The Fine Fund is a private family foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established in 2007. Founded by Milton Fine, co-founder of Interstate Hotels Corporation, the foundation operates through FFC Capital Corporation for investment management and philanthropic purposes. The Fine Fund is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization and has been tax-exempt since August 2008.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.3M

+308.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$282K

+13.1% YoY

Grant Count

25

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$11K

+13.1% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Fine Fund gives primarily to the environment and visual arts. The foundation supports a broad geographic reach across the United States without narrowly defined subject area restrictions, though environmental and visual arts initiatives represent its primary philanthropic interests.

Grantmaking

The foundation accepts letters of inquiry. Applicants should note geographic restrictions focusing on the Boston area and funding interests in environmental and visual arts fields.

Average Grant

amount: approximately $10,000

How to Apply

**

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Fine Fund supports a wide range of cities and communities across the United States, including major urban centers such as New York, San Francisco, and Seattle, as well as smaller communities like Bozeman and Hardwick. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 13 states, with primary concentration in Massachusetts, New York, and California, which account for 42% of all grants. Additional funding regions include the District of Columbia.

Grant Distribution by State

15states
+7 more states

Cities

AlexandriaAmesAmherstBaltimoreBerkeleyBostonBozemanBrattleboroBronxBrooklynCharlestonCharlottesvilleDurhamGreat BarringtonGreat FallsHardwickJacksonLexingtonMissoulaMontpelier

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

  • Total Assets: $797,722 (2023)
  • Annual Revenue: $276,253 (2023)
  • Annual Expenses: $301,938 (2023)
  • Total Liabilities: $0 (2023)
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$773K$2M$2M$3M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$3,254,986$797,722$823,407
Revenue$2,812,107$276,253$282,811
Expenses$354,843$301,938$335,673
Qualifying Distributions$349,451$291,161$333,457
Net Investment Income$57,136$15,981$30,495
Distributable Amount$86,714$53,371$55,788

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$74K$148K$221K$295K28 grants202030 grants202131 grants202225 grants202325 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

NEW WORLD FOUNDATION$30KSUSTAINABLE MARKETS FOUN…$30KCOURT ACCOUNTABILITY$25KCOMING CLEAN$20KNEW WORLD FOUNDATION$20KWEST VIRGINIA RIVERS COA…$20KCENTER FOR POLITICAL ECO…$15KGENERATION COMMON GOOD$13KDEPLOYUS$10KHABITABLE$10K

Grant Size Distribution

139 grants across all recorded years

139<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from The Fine Fund

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

  • Carolyn Fine Friedman — Director, Chair, and CEO (serves on a voluntary basis without compensation)
  • Thomas J. Lavelle — Director and Treasurer (serves on a voluntary basis without compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
CAROLYN FINE FRIEDMANDIRECTOR, CHAIR, & CEO3
THOMAS J LAVELLEDIRECTOR & TREASURER1

Contact Information

Address: 1 PPG Place, Suite 1670, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-5401

Telephone: 412-444-3500

EIN: 26-0697144

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

What could you do with The Fine Fund on Grantable?

  • Assess strategic fit with your organization
  • Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
  • Find open RFPs from this funder
  • Monitor for new funding opportunities