Pulley Foundation
The Pulley Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including arts, education, health care, and environmental organizations. The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Pulley Foundation at a glance
In short: Pulley Foundation gave $895K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $32K), top state Colorado. 68% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $895,000
- -15.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,964
- -36.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $10,739,384
- +3.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 68% first-time grantees (17 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (47% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Pulley Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Janet Houston Strauss Troy 150, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 629-9413
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pulley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Vail Valley Foundation ($150K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $595K.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 83 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Colorado received the largest share of grant dollars, at 47%, followed by New Mexico at 15%, Kentucky at 13%, North Carolina at 9%, and Georgia at 6%. The listed grants also include recipients in Virginia and Oregon.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Pulley Foundation open to new grantees?
68%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 25 grantees (68%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $56K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 28% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 85% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $288K (2020) to $1.1M (2024). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $895K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Vail Performing Arts Academy Edwards, CO | Program Support | $75,000 |
| Church of the Nativity Maysville, KY | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Betty Ford Alpine Gardens Vail, CO | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Bright Futures Foundation Avon, CO | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Vail Valley Foundation Avon, CO | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Vail Valley Foundation Avon, CO | Program Support | $50,000 |
| The Lensic Performing Arts Center Santa Fe, NM | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Vail Valley Foundation Avon, CO | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Community Care Clinic Highlands, NC | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Darlington School Rome, GA | Program Support | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Pulley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,739,384 | $1,475,043 | $972,256 | $895,000 | 28 | $902,460 | $1,123,016 | $1,067,455 |
| 2024 | $10,336,777 | $944,957 | $1,146,788 | $1,060,000 | 21 | $1,063,043 | $884,426 | $1,005,767 |
| 2023 | $10,538,390 | $1,367,468 | $1,029,743 | $950,000 | 11 | $952,781 | $1,310,388 | $941,307 |
| 2022 | $10,204,909 | $1,020,275 | $1,104,175 | $1,030,000 | 11 | $1,033,460 | $962,747 | $959,644 |
| 2021 | $10,294,579 | $547,795 | $746,810 | $689,000 | 12 | $691,461 | $492,446 | $1,024,402 |
| 2020 | $10,498,175 | $410,023 | $341,413 | $288,000 | 13 | — | $361,866 | $852,956 |
| 2019 | $10,422,218 | $490,971 | $853,446 | $783,000 | 12 | — | $461,813 | $848,845 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Pulley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2025 — 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’s 2025 filing describes its program as “difference between market value and basis of assets contributed.” Its grants include support for organizations whose missions span several fields. For example, Vail Valley Foundation says it enhances quality of life in the Vail Valley through arts, athletics, and education; Darlington School says it provides a challenging and supportive educational experience; Community Care Clinic says it provides health care to low-income people without insurance; and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens says it protects the alpine environment through education, conservation, and living plant collections. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a mission statement for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $895,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $75,000, with a median of $30,000. Listed grants included $75,000 to Vail Performing Arts Academy; $50,000 each to Church of the Nativity, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, Bright Futures Foundation, Vail Valley Foundation, The Lensic Performing Arts Center, Community Care Clinic, and Darlington School; and $40,000 to Food Depot Santa Fe. The filing lists multiple $50,000 grants to Vail Valley Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Janet L. Houston as trustee/president, Virginia B. Illick as trustee/vice president, Kathryn B. Hendrickson as trustee/treasurer, and Dorothy W. Browning as trustee/secretary.
Pulley Foundation is led by Janet L. Houston, Trustee & President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Janet L. Houston
Trustee & President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dorothy W. Browning
Trustee & Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn B. Hendrickson
Trustee & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Virginia B. Illick
Trustee & Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Virginia J. Browning (2019–2024) — Trustee & Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Pulley Foundation
How much does Pulley Foundation give each year?
Pulley Foundation gave $895K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 21 grants.
What is Pulley Foundation's typical grant size?
Pulley Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $31,964, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Pulley Foundation that year got $26K on average.
Where does Pulley Foundation give grants?
Pulley Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Mexico (15%) and Kentucky (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Avon, CO (4 grants), Santa Fe, NM (4 grants), Highlands, NC (4 grants) and Edwards, CO (3 grants).
Does Pulley Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on Pulley Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (27 grants).
Who are Pulley Foundation's largest grantees?
Pulley Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Vail Valley Foundation ($150,000 across 3 grants), Vail Performing Arts Academy ($75,000) and Church of the Nativity ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Pulley Foundation?
Pulley Foundation reported $10.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $902K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (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 Pulley Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes its program as “difference between market value and basis of assets contributed.” Its grants include support for organizations whose missions span several fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pulley Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Pulley Foundation's EIN?
Pulley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7009545. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Pulley Foundation 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Pulley Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Pulley Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pulley-foundation-morg_662ebb3a954e42178591f55fb4fc3e18
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237009545_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pulley Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pulley-foundation-morg_662ebb3a954e42178591f55fb4fc3e18},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Pulley 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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