Foundations & Grantmakers in Pennsylvania
9,737 grantmakers in Pennsylvania reported grants on their latest 990s. The 3,351 that made at least 5 grants gave $13.5B. The largest by giving are National Philanthropic Trust, Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program and Upmc Group. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Pennsylvania grants
Foundation giving in Pennsylvania at a glance
Active grantmakers
9,737
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$13.5B
from the 3,351 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$17K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$53K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Pennsylvania by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Philanthropic Trust | Jenkintown | $5.1B | 18,583 |
| 2 | Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | Southeastern | $3.0B | 24,269 |
| 3 | Upmc Group | Pittsburgh | $189.8M | 395 |
| 4 | The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $181.5M | 5 |
| 5 | The Snider Foundation | Collegeville | $162.9M | 92 |
| 6 | University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | $149.1M | 397 |
| 7 | The William Penn Foundation | Philadelphia | $148.8M | 1,027 |
| 8 | John Templeton Foundation | West Conshohocken | $134.4M | 426 |
| 9 | Richard King Mellon Foundation | Ligonier | $116.7M | 296 |
| 10 | Business Leadership Organized | King of Prussia | $94.4M | 362 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 5 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 387 · 27%
- Human Services 192 · 13%
- Health 165 · 11%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 107 · 7%
- Religion Related 84 · 6%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 79 · 5%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (36% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Pennsylvania
- The Pittsburgh Foundation $64.0M · 1,132 grants
- The Philadelphia Foundation $39.1M · 715 grants
- Erie Community Foundation $24.4M · 373 grants
- Lancaster County Community Foundation $14.8M · 373 grants
- Community Foundation of Western $11.3M · 358 grants
- York County Community Foundation $8.7M · 197 grants
- Lehigh Valley Community Foundation $8.6M · 132 grants
- First Community Foundation Partnership $6.1M · 282 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 29 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Most open to new grantees in Pennsylvania
Foundations based in Pennsylvania whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colcom Foundation | 100% (104) | 104 in 2025 | $203K |
| 2 | Vesta Fund | 100% (32) | 32 in 2024 | $11K |
| 3 | Conewago Enterprises Charitable | 92% (45) | 49 in 2025 | $4K |
| 4 | The H Glenn Sample Jr MD Memorial Fund | 88% (21) | 24 in 2025 | $11K |
| 5 | Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation | 84% (36) | 43 in 2025 | $4K |
| 6 | Ricoh Americas Foundation | 83% (20) | 24 in 2025 | $1K |
| 7 | Abim Foundation | 83% (19) | 23 in 2025 | $30K |
| 8 | Alexander and Abigail Greene Charitable Foundation | 83% (19) | 23 in 2025 | $2K |
| 9 | Jumet Charitable Foundation | 82% (45) | 55 in 2025 | $2K |
| 10 | Hankin Foundation | 79% (57) | 72 in 2025 | $4K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 3,351 grantmakers in Pennsylvania with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
National Philanthropic Trust
Jenkintown, PA
Assets
$42.2B
Grants
18,583
Total Given
$5.1B
Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program
Southeastern, PA
Assets
$22.2B
Grants
24,269
Total Given
$3.0B
Upmc Group
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$14.5B
Grants
395
Total Given
$189.8M
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$5.7B
Grants
5
Total Given
$181.5M
The Snider Foundation
Collegeville, PA
Assets
$1.3M
Grants
92
Total Given
$162.9M
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$10.9B
Grants
397
Total Given
$149.1M
The William Penn Foundation
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$3.4B
Grants
1,027
Total Given
$148.8M
John Templeton Foundation
West Conshohocken, PA
Assets
$3.6B
Grants
426
Total Given
$134.4M
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Ligonier, PA
Assets
$2.7B
Grants
296
Total Given
$116.7M
Business Leadership Organized
King of Prussia, PA
Assets
$255.5M
Grants
362
Total Given
$94.4M
Hillman Family Foundations
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$1.9B
Grants
814
Total Given
$88.8M
The Heinz Endowments
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$2.2B
Grants
550
Total Given
$85.4M
Philabundance
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$41.6M
Grants
359
Total Given
$85.3M
Temple University Hospital Inc
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$1.8B
Grants
11
Total Given
$72.5M
DTCare
Moon Township, PA
Assets
$16.1M
Grants
12
Total Given
$67.5M
Central Pennsylvania Scholarship Fund
Tyrone, PA
Assets
$77.1M
Grants
436
Total Given
$64.5M
The Pittsburgh Foundation
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
1,132
Total Given
$64.0M
Philadelphia Works Inc
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$31.2M
Grants
100
Total Given
$61.3M
Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation
Erie, PA
Assets
$512.7M
Grants
143
Total Given
$55.6M
The Annenberg Foundation
Conshohocken, PA
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
543
Total Given
$53.3M
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$9.1B
Grants
138
Total Given
$50.3M
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$7.6B
Grants
203
Total Given
$49.5M
Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Inc
Harrisburg, PA
Assets
$7.6M
Grants
12
Total Given
$47.0M
Dietrich Foundation
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
13
Total Given
$45.4M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Pennsylvania
What are the largest foundations in Pennsylvania?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are National Philanthropic Trust ($5.1B across 18,583 grants), Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program ($3.0B) and Upmc Group ($189.8M). Together the top 10 account for 69% of the $13.5B given by the 3,351 grantmakers in Pennsylvania that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Pennsylvania?
The typical grant is about $17K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $53K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Pennsylvania?
Yes. We found 29 community foundations in Pennsylvania with grant activity. The largest by giving are The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation and Erie Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Pennsylvania foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Pennsylvania from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.