Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust
The Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2024, it made 33 grants totaling $576,660, including grants for education, general support, and religious community service.
Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust gave $577K across 33 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $576,660
- -14.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 33
- -8.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,475
- -7.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,500
- Total assets
- $3,645,168
- -6.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (5 of 33, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (75% 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 Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The trust states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should submit a written proposal stating the purpose of the contribution. The filing states that there are no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Herman Helen Lipsitz Charitable Tru
Mailing address: 1900 Murray Ave 203, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Phone: (412) 521-5859
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Yeshiva Schools ($180K). Together the top 10 received $471K.
Grant Size Distribution
157 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 144 grants of 157 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 19% to New York, 3% to Colorado, 2% to New Jersey, and 1% to Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 33 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 79% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+7%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 194% 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 $306K (2020) to $676K (2023). In 2024 it made 33 grants totaling $577K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Yeshiva Schools Pittsburgh, PA | Education | $180,000 |
| Friends of United Hatzalah New York, NY | General Support | $100,000 |
| Classrooms Without Borders Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $55,000 |
| Lubavitch Center Pittsburgh, PA | Religious Community Service | $31,557 |
| Bnei Emunah Chabad Pittsburgh, PA | Religious Community Service | $24,123 |
| Camp Gan Israel Bnei Emunah Chabad Pittsburgh, PA | Religious Community Service | $20,000 |
| Ohr Chadash Denver, CO | Education | $20,000 |
| Camp Gan Israel Chabad of Squirrel Hill Pittsburgh, PA | Religious Community Service | $15,000 |
| Aleph Institute Pittsburgh, PA | Religious Community Service | $13,000 |
| Chabad of the South Hills Pittsburgh, PA | Religious Community Service | $12,097 |
Ready to take the next step with Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust?
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 | $3,645,168 | $418,767 | $607,609 | $576,660 | 33 | $598,858 | $282,088 | $309,345 |
| 2023 | $3,897,712 | $449,171 | $708,199 | $676,100 | 36 | $700,833 | $181,796 | $291,836 |
| 2022 | $4,142,567 | $241,635 | $609,134 | $580,350 | 29 | $602,832 | $186,698 | $300,140 |
| 2021 | $4,191,461 | $76,880 | $566,012 | $539,900 | 31 | $557,900 | $668 | $338,866 |
| 2020 | $4,141,448 | $263,296 | $336,101 | $306,325 | 28 | — | $232,345 | $303,819 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $309K 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 show support for education, general support, and religious community service. Among the recipients, Friends of United Hatzalah describes its mission as funding nonprofit organizations that provide medical and trauma-related first-responder services, with most of its support directed to United Hatzalah of Israel. American Friends of Leket Israel says it provides grants and assistance to exempt organizations outside the United States to feed the hungry. Chasdei Avos describes its work as supporting nonprofits in pursuing religious, educational, and charitable goals.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust awarded 33 grants totaling $576,660. Grants ranged from $250 to $180,000, with a median of $6,500. The largest awards included $180,000 to Yeshiva Schools for education, $100,000 to Friends of United Hatzalah for general support, and $55,000 to Classrooms Without Borders for general support. Other notable grants included $31,557 to Lubavitch Center and $24,123 to Bnei Emunah Chabad, both for religious community service.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Barbara Katch and Michael Katch as trustees.
Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barbara Katch
Trustee
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Katch
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust
How much does Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust give each year?
Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust gave $577K across 33 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $676K across 36 grants.
What is Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $6,500, and its average grant was $17,475, across 33 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust that year got $8K on average.
Where does Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust give grants?
Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (21 grants), Monroeville, PA (3 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 24% of Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Religious Community Service" (22 grants) and "Education" (3 grants).
Who are Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Yeshiva Schools ($180,000), Friends of United Hatzalah ($100,000) and Classrooms Without Borders ($55,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust?
Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust reported $3.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $599K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $309K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for education, general support, and religious community service. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust?
The trust states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust's EIN?
Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-6134327. 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). Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/herman-and-helen-lipsitz-charitable-trust-morg_a637385e681746f4a68c1b2dc7a6dfe7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_256134327_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Herman \& Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/herman-and-helen-lipsitz-charitable-trust-morg_a637385e681746f4a68c1b2dc7a6dfe7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Herman & Helen Lipsitz Charitable Trust'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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