Walden Trust
Walden Trust is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It makes grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in conservation, education, the arts, and preservation, as reflected in its 2025 grants.
Walden Trust at a glance
In short: Walden Trust gave $89K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state Pennsylvania. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $89,000
- +29.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +17.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,171
- +10.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,250
- Total assets
- $1,121,107
- +31.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (6 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (35% 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 Walden Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5057 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Phone: (412) 392-2509
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Walden Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Groton School ($10K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $54K.
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 172 grants of 172 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest reported shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania (35%), Massachusetts (32%), Florida (14%), New York (8%), and Oregon (6%). Listed grants also include recipients in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Walden Trust open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 40 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 40% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% 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 $42K (2020) to $89K (2025). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $89K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The 1324 Massachusets Avenue Foundation Inc Cambridge, MA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Pittsburgh, PA | Fallingwater | $5,000 |
| Band of Brothers Shakespeare Company Johnstown, PA | 2025 Production of Shakespeare Play | $5,000 |
| Everglades Foundation Palmetto, FL | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Groton School Groton, MA | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Palm Beach Rowing Association Stuart, FL | Boathouse Renovation and Addition | $5,000 |
| US Institute for Christ Church Cemetery Salem, OR | Real property restoration of st. Thomas church in moyard | $5,000 |
| Groton School Groton, MA | Marshall C. Moore Boat | $5,000 |
| Allegheny Cemetery Pittsburgh, PA | Endowment | $3,000 |
| Conemaugh Valley Conservancy Johnstown, PA | Unrestricted | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Walden Trust?
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 | $1,121,107 | $604,768 | $99,167 | $89,000 | 41 | $93,578 | $342,798 | $96,504 |
| 2024 | $854,992 | $534,336 | $83,787 | $68,700 | 35 | $72,731 | $409,496 | $94,052 |
| 2023 | $518,825 | $549,136 | $70,117 | $66,650 | 34 | $69,888 | $418,892 | $72,489 |
| 2022 | $154,603 | $125,783 | $68,068 | $63,350 | 34 | $66,624 | $42,358 | $69,611 |
| 2021 | $171,088 | $149,887 | $51,646 | $49,050 | 28 | $51,155 | $67,896 | $67,280 |
| 2020 | $145,287 | $31,948 | $44,945 | $41,950 | 22 | — | $31,888 | $55,816 |
| 2019 | $158,284 | $23,825 | $51,337 | $48,000 | 24 | — | $23,758 | $48,435 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Walden Trust reported a distributable amount of $97K 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
The foundation’s filing describes its activity as making various grants; it does not state a separate mission. Its 2025 grants include support for conservation and environmental organizations, educational institutions, arts organizations, and restoration and preservation projects.
Grantee descriptions illustrate the range of supported work. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy says it protects and restores places, waters, forests, wildlife, and natural areas, and preserves Fallingwater. Mountain Watershed Association says it promotes watershed conservation, restoration, and protection through education, outreach, assessments, and research. Groton School describes its mission as inspiring character, scholarship, leadership, and service in a diverse community. The Garden Conservancy says it preserves, shares, and celebrates America’s gardens and gardening traditions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Walden Trust reported 41 grants totaling $89,000. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $10,000, with a median of $1,250. Earlier reported totals were $68,700 across 35 grants in 2024 and $66,650 across 34 grants in 2023.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $10,000 to The 1324 Massachusetts Avenue Foundation for general support; $5,000 each to Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for Fallingwater, Band of Brothers Shakespeare Company for a Shakespeare production, Everglades Foundation for unrestricted support, and Palm Beach Rowing Association for a boathouse renovation and addition. Groton School received two listed grants of $5,000 each, one unrestricted and one for a boat. Other awards included $3,000 to Harvard College Fund for student financial aid and $2,500 to Cambridge (University) in America for Cambridge University Boat Club.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists four trustees: H Phipps Hoffstot III, Maeve U Hoffstot, Henry F Hoffstot, and Daryln B Hoffstot.
Walden Trust's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
H. Phipps Hoffstot III
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Henry F. Hoffstot
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Maeve U. Hoffstot
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Daryln B. Hoffstot
Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Lora H. Jenkins (2019–2021) — Trustee
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 Walden Trust
How much does Walden Trust give each year?
Walden Trust gave $89K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $69K across 35 grants.
What is Walden Trust's typical grant size?
Walden Trust's median grant in 2025 was $1,250, and its average grant was $2,171, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Walden Trust that year got $2K on average.
Where does Walden Trust give grants?
Walden Trust's top state is Pennsylvania, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (32%) and Florida (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (11 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), Cambridge, MA (3 grants) and Ligonier, PA (3 grants).
Does Walden Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 49% of Walden Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Walden Trust's largest grantees?
Walden Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Groton School ($10,000 across 2 grants), The 1324 Massachusets Avenue Foundation Inc ($10,000) and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Walden Trust?
Walden Trust reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $94K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $97K (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 Walden Trust fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its activity as making various grants; it does not state a separate mission. Its 2025 grants include support for conservation and environmental organizations, educational institutions, arts organizations, and restoration and preservation projects. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Walden Trust?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Walden Trust's EIN?
Walden Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-6027635. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Walden Trust 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 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Walden Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/walden-trust-morg_55e21f12219648588f695762f6fdec59
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_256027635_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Walden Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/walden-trust-morg_55e21f12219648588f695762f6fdec59},
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 Walden Trust'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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