURGH, PA | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $107,000 |
| MAINSTAY LIFE SERVICES PITTSBURGH, PA | CAPITAL SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| MARY AND ALEXANDER LAUGHLIN CHILDRENS CENTER SEWICKLEY, PA | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| ONE DAY TO REMEMBER PITTSBURGH, PA | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $35,000 |
| PA CONNECTING COMMUNITIES CARNEGIE, PA | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| PHIPPS CONSERVATORY & BOTANICAL GARDENS PITTSBURGH, PA | TROPICAL FOREST HAWAI'I EXHIBIT | $204,193 |
| PITTSBURGH HIRES VETERANS PITTSBURGH, PA | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $70,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Trustees:
- Sanford B. Ferguson (Chairman)
- Edward J. Goncz (Treasurer)
- Sarah M. Scaife
- Sara D. Scaife (Secretary)
- David G. Scaife
- David N. Scaife
Staff:
- Sara D. Scaife (Co-Executive Director)
- David N. Scaife (Co-Executive Director)
- Megan A. Collins (Senior Program Officer)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAVID N SCAIFE | CHAIRMAN | 3 | $14,000 |
| SANFORD B FERGUSON | VICE CHAIRMAN | 4 | $14,000 |
| EDWARD J GONCZ SR | TREASURER | 5 | $24,000 |
| SARA D SCAIFE | SECRETARY | 3 | $8,000 |
| J NICHOLAS BELDECOS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $267,750 |
| DAVID G SCAIFE | TRUSTEE | 3 | $8,000 |
| SARAH M SCAIFE | TRUSTEE | 3 | $8,000 |
Contact Information
- Address: 5846 Ellsworth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15232-1708
- Phone: (412) 362-6000
- Email: info@dsfcf.org
- Website: dsfcf.org
- EIN: 25-1847237
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation seeks to promote excellence in health, human services, and education. It has a particular strategic interest in creating or sustaining models of excellence that have potential to be replicated elsewhere, thereby providing broader benefit to the nation. **Primary funding areas include:** • **Education:** Literacy, tutoring, career development, and educational access programs • **Human Services:** Childcare, disability services, senior programs, and youth development • **Health:** …
How do I apply for a grant from Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc?
**Grant Range:** $5,000 - $1,000,000 **Annual Giving:** $5-7 million (approximately $6.3 million in 2023) **Application Process:** Rolling basis with three annual review cycles; decision time approximately 4 months **Recent Grant Activity (2023):** • Total grants awarded: Over $5 million across 26 grants • Median grant size: Approximately $75,000 • Notable grants include: • Brevard Zoo: $2,500,000 (Capital Support for New Aquarium and Conservation Center) • Presbyterian SeniorCare: $258,017 (Va…
Where does Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc make grants?
Southwestern Pennsylvania, primarily Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.
What size grants does Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc awarded 25 grants totaling $6.3M — an average of about $252K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $5.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN?
Dsf Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-1847237. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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