Tippins Foundation
Pittsburgh, PA · EIN 25-6282382. Reported 339 grants totalling $2,152,352 to 102 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Tippins Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $2,500. Half of everything it gave fell between $1,000 and $5,000; the smallest was $500 and the largest $75,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburghupmc | Pittsburgh, PA | $300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Pittsburgh Panther Labworks | Pittsburgh, PA | $280,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Doctors Without Borders | New York, NY | $115,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Brother's Brother Foundation | Pittsburgh, PA | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Salvation Army | Pittsburgh, PA | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Upmc Cancer Centers Dept of Urology | Pittsburgh, PA | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Junior Achievement of Southwestern Pa | Bridgeville, PA | $70,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pittsburgh Opera | Pittsburgh, PA | $60,750 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Trade Institute of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship | Pittsburgh, PA | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blind and Vision Rehabilitation | Pittsburgh, PA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Eco-Soap Bank | Pittsburgh, PA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank | Duquesne, PA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Heritage Foundation | Washington, DC | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Light of Life Ministries | Pittsburgh, PA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Children's Institute | Pittsburgh, PA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| No Dog Left Behind | West Mifflin, PA | $35,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $22,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Animal Friends | Pittsburgh, PA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bethlehem Haven | Pittsburgh, PA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Bread of Life Food Pantry | Pittsburgh, PA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Conservative Partnership Institute | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cure Alzheimer's Fund | Pittsburgh, PA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Gary Sinese Foundation | Woodland Hills, CA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh, PA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Humane Animal Rescue | Pittsburgh, PA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Watson Instititue | Sewickley, PA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence | Pittsburgh, PA | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Foundation for Free Enterprise Education | Erie, PA | $19,680 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Children's Hospital Foundation | Pittsburgh, PA | $17,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Big Brothers and Sisters | Pittsburgh, PA | $12,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friendship Circle | Pittsburgh, PA | $12,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Parkinson Foundation of Western Pennsylvania | Bellevue, PA | $12,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Presbyterian Senior Care | Oakmont, PA | $12,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Auberle - Ward Home | Mckeesport, PA | $11,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation | Alexandria, VA | $11,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sarah Heinz House | Pittsburgh, PA | $11,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Western Pa | Pittsburgh, PA | $11,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra | Pittsburgh, PA | $10,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Allegheny College | Meadville, PA | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Alzheimer's Association (national) | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Magee Women's Research Institute and Foundation | Pittsburgh, PA | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Travis Manion Foundation | Doylestown, PA | $10,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Pittsburgh Manufacturing Assistance Center | Pittsburgh, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| World Research Foundation | Sedona, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Family Hospice and Palliative Care | Pittsburgh, PA | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Life's Work of Western Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh, PA | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Myelin Repair Foundation | Saratoga, CA | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lindsay Theater | Sewickley, PA | $7,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Loyalhanna Association | Ligonier, PA | $7,422 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Circles Sharpsburg Co Faith UMC | Pittsburgh, PA | $6,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| North Carolina State University Foundation | Raleigh, NC | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pittsburgh Action Against Rape- Paar | Pittsburgh, PA | $6,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Fern Hollow Nature Center | Sewickley, PA | $5,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| American Red Cross | Pittsburgh, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| American Red Cross of Southwestern Pa | Pittsburgh, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Borough of Etna | Etna, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Idaho State University | Pocatello, ID | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ccac Educational Foundation | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ligonier Volunteer Hose Company | Ligonier, PA | $4,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Angel's Place | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blood Science Foundation | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Boulder Crest Retreat Foundation | Bluemont, VA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Boy Scouts of America Laurel Highlands | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Canyon Heroes | Ligonier, PA | $4,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Fort Ligonier | Ligonier, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Fox Chapel Volunteer Fire Department | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Girl Scouts of Sw Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| James Connections | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Jewish Family and Children's Services of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| K9S for Warriors | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lemoyne Community Center | Washington, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Luv-a-Chin | Sioux Falls, SD | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Manchester Academic Charter School | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| National Aviary | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Quaker Valley Ambulance Authority | Moon Township, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Senior Hearts Rescue and Renewal | Bradford Woods, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sewickley Heights History Center | Sewickley, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Shady Side Academy | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Children's Home of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Hospital Albert Schweitzer Haiti | Pittsburgh, PA | $3,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation | Pittsburgh, PA | $3,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Allepo Township Vfc | Sewickley, PA | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Carnegie Museum of Natural History | Pittsburgh, PA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Citylab | Pittsburgh, PA | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Fox Chapel Area Land Trust | Pittsburgh, PA | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| La Roche University | Pittsburgh, PA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ligonier Medal of Honor Project | Ligonier, PA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Darlington Twp Volunteer Fire Company | Darlington, PA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Front Porch Theatricals | Sewickley, PA | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pittsburgh Zoo | Pittsburgh, PA | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Outreached Arms | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Calliope - Pittsburgh Folk Music Society | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ligonier Valley Endowment | Ligonier, PA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Phipps Conservancy and Botanical Gardens | Pittsburgh, PA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mrs Claus Club | Allison Park, PA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Peaceable Primate Sanctuary | Winamac, IN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ryan Shazier Fund for Spinal Rehabilitation | Pittsburgh, PA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Sonny Pugar Memorial Inc | Pittsburgh, PA | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| VFW Foundation Hero Scholarship Fund | Kansas, MO | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
84 of 102 (82%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 94%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- University of Pittsburgh Panther Labworks
ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 170 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 83 | $517,546 | $2,500 |
| 2022 | 83 | $530,395 | $2,500 |
| 2023 | 87 | $539,935 | $2,500 |
| 2024 | 86 | $564,476 | $3,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 88% of this one's giving went to organizations in Pennsylvania. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $2,500. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Pennsylvania.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Tippins Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 209 4TH Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 25-6282382 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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