Opportunity Foundation
Opportunity Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that supports arts organizations and organizations and initiatives advancing social and economic justice. It is also identified as Opportunity Fund on its website.
Opportunity Foundation at a glance
In short: Opportunity Foundation gave $2.4M across 156 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,440,750
- +6.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 156
- -1.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,646
- +8.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $41,439,239
- +0.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (51 of 156, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (88% 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 Opportunity Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The website directs applicants to its online application process. The 2024 filing lists a letter of request from an exempt organization as the required material.
- Review Cycle
- The website’s listed 2026 initial-application deadlines—January 15 and July 15—have passed. No later deadline is stated here.
- Deadline
- The website’s listed 2026 initial-application deadlines—January 15 and July 15—have passed.
- Contact
Application contact: Jacob Goodman
Mailing address: 5126 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Phone: (412) 362-1300
Email: jgoodman@theopportunityfund.org
Website: https://theopportunityfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Opportunity Foundation
Who Opportunity Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Founders First CDC ($150K). Together the top 10 received $594K.
Grant Size Distribution
668 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 660 grants of 668 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website says at least 75% of grants are awarded to projects benefiting Greater Pittsburgh, defined in its FAQs as Allegheny County and its surrounding area. It says projects outside that region may be eligible on a very limited basis. In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to Pennsylvania recipients, 7% to California, 3% to New York, 1% to North Carolina, and less than 1% to Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 156 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Opportunity Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 51 of 156 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2024). 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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.3M (2023) to $2.5M (2022). In 2024 it made 156 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Founders First CDC San Diego, CA | Charitable | $150,000 |
| Dreams of Hope Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $137,500 |
| New Sun Rising Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $57,500 |
| Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $42,500 |
| Community Theater Project Corporationthe Kelly Strayhorn Theater Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $41,000 |
| Abolitionist Law Center Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $35,000 |
| CASA San Jose Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $35,000 |
| Sisters PGH Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $35,000 |
| Shiftworks Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $30,000 |
| University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | Charitable | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Opportunity 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 | $41,439,239 | $3,005,699 | $3,284,790 | $2,440,750 | 156 | $2,954,369 | $2,909,031 | $2,679,590 |
| 2023 | $41,375,340 | $2,791,713 | $3,052,772 | $2,287,869 | 158 | $2,699,741 | $2,698,907 | $2,488,130 |
| 2022 | $42,818,662 | $2,929,012 | $3,312,420 | $2,506,879 | 173 | $2,739,456 | $2,806,372 | $2,364,299 |
| 2021 | $43,202,070 | $4,565,988 | $3,020,374 | $2,361,500 | 181 | $2,607,600 | $4,377,597 | $2,397,741 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Opportunity Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.7M 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
The funder’s stated mission is to award grants to small- to midsize arts organizations and to organizations and initiatives that advance social and economic justice. Its arts interests include theatre, dance, classical chamber music, jazz, and craft. Its social and economic justice focus includes racial justice, Black-led movement work, civil liberties and civil rights—with special interest in Black and LGBTQ+ people—human rights, reproductive freedom, social services, economic independence, housing, tangible aid, transportation, healthcare, and other safety-net resources.
The website classifies its arts and social and economic justice grants as 42% and 58% of a cumulative total, respectively, without specifying a period on the cited page. It focuses arts funding on small- to mid-size organizations, defined in its applicant FAQs as organizations with annual budgets of $1.5 million or less. Social and economic justice applicants may be nonprofit organizations of any size.
Examples of grantees’ work include Dreams of Hope, whose stated values include youth respect, creative expression, and open dialogue; New Sun Rising, which says it works to build vibrant communities through culture, sustainability, and opportunity; and Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, which says it works to improve the social, economic, and physical fabric of Pittsburgh neighborhoods through community engagement. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 156 grants totaling $2,440,750. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $150,000, with a median of $15,000. Notable awards included $150,000 to Founders First CDC, $137,500 to Dreams of Hope, $57,500 to New Sun Rising, $42,500 to Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, and $41,000 to Community Theater Project Corporation/The Kelly Strayhorn Theater.
The foundation’s website says it uses an online application for all steps of grantmaking and does not accept mailed letters or paper applications. Its 2024 filing lists a letter of request from an exempt organization as the application material, names Jacob Goodman as the contact, and reports no award restrictions and no filing deadline. The website describes two review cycles annually, with initial applications due January 15 and July 15, 2026; both dates had passed by October 2, 2026. For either cycle, a full application is required only if invited.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists IDY GOODMAN as trustee; JACOB GOODMAN as executive director; and DANA BISHOP-ROOT, ALISHA WORMSLEY, MARGE PETRUSA, MICHAEL TIKILI, and MEDINA JACKSON as directors.
Opportunity Foundation is led by Jacob Goodman, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jacob Goodman
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$135K (2021) → $178K (2024)
Dana Bishop-Root
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Idy Goodman
Trustee
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marge Petrusa
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Tikili
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alisha Wormsley
Director
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Medina Jackson
Director
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: James Hough (2021–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $178K, to Jacob Goodman (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Opportunity Foundation
How much does Opportunity Foundation give each year?
Opportunity Foundation gave $2.4M across 156 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.3M across 158 grants.
What is Opportunity Foundation's typical grant size?
Opportunity Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $15,646, across 156 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Opportunity Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does Opportunity Foundation give grants?
Opportunity Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (112 grants), Philadelphia, PA (5 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Wilkinsburg, PA (3 grants).
Does Opportunity Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 156 grants with a stated purpose on Opportunity Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (154 grants).
Who are Opportunity Foundation's largest grantees?
Opportunity Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Founders First CDC ($150,000), Dreams of Hope ($137,500) and New Sun Rising ($57,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Opportunity Foundation?
Opportunity Foundation reported $41.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Opportunity Foundation fund?
The funder’s stated mission is to award grants to small- to midsize arts organizations and to organizations and initiatives that advance social and economic justice. Its arts interests include theatre, dance, classical chamber music, jazz, and craft. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Opportunity Foundation?
The website directs applicants to its online application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Opportunity Foundation's EIN?
Opportunity Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-7132674. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
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 2021–2024
Live grants for the work Opportunity Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Opportunity Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Opportunity Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/opportunity-foundation-morg_17485b0f744449e0bd14e068d293a4b8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_387132674_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Opportunity Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/opportunity-foundation-morg_17485b0f744449e0bd14e068d293a4b8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Opportunity 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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