Entrepreneurship

Business ownership is one pathway to build wealth more quickly than traditional employment, create jobs for others in the community and build assets that can be transferred within or passed down to a generation. Sole proprietorships whose owners are primarily self-employed often have difficulty in accessing lines of credit, working capital or venture capital. Utilizing e-commerce, crowd sourcing and social media reduces immediate need for capital, but those tools are not widely utilized.
Because this is an emergent area of work for our Foundation, we do not have additional eligibility criteria at this time. Our grantmaking in this area will be responsive for the next several years.
If you are interested in funding to support an effort to increase entrepreneurship, please complete this form:
Submit Interest Form
Application Deadlines
Foundation-Directed Grants | Application Deadlines* |
---|---|
Spring grant cycle | Monday, Feb. 3, 2025 by 5 p.m. (for funding decision after May 9) |
Fall grant cycle | Tuesday, July 15, 2025 by 5 p.m. (for funding decisions after Oct. 29) |
*Dates above apply to most grant programs. If dates differ, they will be listed on the program page. Dates may be subject to change. The Foundation may adjust the timing of grants in consideration for funding.
Grant Guidelines
How to Apply for Grants

More Grantmaking Supporting Economic Mobility
The Pittsburgh Foundation also offers the following funding opportunities to eligible applicants.