The Burke Family Foundation
The Burke Family Foundation is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is identified as filing type 990T. Its 2024 filing reports 125 grants totaling $4,327,153, with nearly all grant dollars going to Pennsylvania recipients.
Key facts about The Burke Family Foundation
In short: The Burke Family Foundation gave $4.3M across 125 grants in 2024 (avg $35K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 31-1583757
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,327,153
- Grants made (2024)
- 125
- Average grant
- $34,617
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (19 of 95, 2024)
- Total assets
- $83,385,224
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$83.4M
+0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.3M
+12.6% YoY
Grant Count
125
+42.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$35K
-20.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Burke Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Burke Family Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 19 of 95 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $56K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 69% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 181% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of Pittsburgh-area organizations. For example, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust describes its mission as presenting performing and visual arts, managing arts facilities, advancing arts education, and developing Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. The Neighborhood Academy says it prepares low-income students for higher education, while Urban Impact Foundation describes programs for at-risk youth on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Riverlife says it works to create, activate, and celebrate Pittsburgh’s riverfronts.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 125 grants totaling $4,327,153. Individual grants ranged from $50 to $1,250,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest reported awards included $1,250,000 to Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, $500,000 to Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, $350,000 to POWER, and $250,000 each to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation, Senator John Heinz History Center, and The Neighborhood Academy. These listed grants were recorded with the purpose “GENERAL.”
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to Pennsylvania recipients. Massachusetts, Illinois, Vermont, and the District of Columbia each accounted for a reported 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 125 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2020) to $4.3M (2024). In 2024 it made 125 grants totaling $4.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh ($1.3M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
502 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 447 grants of 502 (89%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | General | $1,250,000 |
| Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Pittsburgh, PA | General | $500,000 |
| Power Pittsburgh, PA | General | $350,000 |
| Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation Pittsburgh, PA | General | $250,000 |
| Senator John Heinz History Center Pittsburgh, PA | General | $250,000 |
| The Neighborhood Academy Pittsburgh, PA | General | $250,000 |
| Urban Impact Foundation Pittsburgh, PA | General | $150,000 |
| Allegheny Rivertrail Park Pittsburgh, PA | General | $125,000 |
| Cooper-Siegel Community Library Pittsburgh, PA | General | $125,000 |
| Cooper-Siegel Community Library Pittsburgh, PA | General | $125,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $83,385,224 | $5,617,339 | $5,559,231 | $4,327,153 |
| 2023 | $83,104,376 | $7,435,722 | $4,835,514 | $3,843,958 |
| 2022 | $80,497,943 | $6,808,293 | $3,966,165 | $2,647,351 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $83,385,224 | $83,104,376 | $80,497,943 |
| Revenue | $5,617,339 | $7,435,722 | $6,808,293 |
| Expenses | $5,559,231 | $4,835,514 | $3,966,165 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,361,130 | $3,880,123 | $2,672,718 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,250,775 | $4,967,321 | $3,889,357 |
| Distributable Amount | $4,529,507 | $4,021,826 | $3,987,517 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Charles R. Burke Jr. as president and Merrilynn Young as treasurer and trustee.
The Burke Family Foundation is led by Charles R. Burke Jr., President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Charles R. Burke Jr.
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Merrilynn Young
Treasurer & Trustee
Trustee → Treasurer & Trustee, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Patricia G. Burke (2020) — Vice President & Treasurer
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 436 Seventh Avenue 2450, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 471-4660
Website: https://theburkesfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The Burke Family Foundation
How much does The Burke Family Foundation give each year?
The Burke Family Foundation gave $4.3M across 125 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.8M across 88 grants.
What is The Burke Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Burke Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $34,617, across 125 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Burke Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Burke Family Foundation give grants?
The Burke Family Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (105 grants), Boston, MA (3 grants) and New Kensington, PA (2 grants).
Does The Burke Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Burke Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (125 of 125) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Burke Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Burke Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh ($1,300,000 across 2 grants), Pittsburgh Cultural Trust ($550,000 across 2 grants) and Power ($357,500 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Burke Family Foundation?
The Burke Family Foundation reported $83.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.5M (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 The Burke Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of Pittsburgh-area organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Burke Family Foundation?
The Burke Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check theburkesfoundation.org for any change to that policy.
What is The Burke Family Foundation's EIN?
The Burke Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1583757. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Burke Family 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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