Highmark Foundation
Highmark Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that supports high-impact grantmaking to improve community health. Its mission is to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life of people in communities served by Highmark, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
Highmark Foundation at a glance
In short: Highmark Foundation gave $18.7M across 313 grants in 2024 (avg $60K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 53% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $18,696,982
- +35.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 313
- +160.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $59,735
- -48.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $100,860,741
- -13.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (114 of 215, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (79% 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 Highmark Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests, as well as invited proposals and proposals submitted in response to RFPs. Its 2024 filing lists Nina Sexton as the contact, says to see supplemental information for application materials and award restrictions, and gives no deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Nina Sexton
Mailing address: 120 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: (716) 572-7302
Email: info@highmarkfoundation.org
Website: https://highmarkfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Highmark Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Allegheny Health Network ($7.0M across 12 grants). Together the top 10 received $11.7M.
Organizations only. It also paid 68 grants to individuals ($498,590), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
796 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 525 grants of 796 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s mission covers communities served by Highmark, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates. Its website describes its community-health work across Pennsylvania and notes that it began serving an individual recipient in 2011. In 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania and 12% to recipients in an individual recipient; the reported shares also included an individual recipient (2%), Georgia (1%), and Ohio (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 313 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Highmark Foundation open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 114 of 215 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $41K; repeat grants $139K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 25% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 130% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 774% 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 $3.2M (2020) to $18.7M (2024). In 2024 it made 313 grants totaling $18.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Health Network Pittsburgh, PA | To Support Charity Care | $5,000,000 |
| United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, PA | To support the general needs of united way of southwestern Pennsylvania | $700,000 |
| United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania Pittsburgh, PA | To support the general needs of united way of southwestern Pennsylvania | $650,000 |
| Project Destiny Inc Pittsburgh, PA | To Support THRIVE18 2.0 Sdoh Community Initiative | $650,000 |
| Allegheny Health Network Pittsburgh, PA | To Support Nursing Scholars Pilot | $600,000 |
| Project Destiny Inc Pittsburgh, PA | To Support THRIVE18 2.0 Sdoh Community Initiative | $500,000 |
| CAMC Health Education and Research Institute Inc Charleston, WV | Grant to support the food as medicine initiative via healthy neighborhood program | $500,000 |
| United Way of Capital Region Enola, PA | To support the general needs of united way of capital region | $300,000 |
| Allegheny Health Network Pittsburgh, PA | To Support Talent Attraction Program | $300,000 |
| Allegheny Health Network Pittsburgh, PA | To Support First Steps and Beyond Program | $250,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Highmark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $100,860,741 | $3,224,664 | $18,893,955 | $18,696,982 | 313 | $18,866,925 | $2,059,229 | $2,437,485 |
| 2023 | $116,255,484 | $2,755,132 | $13,944,089 | $13,774,785 | 120 | $13,923,381 | $1,573,801 | $2,273,819 |
| 2022 | $126,514,361 | $5,969,409 | $14,766,168 | $14,640,672 | 211 | $14,757,790 | $716,641 | $1,314,886 |
| 2021 | $137,140,319 | $19,548,694 | $8,156,033 | $8,117,785 | 79 | $8,178,975 | $348,621 | $1,499,226 |
| 2020 | $126,185,931 | $121,042,972 | $2,156,255 | $3,208,801 | 73 | — | $171,199 | $392,687 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Highmark Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.4M 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
The Foundation defines health broadly, including social and behavioral dimensions as well as illness and disease. Its three stated funding priorities are chronic disease, family health, and service delivery systems. Examples of supported work described on its website include prevention and wellness initiatives, maternal and adolescent health, mental health, nutrition and physical activity, and services for uninsured or underinsured people.
Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) and public charities under section 509(a). The Foundation has awarded grants to hospitals, community health centers, health service organizations, local community groups, and government agencies.
Among its 2024 grantees, Project Destiny received grants for the Thrive18 2.0 SDOH Community Initiative. Project Destiny describes its mission as serving Pittsburgh-area youth through enrichment, job-readiness and workforce-development training, financial-literacy workshops, and community outreach. An individual recipient United Health System, which received a grant for its Food for Mountaineers program, describes its mission as improving community health through health care services, training, and research. TeamSmile, a grantee, describes its mission as providing children in need with a dental experience through sports.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 313 grants totaling $18,696,982. Awards ranged from $900 to $5 million, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest reported 2024 grant was $5 million to Allegheny Health Network for charity care. Other notable grants included $700,000 and $650,000 to United Way of an individual recipient for its general needs; $650,000 and $500,000 to Project Destiny for the Thrive18 2.0 SDOH Community Initiative; and $600,000 to Allegheny Health Network for a nursing scholars pilot. Other grants included $500,000 to an individual recipient and Research Institute for a Food as Medicine initiative and $250,000 to an individual recipient United Health System for Food for Mountaineers.
The Foundation also offers a School Grants Program, with awards of up to $7,500 for eligible schools in Pennsylvania and an individual recipient
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The Foundation’s 2022 giving report identified Yvonne Cook as president and Daniel A. Onorato as chair. The 2024 filing information provided here does not identify officers or directors.
Highmark Foundation is led by Yvonne C. Cook, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Yvonne C. Cook
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel A. Onorato
Director & Chairperson
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doris Carson Williams
Director & Vice Chairperson
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janine K. Colinear
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenya T. Boswell
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Judith W. Ritchie
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allen Roosevelt
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew B. Bazzani
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas D. Kavanaugh
Secretary
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Roosevelt Allen Dds Magd (2023) — Director
- Former: Edward A. Bittner Jr. (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Richard Q. Dufurrena DDS (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Roosevelt Allen (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Cain A. Hayes (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Diana E. Leech (2020–2021) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Evan S. Frazier (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Judith W. Sjostedt (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Steven E. Szebenyi MD (2020) — Director
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 Highmark Foundation
How much does Highmark Foundation give each year?
Highmark Foundation gave $18.7M across 313 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $13.8M across 120 grants.
What is Highmark Foundation's typical grant size?
Highmark Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $59,735, across 313 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Highmark Foundation that year got $41K on average.
Where does Highmark Foundation give grants?
Highmark Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was West Virginia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (47 grants), Charleston, WV (12 grants), Morgantown, WV (6 grants) and Lancaster, PA (5 grants).
Does Highmark Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 13% of Highmark Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 313) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "To Support School Grants and Award Programs" (121 grants), "To Support Highmark Bright Blue Futures Awards" (15 grants) and "To Support Capacity Building" (3 grants).
Who are Highmark Foundation's largest grantees?
Highmark Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Allegheny Health Network ($6,992,500 across 12 grants), United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania ($1,400,000 across 3 grants) and Project Destiny Inc ($1,150,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 68 grants to individuals ($498,590), which are not listed by name. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Highmark Foundation?
Highmark Foundation reported $100.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $18.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Highmark Foundation fund?
The Foundation defines health broadly, including social and behavioral dimensions as well as illness and disease. Its three stated funding priorities are chronic disease, family health, and service delivery systems. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Highmark Foundation?
The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests, as well as invited proposals and proposals submitted in response to RFPs. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Highmark Foundation's EIN?
Highmark Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-1876666. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Highmark Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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
(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). Highmark Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/highmark-foundation-morg_6031857c31ed47a3aacfc7883af6505c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_251876666_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Highmark Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/highmark-foundation-morg_6031857c31ed47a3aacfc7883af6505c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Highmark 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.
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