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McElhattan Foundation: Economic Development in Knox & Franklin, PA

McElhattan Foundation

Funding Amount

Not stated

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Deadline history & next window

Cycle
Rolling — applications accepted year-round
Tracked since
April 2026

From the program guidelines: “NOTE: McElhattan Foundation accepts proposals on a rolling basis.”

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Other requirements

  • _You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's [website](https://www.mcelhattan.org/program-areas/economic-development-knox-franklin)._
  • Grantees are eligible to receive funding from McElhattan Foundation once every 12 months
  • Requests should
  • Aim to enhance economic growth or improve the quality of life in Knox or Franklin, PA

Not eligible / not funded

  • Not eligible: The McElhattan Foundation does not fund
  • Not eligible: Individuals or families seeking private financial assistance
  • Not eligible: Scholarships
  • Not eligible: Organizations without 501(c)(3) status, according to the Internal Revenue Service
  • Not eligible: Which includes organizations operating primarily outside the U.S. and for-profit entities
  • Not eligible: Lobbying
  • Not eligible: Political campaigns
  • Not eligible: Conferences
  • Not eligible: Repairing, replacing, or installing safety equipment
  • Not eligible: CPR classes, etc
  • Not eligible: Equipment purchases, unless they are tied to a larger project that fits within our grantmaking strategy
  • Not eligible: Medical bills

Overview

_NOTE: McElhattan Foundation accepts proposals on a rolling basis. If eligible, complete our Request for Information (RFI) Questionnaire (See Letter of Inquiry Deadline above). Foundation staff will review the RFI and contact you. If the request aligns with our priorities, Foundation staff will invite you to submit a proposal. (See Full Proposal Deadline above).

McElhattan Foundation

McElhattan and his son, Kent McElhattan. It supported nonprofits at the local and national level. When Industrial Scientific was sold in 2017, the Foundation began operating as the McElhattan Foundation.

Mission & Vision

Bring us bold ideas that advance the goals of our five program areas:

  • [End Death on the Job]()
  • [Out-of-School-Time Learning]()
  • Economic Development in Knox & Franklin, PA
  • [Expanding Educator Diversity]()
  • End-of-Life Planning & Care

Economic Development in Knox & Franklin, PA

Boosting the local economy and creating an environment where current residents thrive and newcomers are enticed to live, work, and play.

The McElhattan Foundation is committed to Knox and Franklin, PA's economic prosperity and overall well-being. With the McElhattan family's roots in these communities, we prioritize initiatives aimed at fostering economic growth and enhancing the local environment to ensure that both towns flourish.

Our focus lies in supporting projects that boost the local economy and create an environment where current residents thrive and newcomers are enticed to live, work, and play. We invest in initiatives that improve job opportunities, enhance educational resources, and impact quality of life for all residents.

Our approach to economic development is asset-based, which involves leveraging the region's existing strengths and resources. For Knox and Franklin, this means capitalizing on the area's natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, educational institutions, and manufacturing sector. We aim to stimulate sustainable economic growth and community development by building on these current assets.

What We Fund

We are most interested in projects that involve workforce development, fostering entrepreneurship and business growth, tourism promotion, and expanding access to broadband, healthcare, and childcare.

Funding

In general, we are most receptive to large requests ($50K+) from organizations we have worked with before. If you are entirely new to us, we'd suggest a smaller initial request; if that grant goes well, you'll be in a much stronger position to make a larger request during a future grant cycle.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

  • Grantees are eligible to receive funding from McElhattan Foundation once every 12 months.
  • Requests should:
    • Aim to enhance economic growth or improve the quality of life in Knox or Franklin, PA
    • Have the potential to benefit multiple sectors or communities in the Knox or Franklin region

Ineligibility

  • The McElhattan Foundation does not fund:
    • Individuals or families seeking private financial assistance
    • Scholarships
    • Organizations without 501(c)(3) status, according to the Internal Revenue Service
    • which includes organizations operating primarily outside the U.S. and for-profit entities
    • Lobbying
    • Political campaigns
    • Conferences
    • Repairing, replacing, or installing safety equipment
    • CPR classes, etc.,
    • Equipment purchases, unless they are tied to a larger project that fits within our grantmaking strategy
    • Medical bills
    • Economic and community development projects that do NOT benefit Franklin and/or Knox, PA.
    • Proposals claiming to fit into one of our program areas that bear virtually no real connection to them

What McElhattan Foundation actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2025

Grants in 2025
105
Total given
$7.66M
Median grant
$50K
Range
$2,500–$1M
  • By dollars: Pennsylvania 84%, Illinois 13%, Massachusetts 2%. Top recipient cities: Pittsburgh, PA; Franklin, PA; Oil City, PA.
  • 88% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
  • 41% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.

Example grants

  • National Safety Council · Itasca, IL

    General support (three year grant)

    $1M

  • United Way of Venango County · Reno, PA

    General support (multi-year grant)

    $293K

  • United Way of Southwestern PA · Pittsburgh, PA

    General support (multi-year grant)

    $250K

  • Keystone Smiles · Knox, PA

    General support (multi-year grant)

    $100K

  • Aryse · Pittsburgh, PA

    General support (multi-year grant)

    $67K

IRS Form 990-PF, 2025. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

  • Community development
  • Economic services
  • Workforce development

Categories

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