Poor Richard's Charitable Trust
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1997 and based in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania. The organization holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and operates as an independent foundation focused on philanthropic giving.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$51.0M
+0.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.1M
-3.6% YoY
Grant Count
35
-16.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$87K
+15.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Poor Richard's Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $3.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The trust gives primarily for the arts—particularly museums—and for education. The foundation's grantmaking also encompasses philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking activities, with some support for human services.
Grantmaking
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust distributes between $2.7 million and $3.4 million annually. According to available records, the foundation has made 161 grants totaling $12.6 million, with individual grants ranging from $3,000 to $1.2 million. The median grant size is $30,000, with an average award of $78,000.
Grant Range
is $30,000, with an average award of $78,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated primarily in Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, which account for 99% of all grants. The foundation has supported 79 unique organizations across these regions.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $51.0 million (2023-2024)
Annual Giving: $3.055 million (most recent filing)
Revenue: $6.2 million (annual income)
Liabilities: $0 (2023)
The foundation's total assets have grown significantly from $11.4 million in 2011 to $51 million by 2024. The organization is governed by 2 officers and trustees.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $51,020,253 | $50,612,645 | $52,404,114 |
| Revenue | $3,432,923 | $2,216,564 | $175,992 |
| Expenses | $3,199,562 | $3,330,598 | $3,519,571 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,055,250 | $3,170,050 | $3,326,900 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,306,916 | $2,077,302 | $750,157 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,256,517 | $3,050,330 | $3,193,469 |
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
196 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Philadelphia Museum of Art ($859,000), Center City District Foundation ($250,000), Center for Architecture Design ($250,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ABORTION ACCESS FOR ALL DENVER, CO | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $50,000 |
| CELEBRATION OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN FOUNDER PHILADELPHIA, PA | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $5,000 |
| CENTER CITY DISTRICT FOUNDATION PHILADELPHIA, PA | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $250,000 |
| CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE DESIGN PHILADELPHIA, PA | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $250,000 |
| COOPER HEWITT SMITHSONIAN DESIGN MUSEUM NEW YORK, NY | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $85,000 |
| CRAFTNOW PHILADELPHIA, PA | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $120,000 |
| DREXEL UNIVERSITY PHILADELPHIA, PA | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $25,000 |
| FRINGEARTS PHILADELPHIA, PA | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $10,000 |
| GERMINATION PROJECT PHILADELPHIA, PA | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $150,000 |
| GREATER PHILADELPHIA CULTURAL ALLIANCE PHILADELPHIA, PA | TO FUND THE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS OF THE ORGANIZATION | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
David Seltzer serves as trustee. The principal officer is listed as Fairman Group LLC.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LISA S ROBERTS | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| DAVID SELTZER | TRUSTEE | — | — |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation awarded $8,800 to Leadership Philadelphia in 2023 to fund the organization's operational budgets.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Poor Richard's Charitable Trust fund?
The trust gives primarily for the arts—particularly museums—and for education. The foundation's grantmaking also encompasses philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking activities, with some support for human services.
How do I apply for a grant from Poor Richard's Charitable Trust?
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust distributes between $2.7 million and $3.4 million annually. According to available records, the foundation has made 161 grants totaling $12.6 million, with individual grants ranging from $3,000 to $1.2 million. The median grant size is $30,000, with an average award of $78,000. Grantmaking activity was highest in 2021, when the foundation distributed $3.4 million across 39 grants. The foundation makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does…
Where does Poor Richard's Charitable Trust make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated primarily in Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, which account for 99% of all grants. The foundation has supported 79 unique organizations across these regions.
What size grants does Poor Richard's Charitable Trust award?
In 2024, Poor Richard's Charitable Trust awarded 35 grants totaling $3.1M — an average of about $87K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Poor Richard's Charitable Trust required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Poor Richard's Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $3.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Poor Richard's Charitable Trust's EIN?
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7909451. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Poor Richard's Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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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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