The Nicely Ridge Foundation
The Nicely Ridge Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in youth services, education, trade training, community support, food service, and other areas.
The Nicely Ridge Foundation at a glance
In short: The Nicely Ridge Foundation gave $796K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $38K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $796,165
- +13.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $37,913
- -2.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $11,840,854
- -2.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (9 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Nicely Ridge Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 444 Liberty Ave Suite 2100, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: (412) 918-1100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Nicely Ridge Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Urban Impact Foundation ($134K). Together the top 10 received $619K.
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 98 (68%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 8% to recipients in Tennessee, and 1% to recipients in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Nicely Ridge Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 21 grantees (43%) 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 $24K; repeat grants $49K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $34K repeat.
- 43% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $315K (2020) to $796K (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $796K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Impact Foundation Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $133,667 |
| Pennsylvania State University State College, PA | General Support | $110,000 |
| Ligonier Camp and Conference Center Ligonier, PA | General Support | $77,000 |
| Bountiful American Foundation Adams, TN | General Support | $60,000 |
| Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Philadelphia, PA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Trade Institute of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Church of the Ascension Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $40,000 |
| Mt Lebanon Community Foundation Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $37,998 |
| Living Stones Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Light of Life Rescue Mission Pittsburgh, PA | General Support | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Nicely Ridge Foundation?
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 | $11,840,854 | $639,749 | $962,845 | $796,165 | 21 | $796,165 | $485,148 | $854,331 |
| 2024 | $12,154,809 | $961,107 | $848,386 | $700,000 | 18 | $700,000 | $812,721 | $798,466 |
| 2023 | $12,092,242 | $344,556 | $839,962 | $715,000 | 23 | $715,000 | $219,594 | $713,635 |
| 2022 | $12,561,567 | $592,822 | $949,918 | $795,000 | 20 | $795,000 | $115,256 | $711,647 |
| 2021 | $12,947,801 | $1,624,274 | $784,852 | $636,000 | 16 | $636,000 | $982,940 | $786,490 |
| 2020 | $12,016,516 | $481,320 | $431,045 | $315,000 | 11 | — | $114,587 | $631,927 |
| 2019 | $12,047,078 | $193,568 | $550,732 | $437,000 | 12 | — | $173,401 | $611,803 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Nicely Ridge Foundation reported a distributable amount of $854K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Urban Impact Foundation describes its work as helping at-risk youth on Pittsburgh’s North Side become successful, contributing members of society. Trade Institute of Pittsburgh says it trains young people in various trades. Living Stones describes its work as uplifting neighbors through meals, programs, and services, while Community Kitchen Pittsburgh says it works across food insecurity, poverty, and employment, including culinary-based workforce training.
Other 2025 recipients include Bountiful American Foundation, which says it provides equipment and adaptations to support independent living for people with disabilities, and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which describes its work as protecting and restoring natural areas and creating green spaces.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 21 grants totaling $796,165. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $133,667, with a median grant of $25,000. The largest awards included $133,667 to Urban Impact Foundation, $110,000 to Pennsylvania State University, and $77,000 to Ligonier Camp and Conference Center. Other notable grants included $60,000 to Bountiful American Foundation, $50,000 each to Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, and $40,000 to Church of the Ascension. The listed purposes for these grants were general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Justin McElhattan as director, chairman, and president; Shirley McElhattan as director, secretary, and treasurer; and Larry S. Blair as director and vice president.
The Nicely Ridge Foundation is led by Justin McElhattan, Director, Chairman & President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Justin McElhattan
Director, Chairman & President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Larry S. Blair
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Shirley McElhattan
Director, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Nicely Ridge Foundation
How much does The Nicely Ridge Foundation give each year?
The Nicely Ridge Foundation gave $796K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $700K across 18 grants.
What is The Nicely Ridge Foundation's typical grant size?
The Nicely Ridge Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $37,913, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Nicely Ridge Foundation that year got $24K on average.
Where does The Nicely Ridge Foundation give grants?
The Nicely Ridge Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (14 grants).
Does The Nicely Ridge Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Nicely Ridge Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Nicely Ridge Foundation's largest grantees?
The Nicely Ridge Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Urban Impact Foundation ($133,667), Pennsylvania State University ($110,000) and Ligonier Camp and Conference Center ($77,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Nicely Ridge Foundation?
The Nicely Ridge Foundation reported $11.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $796K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $854K (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 Nicely Ridge Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Urban Impact Foundation describes its work as helping at-risk youth on Pittsburgh’s North Side become successful, contributing members of society. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Nicely Ridge Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Nicely Ridge Foundation's EIN?
The Nicely Ridge Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3092179. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Nicely Ridge 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 23, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 26, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Nicely Ridge Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Nicely Ridge Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-nicely-ridge-foundation-morg_9c39d9f90ac74901a14f359518b20236
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823092179_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Nicely Ridge Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-nicely-ridge-foundation-morg_9c39d9f90ac74901a14f359518b20236},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Nicely Ridge Foundation'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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