Richard C Von Hess Foundation
The Richard C Von Hess Foundation is a private foundation based in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 grants supported arts and cultural organizations, museums, historical organizations, and preservation projects.
Key facts about Richard C Von Hess Foundation
In short: Richard C Von Hess Foundation gave $3.4M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $258K), mostly in Pennsylvania. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 23-6962077
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,357,750
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- Average grant
- $258,288
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $20,657,936
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$20.7M
+2.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.4M
+26.2% YoY
Grant Count
13
-45.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$258K
+133.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Richard C Von Hess Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Richard C Von Hess Foundation gives
- 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 277% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 304% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. Its grants include support for exhibitions, arts education and awards, museum renovations, historic preservation, and publications. Grantees describe their own work in varied terms: the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts operates an educational program and American art gallery collection; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania promotes a better future through historical understanding; and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy works on preservation of the Fallingwater UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $3,357,750. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $2,000,000, with a median of $100,000. The largest grants included $2,000,000 to the Louise Steinman Von Hess Foundation for a visitor center, museum, and library annex; $314,600 to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for scholarships, travel awards, building work, and an exhibition; $250,000 to Woodmere Art Museum for Frances M. Maguire Hall; and $200,000 to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for Fallingwater preservation.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 7% to Massachusetts, 2% to Delaware, 1% to the District of Columbia, and 1% to Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 13 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
90 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| LOUISE STEINMAN VON HESS FOUNDATION Columbia, PA | SUPPORT TRANSFORMATION OF THE ADJACENT RAILROAD BUILDING INTO A VISITOR'S CENTER, MUSEUM AND LIBRARY ANNEX | $2,000,000 |
| PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS Philadelphia, PA | SUPPORT THE RICHARD C. VON HESS FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP AND TRAVEL AWARDS, THE RECONFIGURED MEMORIAL TRAVEL AWARD IN CONJUNCTION WITH PAFA CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, THE HVAC REPLACEMENT PROJECT FOR PAFA'S HISTORIC LANDMARK BUILDING, AND THE A NATION OF ARTISTS EXHIBITION | $314,600 |
| WOODMERE ART MUSEUM Philadelphia, PA | SUPPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT AND TO SECURE NAMING RIGHTS FOR FRANCES M. MAGUIRE HALL | $250,000 |
| WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONSERVANCY Pittsburgh, PA | SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE FALLINGWATER | $200,000 |
| ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM Boston, MA | SUPPORT THE BOOK OF ESTHER IN THE AGE OF REMBRANDT EXHIBITION | $150,000 |
| HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia, PA | SUPPORT RENOVATIONS OF HSP'S CONSERVATION SERVICES LABORATORY | $125,000 |
| PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM Salem, MA | SUPPORT THE SAINTS, SINNERS, LOVERS AND FOOLS: 300 YEARS OF FLEMISH MASTERWORKS EXHIBITION | $100,000 |
| DELAWARE ART MUSEUM Wilmington, DE | RENOVATION OF GALLERIES 15 & 16 | $60,000 |
| DEMUTH FOUNDATION Lancaster, PA | SUPPORT THREE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN | $52,150 |
| HILLWOOD ESTATE MUSEUM & GARDENS Washington, DC | SUPPORT THE SETTING SAIL: THE STORY OF SEA CLOUD EXHIBITION | $50,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,657,936 | $3,877,153 | $3,752,480 | $3,357,750 | 13 |
| 2024 | $20,182,770 | $2,240,196 | $3,064,521 | $2,659,630 | 24 |
| 2023 | $21,117,297 | $1,614,007 | $2,297,360 | $1,897,327 | 24 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $20,657,936 | $20,182,770 | $21,117,297 |
| Revenue | $3,877,153 | $2,240,196 | $1,614,007 |
| Expenses | $3,752,480 | $3,064,521 | $2,297,360 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,571,120 | $2,921,592 | $2,155,855 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,735,733 | $2,061,413 | $1,384,068 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,175,994 | $1,215,904 | $1,190,289 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas Hills Cook as managing trustee and Warren A Reintzel Esquire as trustee.
Richard C Von Hess Foundation is led by Thomas Hills Cook, Managing Trustee on every filing since 2020; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas Hills Cook
Managing Trustee
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$88K (2020) → $104K (2025)
Warren A. Reintzel Esquire
Trustee
On filings since 2020
14 hrs/week
$4K (2020) → $8K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Anne Genter (2020–2023) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
Contact
Mailing address: Co Tom Cook PO Box 68, Columbia, PA 17512
Phone: (215) 419-6000
Frequently asked questions about Richard C Von Hess Foundation
How much does Richard C Von Hess Foundation give each year?
Richard C Von Hess Foundation gave $3.4M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.7M across 24 grants.
What is Richard C Von Hess Foundation's typical grant size?
Richard C Von Hess Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $100,000, and its average grant was $258,288, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Richard C Von Hess Foundation give grants?
Richard C Von Hess Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (3 grants) and Lancaster, PA (2 grants).
Does Richard C Von Hess Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Richard C Von Hess Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Richard C Von Hess Foundation's largest grantees?
Richard C Von Hess Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Louise Steinman Von Hess Foundation ($2,000,000), Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ($314,600) and Woodmere Art Museum ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Richard C Von Hess Foundation?
Richard C Von Hess Foundation reported $20.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Richard C Von Hess Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. Its grants include support for exhibitions, arts education and awards, museum renovations, historic preservation, and publications. Grantees describe their own work in varied terms: the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts operates an educational program and American art gallery collection; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania promotes a better future through historical understanding; and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy works on preservation of the Fall…
How do I apply for a grant from Richard C Von Hess Foundation?
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 Richard C Von Hess Foundation's EIN?
Richard C Von Hess Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-6962077. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Richard C Von Hess Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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