GrantmakersPennsylvania

Pirates Charities

Pittsburgh, PA · EIN 25-1840370. Reported 130 grants totalling $2,226,771 to 102 organizations across tax years 2021-2024, on Form 990 Schedule I.

102organizations funded
$10,000median reported grant
$2,226,771granted, 2021-2024
34%of grantees funded again the next year
23%of dollars to its largest recipient

Does this grantmaker accept applications?

Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.

Three things in the filing do bear on it:

  1. What kind of organization it is. For Pirates Charities, by its IRS classification it exists to support one specific institution in recreation & sports -- typically its own parent hospital, university or school (NTEE N11).
  2. How spread out its giving is. 102 distinct organizations, with 23% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
  3. How much its list changes. 34% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is below the 57% median for grantmaking charities, and well below the 67% private foundations manage. A list that turns over this much is one a newcomer can realistically join.

How big are its grants?

The median reported grant is $10,000. Half of what it reported fell between $9,000 and $15,000; the smallest was $5,530 and the largest $510,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.

Schedule I only reports grants over $5,000. Form 990 requires a charity to list recipients it paid more than that and lets it omit the rest, so every grant-size figure on this page describes the grants it reported, not all of them. Its real median is lower and its real recipient count is higher. This is also why these numbers cannot be compared with the private-foundation figures elsewhere on this site -- Form 990-PF has no reporting floor, so the two are different populations rather than two samples of one.
$5,000 - $10,000
35 grants
$10,000 - $25,000
79 grants
$25,000 - $50,000
12 grants
$50,000 - $100,000
3 grants
$250,000 Or More
1 grant

Every organization it funded

This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.

OrganizationLocationTotal receivedGrantsYears fundedLast
Highmark HealthPittsburgh, PA$518,980222022
Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PaPittsburgh, PA$50,000112022
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine IncErie, PA$50,000422024
Miracle League of Moon TownshipCoraopolis, PA$50,000112021
The Childrens Institute of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA$50,000112024
Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban ForestPittsburgh, PA$45,500112021
Manatee Education Foundation IncBradenton, FL$45,000332024
Park Hill First Church of God IncParker, PA$35,737332024
Josh Gibson Foundation IncPittsburgh, PA$35,328332023
Washington Heights Athletic AssociationPittsburgh, PA$33,600222024
Northside Baseball & Softball AssociationPittsburgh, PA$30,740222024
Lending HeartsPittsburgh, PA$30,000332024
Miracle League of Western PaMurrysville, PA$30,000112024
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network IncEl Segundo, CA$30,000332024
Susan G Komen Breast Cancer FoundationDallas, TX$30,000332024
Zero Prostate CancerAlexandria, VA$30,000332024
Little League Baseball IncIngomar, PA$29,500112023
Center Township Athletic AssociationChicora, PA$26,798222024
Apollo Ridge School DistrictSpring Church, PA$25,000112024
Caseys ClubhouseBethel Park, PA$25,000112022
Highlands School DistrictNatrona Heights, PA$25,000112024
Little League Baseball IncRainelle, WV$25,000112022
Pittsburgh Tigers Girls SoftballWest Mifflin, PA$25,000112023
Rankin BoroughBraddock, PA$25,000112022
South Fayette Township Parks and RecMorgan, PA$25,000112023
South Union TownshipUniontown, PA$25,000112023
Roberto Clemente FoundationSan Juan, San Juan$24,424332023
Squirrel Hill Baseball AssociationPittsburgh, PA$22,740222024
Jackie Robinson Foundation IncNew York, NY$21,895222022
Latrobe-Glsd Parks & Recreation CommissionLatrobe, PA$20,564112021
Smock Volunteer Fire DepartmentSmock, PA$20,000112024
West Mifflin Baseball LeagueWest Middlesex, PA$19,587222024
Childrens CupPrairieville, LA$19,000222022
City of MonessenMonessen, PA$17,300112024
Rochester Area Baseball Softball AssociationRochester, PA$17,000112022
Brothers Brother FoundationPittsburgh, PA$16,484112022
Borough of LibertyPerryopolis, PA$15,000112022
Canon-Mac Youth Girls Softball AssociationCanonsburg, PA$15,000112023
Deer Lakes School DistrictCheswick, PA$15,000112023
Deer Lakes Youth Baseball Association IncCurtisville, PA$15,000112022
Homer City Area Athletic Booster ClubHomer City, PA$15,000112023
Manatee Community Foundation IncBradenton, FL$15,000112024
Monongahela Youth Baseball Association IncMonongahela, PA$15,000112024
Quaker Valley Recreation AssociationSewickley, PA$15,000112022
Smithfield Youth LeagueSmithfield, PA$15,000112022
South Park Baseball AssociationSouth Park, PA$15,000112022
Southfork Youth AthleticSouth Fork, PA$15,000112022
Carmichael High School Softball BoosterCarmichaels, PA$14,520112023
14TH Ward Youth Baseball AssociationPittsburgh, PA$13,990222024
Hopewell High School Baseball BoostersAliquippa, PA$13,175112022
Borough of Jefferson HillsJefferson Hills, PA$12,500112024
Latrobe Derry Area Teener LeagueGreensburg, PA$12,500112024
RgaaBeaver Falls, PA$12,500112023
Shenengo High SchoolNew Castle, PA$12,500112022
Etna Borough Athletic ClubPittsburgh, PA$12,000112023
Saxonburg Area Girls Softball AssociationSaxonburg, PA$12,000112024
St Clairsville JR SportsSt Clairsville, OH$11,000112022
Ccyl BaseballCentral City, PA$10,000112023
Cumberland TownshipCarmichaels, PA$10,000112024
East Butler BoroughEast Butler, PA$10,000112024
Ellwood City BaseballEllwood City, PA$10,000112024
Friends of the Pittsburgh Fisher House IncPittsburgh, PA$10,000112022
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs IncWilliston, FL$10,000112022
Hampton Athletic Associaiton IncAllison Park, PA$10,000112024
Helping Heroes IncWheeling, WV$10,000112022
Little League Baseball IncPunxsutawney, PA$10,000112023
Little League Baseball IncSharon, PA$10,000112024
Little League Baseball IncSharpsville, PA$10,000112024
Moundsville Girls Softball AssociationMoundsville, WV$10,000112024
Mpiaa Girls SoftballMt Pleasant, PA$10,000112024
Neshannock Athletic Association IncNew Castle, PA$10,000112024
Oak Glen Junior Bears Baseball Association IncChester, WV$10,000112024
Penn Township Athletic AssociationHarrison City, PA$10,000112024
Prospect Boys and Girls ClubProspect, PA$10,000112024
Southeastern Greene School DistrictGreensboro, PA$10,000112023
Veterans Breakfast ClubPittsburgh, PA$10,000112022
Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania IncPittsburgh, PA$10,000112022
Washington Township Youth AssociationRostraver Twp, PA$10,000112024
Wyano Youth AthleticSmithton, PA$10,000112023
Blackhawk Area Youth Baseball AssociationBeaver Falls, PA$9,150112022
Ebensburg Youth League BaseballEbensburg, PA$9,000112024
Little League Baseball IncShippenville, PA$9,000112024
Union Finley Area Athletic AsscFinleyville, PA$9,000112023
Dormont Athletic Boosters Association IncPittsburgh, PA$8,425112022
Chartiers Houston BaseballHouston, PA$8,036112022
Make-a-Wish Foundation of Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia IncPittsburgh, PA$8,000112021
Athletics IncorporatedAvella, PA$7,500112023
Little League Baseball IncConnellsville, PA$7,500112023
Pittsburgh Symphony IncPittsburgh, PA$7,500112024
Slippery Rock Area Baseball Association IncSlippery Rock, PA$7,500112024
Game Changer Sports Ministry IncGreensburg, PA$7,280112022
Geibel Catholic Junior-Senior High SchoolConnellsville, PA$6,500112024
Mt Pleasant Girls Fast Pitch AssociationNorvelt, PA$6,500112022
Westwood Oak Athletic AssociationPittsburgh, PA$6,500112024
Bradenton Blue Foundation IncBradenton, FL$6,400112024
Borough of South GreensburgGreensburg, PA$6,000112024
West Middlesex Softball BoostersW Middlesex, PA$6,000112023
Womens Center & Shelter of Greater PghPittsburgh, PA$6,000112023
Altoona Independent Youth Baseball LeagueAltoona, PA$5,978112022
Charleroi Trustees Community Park FundCharleroi, PA$5,910112023
Wellsville Youth BaseballWellsville, OH$5,700112024
Greenfield Baseball AssociationHomestead, PA$5,530112023

