The Fine Fund
The Fine Fund is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports 22 grants totaling $228,600, with awards supporting organizations working on environmental issues, toxics reduction, and related areas, as well as other causes.
The Fine Fund at a glance
In short: The Fine Fund gave $229K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), top state Massachusetts. 57% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $228,600
- -19.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- -12.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,391
- -8.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,425
- Total assets
- $4,214,216
- +29.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 57% first-time grantees (12 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (34% 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 The Fine Fund
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists a letter of inquiry as the required material and names Michael Smith as the contact. It gives no deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Michael Smith
Mailing address: One Ppg Place Suite 1670, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: (412) 444-3500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Fine Fund
Who The Fine Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Center for the Study of Public Policy ($40K). Together the top 10 received $180K.
Grant Size Distribution
133 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 133 grants of 133 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing lists Boston as a geographical restriction. In that year, grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states: Massachusetts received 34%, California 22%, New York 11%, the District of Columbia 10%, and Vermont 9%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Fine Fund open to new grantees?
57%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 21 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 23% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 153% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $208K (2020) to $295K (2022). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $229K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Center for the Study of Public Policy Somerville, MA | General Operating Support | $40,000 |
| New World Foundation New York, NY | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Coming Clean Brattleboro, VT | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Orion Magazine Great Barrington, MA | Four-Part Series on Public Discourse and Psychological Crisis | $20,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Global Center for Climate Justice Santa Cruz, CA | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Habitable Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Safer States Seattle, WA | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Silent Spring Institute Newton, MA | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Story of Stuff Project Berkeley, CA | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Fine Fund?
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 | $4,214,216 | $1,280,026 | $320,796 | $228,600 | 22 | $293,689 | $147,893 | $191,581 |
| 2024 | $3,254,986 | $2,812,107 | $354,843 | $282,250 | 25 | $349,451 | $57,136 | $86,714 |
| 2023 | $797,722 | $276,253 | $301,938 | $249,500 | 25 | $291,161 | $15,981 | $53,371 |
| 2022 | $823,407 | $282,811 | $335,673 | $295,166 | 31 | $333,457 | $30,495 | $55,788 |
| 2021 | $876,269 | $276,176 | $306,077 | $264,667 | 30 | $300,716 | $20,785 | $49,732 |
| 2020 | $906,170 | $350,528 | $237,862 | $207,671 | 28 | — | $7,669 | $47,688 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Fine Fund reported a distributable amount of $192K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with environmental and public-interest missions. For example, the Center for the Study of Public Policy says its mission is to promote awareness of environmental issues. Coming Clean says it works to reduce sources of chemical exposure and advance environmental health and justice. Silent Spring Institute says it advances science on environmental chemicals and women’s health, with a focus on breast cancer prevention. The Story of Stuff Project says it aims to build a movement to change how people make, use, and throw away goods.
The foundation also has an open RESULTS Project Award. The project solicits stories about high-impact campaigns to reduce toxic substances and offers in-kind professional services to support organizations working on toxics reduction in built environments, the natural environment, and human health.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $228,600. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $40,000, with a median of $6,425. The largest awards included $40,000 to the Center for the Study of Public Policy, $25,000 to New World Foundation, and $20,000 each to Coming Clean, Orion Magazine, and Stanford University. Most listed purposes were general operating support; Orion Magazine’s grant supported a four-part series on public discourse and psychological crisis.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carolyn Fine Friedman as director, chair, and CEO, and Thomas J Lavelle as director and treasurer.
The Fine Fund is led by Carolyn Fine Friedman, Director, Chair & CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carolyn Fine Friedman
Director, Chair & CEO
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas J. Lavelle
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kathy Lachenauer (2020–2021) — Director & Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Fine Fund
How much does The Fine Fund give each year?
The Fine Fund gave $229K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $282K across 25 grants.
What is The Fine Fund's typical grant size?
The Fine Fund's median grant in 2025 was $6,425, and its average grant was $10,391, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Fine Fund that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Fine Fund give grants?
The Fine Fund's top state is Massachusetts, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (22%) and New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants), Seattle, WA (2 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does The Fine Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 82% of The Fine Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (18 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Fine Fund's largest grantees?
The Fine Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Center for the Study of Public Policy ($40,000), New World Foundation ($25,000) and Coming Clean ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Fine Fund?
The Fine Fund reported $4.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $294K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $192K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Fine Fund fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations with environmental and public-interest missions. For example, the Center for the Study of Public Policy says its mission is to promote awareness of environmental issues. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Fine Fund?
The filing lists a letter of inquiry as the required material and names Michael Smith as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Fine Fund's EIN?
The Fine Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0697144. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Fine Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Passport Foundation
Wilmington, DE
The Passport Foundation supports environmental health and protection work, including efforts to address toxic chemicals and pollution. In 2024, it made 44 grants ranging from $250 to $300,000, with a median of $32,500; its largest grant shares went to California, Washington, D.C., New York, Washington state, and Vermont. It funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$62.7M
Grants
44
Total Given
$2.6M
Cloud Mountain Foundation
New York, NY
The foundation supports environmental, civic, and news-and-information work through charitable grants, with funding concentrated in California, New York, Washington, DC, Massachusetts, and Oregon. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median of $30,000. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$92.1M
Grants
105
Total Given
$4.5M
The Marisla Foundation
Laguna Beach, CA
The Marisla Foundation funds marine and coastal conservation, biodiversity and sustainable ecosystem management, environmental health, and human services for women in crisis; human services grants are limited to Orange County and Los Angeles, while environmental work can be national or international. Its 2024 grants ranged from $10,000 to $9.89 million, with a median of $75,000. It accepts online applications during quarterly windows after an eligibility quiz; deadlines are January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.
Assets
$21.1M
Grants
194
Total Given
$46.7M
Natural Resources Defense Council Inc
New York, NY
NRDC funds organizations working on environmental advocacy, including climate, energy, pollution, conservation, and environmental justice efforts in the U.S. and internationally. In 2025, grants ranged from $5,500 to $2 million, with a median of $16,625; the profile does not state whether NRDC accepts unsolicited grant requests.
Assets
$657.2M
Grants
116
Total Given
$5.3M
Park Foundation Inc
Ithaca, NY
The foundation funds work in environmental protection, democracy, civic participation, media, animal welfare, and community needs, supporting both local efforts in Ithaca and Tompkins County and initiatives with national impact. Its 2024 grants had a median of $50,000, though awards ranged widely; prospective grantees are encouraged to contact the foundation, and it accepts letters of inquiry at any time in its Democracy, Civic Participation, and Animal Welfare programs.
Assets
$406.0M
Grants
457
Total Given
$30.4M
Wallace Global Fund II
Washington, DC
Wallace Global Fund II supports people-powered movements and nonprofits advancing democracy, human rights, a healthy planet, corporate accountability, and women’s rights, with national or global reach—or local work that can contribute to broader impact. Its 2024 grants ranged from $6,100 to $300,000, with a median of $75,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests and funds only preselected organizations.
Assets
$54.6M
Grants
191
Total Given
$15.2M
More similar funders
More Funders in Pennsylvania
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Fine Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-fine-fund-morg_642049b3c77f425eb19c84bd3a88cad6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260697144_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Fine Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-fine-fund-morg_642049b3c77f425eb19c84bd3a88cad6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 The Fine Fund'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.
The Fine Fund down — hundreds of funders to go?