Poor Richard's Charitable Trust
Poor Richard’s Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania. It gave $3,055,250 in 2024 across 35 grants, with recipients including arts and cultural organizations, civic initiatives, journalism, education, and youth-serving organizations.
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Poor Richard's Charitable Trust gave $3.1M across 35 grants in 2024 (avg $87K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,055,250
- -3.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 35
- -16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $87,293
- +15.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $51,020,253
- +0.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (8 of 35, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (96% 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 Poor Richard's Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1200 Liberty Ridge 320, Chesterbrook, PA 19087
Phone: (610) 889-7300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Poor Richard's Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Philadelphia Museum of Art ($859K). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
196 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 109 grants of 196 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 3% to New York, and 2% to Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Poor Richard's Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 35 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $48K; repeat grants $99K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $45K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−10%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 94% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $2.7M (2020) to $3.4M (2021). In 2024 it made 35 grants totaling $3.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia, PA | To Fund the Operational Budgets of the Organization | $859,000 |
| 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 |
| Spotlight PA Harrisburg, PA | To Fund the Operational Budgets of the Organization | $225,000 |
| Germination Project Philadelphia, PA | To Fund the Operational Budgets of the Organization | $150,000 |
| Tiny WPA Philadelphia, PA | To Fund the Operational Budgets of the Organization | $125,000 |
| Craftnow Philadelphia, PA | To Fund the Operational Budgets of the Organization | $120,000 |
| Philadelphia Soccer 2026 Philadelphia, PA | To Fund the Operational Budgets of the Organization | $100,000 |
| Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative (Pysc) Philadelphia, PA | To Fund the Operational Budgets of the Organization | $100,000 |
| Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | To Fund the Operational Budgets of the Organization | $100,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 grant total covered 35 grants; the trust made 42 grants in 2023 and 45 in 2022.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $51,020,253 | $3,432,923 | $3,199,562 | $3,055,250 | 35 | $3,055,250 | $3,306,916 | $3,256,517 |
| 2023 | $50,612,645 | $2,216,564 | $3,330,598 | $3,170,050 | 42 | $3,170,050 | $2,077,302 | $3,050,330 |
| 2022 | $52,404,114 | $175,992 | $3,519,571 | $3,326,900 | 45 | $3,326,900 | $750,157 | $3,193,469 |
| 2021 | $56,049,424 | $3,857,408 | $3,577,625 | $3,379,900 | 39 | $3,379,900 | $3,680,917 | $3,475,887 |
| 2020 | $55,876,745 | $1,942,505 | $2,919,522 | $2,736,300 | 35 | — | $1,649,570 | $3,207,606 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The trust’s filing describes Subpart F income from two offshore funds; it does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the Philadelphia Museum of Art received a grant, while Spotlight PA describes its mission as investigative and public-service journalism that holds powerful public and private forces accountable. Tiny WPA says it supports a multigenerational community of civic change agents using design to improve Philadelphia communities. The grantees’ descriptions reflect their own missions, not a stated mission of the trust.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust made 35 grants totaling $3,055,250. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $859,000, with a median of $35,000. The largest awards included $859,000 to the Philadelphia Museum of Art; $250,000 each to Center City District Foundation and Center for Architecture Design; $225,000 to Spotlight PA; and $150,000 to Germination Project. Other notable grants included $125,000 to Tiny WPA, $120,000 to CraftNOW, and $100,000 each to Philadelphia Soccer 2026, Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative, and the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. The stated purpose for the listed largest grants was to fund the recipients’ operational budgets.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lisa S Roberts and David Seltzer as trustees.
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David Seltzer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lisa S. Roberts
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Poor Richard's Charitable Trust
How much does Poor Richard's Charitable Trust give each year?
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust gave $3.1M across 35 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.2M across 42 grants.
What is Poor Richard's Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $35,000, and its average grant was $87,293, across 35 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Poor Richard's Charitable Trust that year got $48K on average.
Where does Poor Richard's Charitable Trust give grants?
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (31 grants).
Does Poor Richard's Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Poor Richard's Charitable Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (35 of 35) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Poor Richard's Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Philadelphia Museum of Art ($859,000), Center City District Foundation ($250,000) and Center for Architecture Design ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Poor Richard's Charitable Trust?
Poor Richard's Charitable Trust reported $51.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Poor Richard's Charitable Trust fund?
The trust’s filing describes Subpart F income from two offshore funds; it does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Poor Richard's Charitable Trust?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
Does Poor Richard's Charitable Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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). Poor Richard's Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/poor-richard-s-charitable-trust-morg_ca80b9fde88d4f5c91ec9a4904fba573
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237909451_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Poor Richard's Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/poor-richard-s-charitable-trust-morg_ca80b9fde88d4f5c91ec9a4904fba573},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Poor Richard's 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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