18 of 102 (18%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.

What the money was for

Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.

What kind of organizations it funds

By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 64 of 102 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.

Recreation & Sports
37 orgs
Youth Development
5 orgs
Human Services
4 orgs
Health Care
3 orgs
Education
3 orgs
Diseases & Disorders
2 orgs
Religion
2 orgs
Philanthropy & Grantmaking
2 orgs

Giving by year

Tax yearGrants reportedTotalMedian grant
20219$177,595$9,000
202238$1,006,932$10,967
202336$443,802$10,000
202447$598,442$10,000

Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.

Where its money goes

86% of its giving went to organizations in Pennsylvania. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.

Pennsylvania
$1.9M
Florida
$76K
West Virginia
$55K
California
$30K
Texas
$30K
Virginia
$30K
San Juan
$24K
New York
$22K

Down to the city

Pittsburgh, PA
$926K
Bradenton, FL
$66K
Erie, PA
$50K
Coraopolis, PA
$50K
Parker, PA
$36K
Murrysville, PA
$30K

Find more funders like Pirates Charities

We read newly filed IRS returns and email you the grantmakers whose giving matches your state and cause, as they are published. Free.

No spam, unsubscribe in one click. We never sell or share your address.

Funders that support the same organizations

These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available 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.

The Pittsburgh Foundation15 shared recipientsFidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund15 shared recipientsDonor Advised Charitable Giving Inc14 shared recipientsAmerican Online Giving Foundation Inc13 shared recipientsThe United Way of Southwestern9 shared recipientsThe Blackbaud Giving Fund9 shared recipients

How to approach this grantmaker

  1. Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
  2. Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $10,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
  3. Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in Pennsylvania.
  4. Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.

Related guides

Foundations funding human services in PennsylvaniaEvery funder in this group, ranked

Where these numbers come from

Everything above is taken from Pirates Charities's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.

On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 47 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 0 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.

Address of record on the latest return: Pnc Park 115 Federal St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15212.

EIN 25-1840370 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this

This is history, not an open call. Form 990 is published about a year after the tax year it covers. Nothing on this page is a deadline. It is a record of who this organization has actually funded, which is the best available predictor of who it will fund next.

Is something here wrong about your organization? Email hello@funderscope.com and we will correct it.