The Poole Foundation
The Poole Foundation is a private foundation based in State College, Pennsylvania. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including recipients in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Dakota, New York, and Maryland.
The Poole Foundation at a glance
In short: The Poole Foundation gave $135K across 25 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 40% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $134,892
- -47.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 25
- +78.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,396
- -70.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $713,349
- +26.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (10 of 25, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (78% 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 Poole Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 720 N Nixon Road, State College, PA 16803
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Poole Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Penn State ($53K). Together the top 10 received $124K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 69 grants of 74 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania and 15% to recipients in Ohio. Smaller shares went to North Dakota (4%), New York (1%), and Maryland (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Poole Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 25 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $750 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 45% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 436% 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 $135K (2024) to $256K (2023). In 2024 it made 25 grants totaling $135K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Penn State University Park, PA | Public Purpose | $53,000 |
| Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH | Public Purpose | $20,000 |
| Geisinger Health Foundation Danville, PA | Public Purpose | $11,000 |
| Alexis De Tocquieville Society State College, PA | Public Purpose | $10,000 |
| Special Olympics of PA State College, PA | Public Purpose | $10,000 |
| BPS Foundation Bismarck, ND | Public Purpose | $5,000 |
| Juniata Valley Council BSA Reedsville, PA | Public Purpose | $5,000 |
| Pets Come First Centre Hall, PA | Public Purpose | $5,000 |
| Strawberry Fields State College, PA | Public Purpose | $2,500 |
| American Cancer Society State College, PA | Public Purpose | $2,000 |
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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 | $713,349 | $287,433 | $136,762 | $134,892 | 25 | $134,892 | $285,638 | $30,934 |
| 2023 | $562,678 | $6,465 | $258,705 | $256,259 | 14 | $256,259 | $19,643 | $42,124 |
| 2022 | $814,918 | $61,600 | $246,536 | $243,500 | 8 | $243,500 | $59,785 | $53,648 |
| 2021 | $999,854 | $60,426 | $249,112 | $246,750 | 17 | $246,750 | $59,061 | $67,608 |
| 2020 | $1,163,540 | $37,679 | $249,625 | $236,950 | 10 | — | $35,779 | $65,407 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Poole Foundation reported a distributable amount of $31K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including higher education, health, human services, animal welfare, disability inclusion, domestic violence prevention, and local history.
Among its grantees, Pets Come First says its mission is to place stray and unwanted animals into loving homes. Strawberry Fields says it works to enhance the quality of life and promote the growth of people it serves, regardless of background or ability. The Arc of Centre County says it protects the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and supports their inclusion and participation in the community. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $134,892. Grants ranged from $100 to $53,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
The largest 2024 grants included Penn State ($53,000), Cleveland Clinic ($20,000), Geisinger Health Foundation ($11,000), Alexis de Tocqueville Society ($10,000), and Special Olympics of PA ($10,000). Other notable awards included $5,000 each to BPS Foundation, Juniata Valley Council BSA, and Pets Come First; $2,500 to Strawberry Fields; and $2,000 to the American Cancer Society.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert E Poole Jr and Sandra L Poole as trustees.
The Poole Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert E. Poole Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sandra L. Poole
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 Poole Foundation
How much does The Poole Foundation give each year?
The Poole Foundation gave $135K across 25 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $256K across 14 grants.
What is The Poole Foundation's typical grant size?
The Poole Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $5,396, across 25 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Poole Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Poole Foundation give grants?
The Poole Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were State College, PA (11 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Poole Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on The Poole Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Purpose" (25 grants).
Who are The Poole Foundation's largest grantees?
The Poole Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Penn State ($53,000), Cleveland Clinic ($20,000) and Geisinger Health Foundation ($11,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Poole Foundation?
The Poole Foundation reported $713K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $135K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $31K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Poole Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in areas including higher education, health, human services, animal welfare, disability inclusion, domestic violence prevention, and local history. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Poole Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Poole Foundation's EIN?
The Poole Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-6383808. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Poole Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Poole Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Poole Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Poole Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-poole-foundation-morg_8948a7c4f6de4ea6a50983739756414e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_206383808_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Poole Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-poole-foundation-morg_8948a7c4f6de4ea6a50983739756414e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Poole 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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