Straus-Harris Foundation
Straus-Harris Foundation is a private foundation located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing lists grants to organizations in Philadelphia and Yeadon, Pennsylvania, including arts organizations and an organization serving immigrants.
Straus-Harris Foundation at a glance
In short: Straus-Harris Foundation gave $628K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $48K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $628,000
- +74.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +30.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $48,308
- +34.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $18,317,860
- +386.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% 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 Straus-Harris Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 228 South 21St Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 568-0595
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Straus-Harris Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Mural Arts Program ($160K). Together the top 10 received $610K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 48 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania. The listed 2024 recipients are in Philadelphia or Yeadon.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Straus-Harris Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $67K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 69% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 339% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $88K (2020) to $628K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $628K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mural Arts Program Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $160,000 |
| Nationalities Service Center Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $110,000 |
| InterAct Theatre Company Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $70,000 |
| 1812 Theater Company Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| Lantern Theater Company Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| Theatre Exile Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| The Center - Philadephia Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| Samuel S Fleisher Art Memorial Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $30,000 |
| Settlement Music School Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $30,000 |
| Ballet X Philadelphia, PA | Contribution to Further Donee's Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
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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 | $18,317,860 | $15,315,787 | $766,054 | $628,000 | 13 | $640,249 | $189,982 | $614,957 |
| 2023 | $3,768,127 | $451,038 | $429,402 | $360,000 | 10 | $362,206 | $375,842 | $317,763 |
| 2022 | $3,746,491 | $351,012 | $533,770 | $422,000 | 9 | $465,477 | $271,719 | $314,170 |
| 2021 | $3,929,249 | $6,615,920 | $199,909 | $143,000 | 8 | $150,083 | $2,566,859 | $198,553 |
| 2020 | $961,965 | $111,915 | $117,016 | $88,000 | 8 | — | $82,874 | $90,546 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Straus-Harris Foundation reported a distributable amount of $615K 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 available filing information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in the arts, theater, community arts, and immigrant services. Nationalities Service Center describes its mission as welcoming and empowering immigrants to thrive in their communities and pursue a just future. Lantern Theater Company says it produces plays, offers audience enrichment and educates young people through theater and literature. Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial describes itself as a community arts anchor offering accessible classes, programs and events. Philadelphia Scenic Works describes itself as a community arts workshop serving cultural organizations.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $628,000. Grants ranged from $4,000 to $160,000, with a median of $50,000. Among the listed awards, Mural Arts Program received $160,000, Nationalities Service Center $110,000, InterAct Theatre Company $70,000, and 1812 Theater Company, Lantern Theater Company, Theatre Exile and The Center - Philadephia each received $50,000. Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial and Settlement Music School each received $30,000; Ballet X and Philadelphia Scenic Works each received $10,000; and Black Star received $4,000. The filing describes the grants’ purpose as contributions to further each recipient’s exempt purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Philip A. Straus Jr. and Margaret Harris as trustees.
Straus-Harris Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Margaret Harris
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Philip A. Straus Jr.
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 Straus-Harris Foundation
How much does Straus-Harris Foundation give each year?
Straus-Harris Foundation gave $628K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $360K across 10 grants.
What is Straus-Harris Foundation's typical grant size?
Straus-Harris Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $48,308, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Straus-Harris Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Straus-Harris Foundation give grants?
Straus-Harris Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (13 grants).
Who are Straus-Harris Foundation's largest grantees?
Straus-Harris Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Mural Arts Program ($160,000), Nationalities Service Center ($110,000) and InterAct Theatre Company ($70,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Straus-Harris Foundation?
Straus-Harris Foundation reported $18.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $640K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $615K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Straus-Harris Foundation fund?
The available filing information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in the arts, theater, community arts, and immigrant services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Straus-Harris Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Straus-Harris Foundation's EIN?
Straus-Harris Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1869371. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Straus-Harris 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
(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). Straus-Harris Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/straus-harris-foundation-morg_a5fd0567e7c74df0922a05fd1eef004e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201869371_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Straus-Harris Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/straus-harris-foundation-morg_a5fd0567e7c74df0922a05fd1eef004e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Straus-Harris 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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