The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family
The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Radnor, Pennsylvania. Established in 1997 by Leo and Peggy Pierce, it supports efforts to prevent and end hunger and food insecurity through grants and investments in the five-county Philadelphia region and Indian River County, Florida.
The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family at a glance
In short: The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family gave $2.7M across 143 grants in 2024 (avg $19K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,720,000
- +21.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 143
- +12.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $19,021
- +8.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $33,528,616
- +5.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (21 of 143, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (79% 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 The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts applications through its online system from organizations that are tax-exempt under IRS Code section 501(c)(3) and public charities under section 509(a). Requests may be for general operating or program/project support, according to the organization’s work. Applicants may apply once every 12 months and may not apply in two consecutive grant cycles. Receiving a grant does not imply future support.
- Review Cycle
- The published deadlines are January 15 and July 15 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Applications are considered at the foundation’s April and October board meetings, respectively. If a deadline falls on a holiday or weekend, it is due the next business day.
- Deadline
- The published deadlines are January 15 and July 15 at 5:00 p.m.
- Contact
Application contact: Rachel Costello Program Associate A
Mailing address: 150 N Radnor Chester Road No A110, Radnor, PA 19087
Phone: (610) 896-3868
Website: https://piercefamilyfdn.org
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 Leo and Peggy Pierce Family
Who The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice Foundation Inc ($250K). Together the top 10 received $855K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
635 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 609 grants of 635 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies the five-county Philadelphia region and Indian River County, Florida, as its funding focus. In 2024, 79% of grant dollars went to Pennsylvania recipients and 17% to Florida recipients; the remaining reported shares went to recipients in Texas, Illinois, and New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 143 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 21 of 143 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 133% 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 $2.2M (2020) to $2.7M (2024). In 2024 it made 143 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice Foundation Inc Vero Beach, FL | Support for land purchase - in honor of kathie pierce | $250,000 |
| Share Food Program Inc Philadelphia, PA | Operating Support, Senior Food Packing Center | $225,000 |
| Treasure Coast Food Bank Ft Pierce, FL | Feed Unite Flourish | $100,000 |
| Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Philadelphia, PA | PHS Urban Agriculture | $50,000 |
| Chester County Food Bank Exton, PA | Operating Support | $40,000 |
| Community Legal Services Inc Philadelphia, PA | Improving Food Security in Philadelphia (2023-2025) | $40,000 |
| Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger Philadelphia, PA | Operating Support | $40,000 |
| Philabundance Philadelphia, PA | Operating Support | $40,000 |
| Federation of Neighborhood Centers Philadelphia, PA | Double trellis food initiative and the community learning farm of fnc | $35,000 |
| Senior Resource Association Vero Beach, FL | Meals on Wheels | $35,000 |
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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 | $33,528,616 | $5,374,179 | $3,311,337 | $2,720,000 | 143 | $2,923,844 | $4,367,886 | $2,198,384 |
| 2023 | $31,804,874 | $3,532,432 | $2,797,849 | $2,234,000 | 127 | $2,424,638 | $2,758,777 | $1,964,225 |
| 2022 | $32,310,774 | $2,596,968 | $3,135,445 | $2,195,500 | 123 | $2,396,509 | $1,721,468 | $2,027,916 |
| 2021 | $33,040,051 | $4,396,074 | $3,010,990 | $2,452,000 | 124 | $2,635,356 | $3,691,016 | $2,195,079 |
| 2020 | $30,548,163 | $2,129,390 | $2,738,686 | $2,193,113 | 118 | — | $1,884,000 | $1,829,115 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family reported a distributable amount of $2.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to prevent and end hunger and food insecurity in the five-county Philadelphia region and Indian River County, Florida. It funds direct service programs and advocacy efforts, with both general operating and program/project support available to eligible public charities.
General operating support is intended for organizations whose primary mission is food access or distribution, such as food pantries, meal distributors, and food-growing or gleaning organizations. Organizations with other primary missions but specific food-related programming, such as senior centers with congregate meal programs, are directed to request program or project support.
Examples of grantees’ work illustrate the range of supported activities. Treasure Coast Food Bank describes its mission as alleviating hunger through food and essentials distribution across several Florida counties. Chester County Food Bank says it works to ensure equitable access to nutritious and familiar food. Community Legal Services of Philadelphia describes its mission as fighting poverty and challenging systems that perpetuate injustice through advocacy and legal representation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 143 grants totaling $2,720,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $250,000, with a median of $15,000. The 2025 grantee list reports awards totaling more than $2.7 million for 64 project grants and 28 general operating grants.
Among the largest 2024 awards were $250,000 to Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice Foundation for land purchase, in honor of Kathie Pierce; $225,000 to Share Food Program for operating support for its Senior Food Packing Center; and $100,000 to Treasure Coast Food Bank for Feed Unite Flourish. Other awards included $50,000 to Pennsylvania Horticultural Society for urban agriculture and $40,000 each to Chester County Food Bank, Community Legal Services, Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger, and Philabundance.
The foundation’s website says first-time applicants, if funded, typically receive a grant of about $10,000. It accepts applications, supporting documents, and grant reports only through its online system. Applicants are asked for information about their mission and history, programs, requested support and amount, population and geography served, evidence of need, proposed program goals and outcomes, evaluation, program status, and other funding sources.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Constance Pierce Buckley as chair/president, Molly Pierce as vice president/secretary, and Michael Pierce as treasurer. It also lists Leo Pierce Jr., Kate Pierce, Eve Pierce, Hilary Daniello, Tim Cox, and Andrea Cox Fidurko as board members.
The foundation’s website identifies Daphne Rowe as executive director and Rachel Costello as program associate and grants manager.
The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family is led by Constance Pierce Buckley, Chair & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 9 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Constance Pierce Buckley
Chair & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eve Pierce
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hilary Daniello
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leo Pierce Jr.
Board Member
Assistant Secretary → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Pierce
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly Pierce
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Cox
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kate Pierce
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Cox Fidurko
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Kathie Pierce (2020–2023) — Board Member to Jan
- Former: Kathy Pierce Cox (2020–2021) — Board Member to Feb
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 The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family
How much does The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family give each year?
The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family gave $2.7M across 143 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.2M across 127 grants.
What is The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family's typical grant size?
The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $19,021, across 143 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family that year got $26K on average.
Where does The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family give grants?
The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (64 grants), Phoenixville, PA (5 grants), West Chester, PA (5 grants) and Vero Beach, FL (4 grants).
Does The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family give general operating support?
Yes: 31% of The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (45 of 143) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family's largest grantees?
The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family's largest 2024 grantees include Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice Foundation Inc ($250,000), Share Food Program Inc ($225,000) and Treasure Coast Food Bank ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family?
The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family reported $33.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family fund?
The foundation’s mission is to prevent and end hunger and food insecurity in the five-county Philadelphia region and Indian River County, Florida. It funds direct service programs and advocacy efforts, with both general operating and program/project support available to eligible public charities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family?
The foundation accepts applications through its online system from organizations that are tax-exempt under IRS Code section 501(c)(3) and public charities under section 509(a). Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family's EIN?
The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4678057. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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). The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-leo-and-peggy-pierce-family-morg_df32ace495af47f29866adf8b8bb1f01
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464678057_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-leo-and-peggy-pierce-family-morg_df32ace495af47f29866adf8b8bb1f01},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Leo and Peggy Pierce Family'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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