The Allen H and Selma W Berkman
The Allen H and Selma W Berkman Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1972 in Pennsylvania, the foundation has maintained its focus on philanthropic giving across the United States and Canada for decades.
Financial Overview
From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
-100.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$633K
-95.6% YoY
Grant Count
5
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$127K
-95.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving priorities include:
- Education
- The Arts
- Health and Human Services
- Social Justice
- Judaism
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.
Grant Range
$127,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports a wide geographic area across the United States and Canada, with documented funding in the following states and regions:
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Illinois
- Florida
- Connecticut
- California
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Louisiana
- New Jersey
- Maryland
- Toronto (Canada)
Major U.S. cities including Boston, New York, and Washington D.C. have also received funding.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving:
- Total assets: $18.5 million
- Total giving (2023): $633,000
- Annual expenses: approximately $754,443
- Annual revenue: $17,287
| Metric | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | $738,750 | $18,464,315 |
| Revenue | $17,287 | $104,320 | $3,071,056 |
| Expenses | $754,443 | $14,658,713 | $1,140,095 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $754,443 | $14,601,225 | — |
| Net Investment Income | $8,287 | $160,832 | $2,987,156 |
| Distributable Amount | $10,970 | $760,917 | $873,142 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 5 recipients in 2023
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Founders:
- Allen Hugh Berkman (born January 7, 1912, in Canton, Ohio; came to Pittsburgh in 1936)
- Selma W. Berkman (came to Pittsburgh in 1938)
Allen H. Berkman was the youngest of four children born to Hyman and Sarah (Helman) Berkman, who emigrated from Lithuania in 1907.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
From 2023 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HELEN BERKMAN HABBERT | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| JAMES S BERKMAN | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| SUSAN BERKMAN RAHM | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| RICHARD BERKMAN | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| BARBARA BERKMAN ACKERMAN | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| ALAN ACKERMAN JR | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| DANIEL A BERKMAN | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| RT WINSTON BERKMAN-BREEN | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| WILLIAM RAHM | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
| JULIE HABBERT | TRUSTEE | 3 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation awarded $300,000 to Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh for refugee services.
Press Release: Berkman Foundation awards JFCS $300,000 for refugee servicesRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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