Tippins Foundation
Tippins Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2024, it made 86 grants totaling $564,476, supporting organizations in areas including medical research, education, disaster relief, human services, youth programs, and arts and culture.
Tippins Foundation at a glance
In short: Tippins Foundation gave $564K across 86 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 8% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $564,476
- +4.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 86
- -1.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $6,564
- +5.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $383,526
- -37.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (7 of 86, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (86% 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 Tippins Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Requests should be made in writing and provide information about the organization and the reason for the request. The filing states there are no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Tippins Foundation
Mailing address: 209 4Th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: (412) 391-0300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tippins Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Pittsburghupmc ($75K). Together the top 10 received $316K.
Grant Size Distribution
417 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 406 grants of 417 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania. Other recipient states listed were New York (5%), the District of Columbia (3%), Arizona (2%), and California (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 86 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tippins Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 86 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 92% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $518K (2021) to $564K (2024). In 2024 it made 86 grants totaling $564K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburghupmc Pittsburgh, PA | Medical Research | $75,000 |
| University of Pittsburgh Panther Labworks Pittsburgh, PA | Entrepreneurial Education | $70,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Disaster Relief | $30,000 |
| Brother's Brother Foundation Pittsburgh, PA | Disaster Relief | $25,000 |
| The Salvation Army Pittsburgh, PA | Human Services | $25,000 |
| UPMC Cancer Centers Dept of Urology Pittsburgh, PA | Medical Research | $25,000 |
| Junior Achievement of Southwestern PA Bridgeville, PA | Youth Program | $20,000 |
| Pittsburgh Opera Pittsburgh, PA | Arts & Culture | $16,000 |
| Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship Pittsburgh, PA | Entrepreneurial Education | $15,000 |
| Trade Institute of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | Education | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Tippins 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $383,526 | $347,680 | $570,161 | $564,476 | 86 | $566,155 | $94,994 | $29,416 |
| 2023 | $610,627 | $343,278 | $546,144 | $539,935 | 87 | $541,350 | $90,360 | $38,946 |
| 2022 | $790,302 | $298,057 | $537,071 | $530,395 | 83 | $531,770 | $44,572 | $52,140 |
| 2021 | $1,240,262 | $429,574 | $525,319 | $517,546 | 83 | $518,746 | $131,466 | $67,778 |
| 2020 | $1,336,007 | $427,958 | $547,747 | $539,506 | 78 | — | $53,312 | $67,976 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tippins Foundation reported a distributable amount of $29K 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 included support for medical research, entrepreneurial education, disaster relief, human services, youth programs, arts and culture, and education.
The funded organizations describe a range of missions. Brother’s Brother Foundation says it supports localized programs and provides resources in healthcare, infrastructure, disaster response, and education. Trade Institute of Pittsburgh says it trains young people in various trades. Pittsburgh Opera describes its mission as enriching Pittsburgh and the tri-state area culturally and drawing national and international attention to the region.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 86 grants totaling $564,476. Grants ranged from $500 to $75,000, with a median grant of $3,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $75,000 to University of Pittsburgh/UPMC for medical research, $70,000 to University of Pittsburgh Panther Labworks for entrepreneurial education, and $30,000 to Doctors Without Borders for disaster relief. Other notable awards included $25,000 each to Brother’s Brother Foundation for disaster relief, The Salvation Army for human services, and UPMC Cancer Centers Department of Urology for medical research; and $20,000 to Junior Achievement of Southwestern PA for a youth program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Carolyn H. Tippins and John H. Tippins as trustees, and William H. Tippins as executive director.
Tippins Foundation is led by William H. Tippins, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William H. Tippins
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn H. Tippins
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John H. Tippins
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 Tippins Foundation
How much does Tippins Foundation give each year?
Tippins Foundation gave $564K across 86 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $540K across 87 grants.
What is Tippins Foundation's typical grant size?
Tippins Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $6,564, across 86 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tippins Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Tippins Foundation give grants?
Tippins Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (49 grants), Sewickley, PA (6 grants), Ligonier, PA (4 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Tippins Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 86 grants with a stated purpose on Tippins Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Human Services" (27 grants), "Education" (11 grants) and "Medical Research" (8 grants).
Who are Tippins Foundation's largest grantees?
Tippins Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Pittsburghupmc ($75,000), University of Pittsburgh Panther Labworks ($70,000) and Doctors Without Borders ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Tippins Foundation?
Tippins Foundation reported $384K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $566K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $29K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Tippins Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for medical research, entrepreneurial education, disaster relief, human services, youth programs, arts and culture, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tippins Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Tippins Foundation's EIN?
Tippins Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-6282382. 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 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tippins Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tippins-foundation-morg_9a507b501d314fce8e4e55abf5614631
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_256282382_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tippins Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tippins-foundation-morg_9a507b501d314fce8e4e55abf5614631},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Tippins 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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